Fantasy Pieces for Euphonium is not a new book but a selection from the French Horn, Tenor Trombone and Trumpet editions. The choice was made on their suitability for the Euphonium and their educational value. A four valve Euphonium is needed for numbers 1,5and 6
Longish pieces of unaccompanied music on a large brass instrument always present problems, which derive from both the sustained physical activity that is necessary and the problem of disguising the frequent and sometimes unmusical breaths that have to be taken. Although these pieces are described as studies and thus of more value to the player than to the played-to, the finished result must still exhibit these qualities that a listener, especially if he is a lay-person, would find satisfying. Many of the comments are therefore aimed at trying to fool the imagined listener into thinking that the euphonium is a delicate and agile little instrument that consumes a barely measurable quantity of air.
Metronome marks are for guidance only and need not be strictly observed
1. Allegro moderate This study needs crisp tonguing with all notes well centered. Be careful that you co- Ordinate the tongue and fingers-feeling a very strict rhythmic pulse will help. 2. Andante cantabile This is marked Cantabile giving you the problem of differentiating the slurred notes from the detached without destroying the music's character. This needs particular care in the low register. There are no slurs at all from bar 17 to 20, so make this music a contrast to that on either side of it. Take a good breath right at the end of bar 16, disguising its effect by making a subtle ritardando during the last three quavers. Finally, do your best to make the pedal notes enhance the music, not spoil its elegant character. 3. Presto This piece looks on paper deceptively easy, but with its many accidentals, slow practise at first will show dividends later on. The important element is the ‘two in a bar’ feel. Once the piece is mastered try varying the speeds, so that the difterent feel between two and four is really explored“ Be careful that the small rhythms such as semi-quavers and semi quaver triplets are not glossed over and that they are given their full share of the beat. Working slowly with a metronome will help in this area 4. Slow waltz lt is important that the tempo of this piece is set correctly from the beginning. If it is not, then all sorts of problem swill befall the performer in the last five lines. ln the last five lines the difficulty is maintaining a smooth line and not catching harmonics. Make sure that the air stream is kept going through the slur, increasing the air as the pitch rises. When slurring to the upper note, make sure the back of the tongue rises slightly and the embouchure tightens. lf it is hard to achieve this, try whistling the phases. This stimulates the action at the back of the tongue. it is important that the correct articulation is observed, so that the right feel to the phases is achieved. This piece is also excellent at exercising the third finger of the right hand. 5. Adagio This is a technically demanding piece so treat it as two separate movements, taking a few seconds rest before the 6/8 passage. Don't be put off by all the semi-quavers. Check the speed of both sections with a metronome; You'll be surprised how steady they are. As in many of these pieces there is a lot of music that moves around at speed in the low register. 6. Presto This needs to be played in a bravura style and very rhythmically. Be careful to feel the 2nd, 3rd and 4th beats in bars 16to Wand 20to21. 7. Allegro vivace Notice the marcato at the beginning of the first section and sostenuto espresssivo at the change of key. Exploit your mastery of the instrument to show how the euphonium can play in these widely contrasted styles. Make sure that the marcato relies just as much on vigorous use of the lungs as it does on the tongue, so that the notes have some body. in the middle section try to ensure that all the slurs have the same quality, the wide intervals as well as the stepwise movements. 8. Allegro energico At the fast speed that it is marked, this piece will provide a challenge to even the best technique. Take time to get your breath back in the bars before the two key changes and make sure you have taken in plenty or air before the combined chromatic scale and crescendo at the end. ln the arpeggio passages in lines 6-9 make the semi-quavers full length so that the pitch of the notes is unambiguous and you can hear the chord changes. 9. Allegro ln this exciting piece, the constant changing time signatures can cause a challenge. Subdivide all the bars into quavers, as with previous pieces, lots of singing and clapping to a Metronome will help. When singing and clapping, exaggerate each of the groupings so that the change of time can be heard. ln the tranquilly section try singing this through at pitch, checking it against a piano. This will hep with good intonation and develop good aural technique. ln the semi-quaver passages move the valves evenly and firmly. ln the slurred passages it is the fingers that provide the rhythm.
