Tuba(Instrument)

History of Tuba

The tuba, as we all know, is a big instrument. The subject of the tuba, as it turns out, is even bigger. It all begins with a peculiar-looking Mediaeval instrument made of wood and leather that was redesigned a number of times, first gaining keys, a straightened wood or metal body in two sections and even more keys, an upright configuration of graceful, wound tubing and valves, a circular design resembling a snake once more, and eventually culminating in the 4-valve BB flat compensating behemoth we all know and love today.

The tuba is an instrument for which there was a demand long before its creation. Various inventors sought to fill the desire of composers, bandmasters and orchestra conductors for an instrument that could supply the bottom end, especially in the days when orchestras were growing exponentially in size. Hector Berlioz’ remarks concerning the serpent and ophicleide are well-documented and uniformly uncomplimentary. To do these instruments justice, however, Wagner, who loved a lush tone-palate, wrote supporting passages for the serpent, and demand for the ophicleide remained such that it lasted until the early 20th century.

Though this researcher can never hope to do justice to this instrument in so short a piece, it nevertheless is my hope that this overview will provide the basis from which to form meaningful direction and questions in the minds of those who wish to know more about this instrument, its origins and related instruments.

The Serpent

The serpent was invented in France by Edme Guillaume ca 1590. Though metal versions exist, the original and most predominant materials this instrument was fashioned from was wood covered with leather. The mouthpiece was variously made of wood, bone, ivory, oxhorn, ceramic, and various metal alloys such as brass, bronze and pewter.

The original serpent, coiled back and forth like a snake, was played by means of six holes. Later on, keys were added so that this instrument could play with greater facility.

This instrument saw wide use in the church as a bass accompaniment for religious music that had evolved from Gregorian Chant. The earliest known composers of this form were Leoninus and Perotinus, or Leonin and Perotin, in the 12th century. The composers Leoninus and Perotinus are critically important to us because they are the first two recognised composers of Western Music: for the student of Western Music, it all begins with them.

In Britain, besides its sacred role, the serpent was soon adopted as the bass member of military wind bands.

Down through the centuries, the serpent proved remarkably resilient to sweeping change in instrument design. Though it was redesigned several times and adapted for modern use, the original instrument managed to hang on, and is still with us today, kept alive by various groups and collectors with a keen interest in this venerable old instrument.

Composers like Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Meyerbeer and Wagner were no stranger to the serpent, and even today, composers in search of interesting sounds to compliment their tone-palate, will occasionally score solo parts for this 400-year-old relic.

The largest version of this instrument, the contrabass Anaconda, appeared belatedly in 1840, and is now part of the collection of the Edinburg University Collection of Musical Instruments.

The Ophicleide

In 1810, in Dublin Ireland, bugle-maker Joseph Halliday created the keyed bugle, the progenitor of the modern cornet. He based his design upon the keyed trumpet, an instrument that had been around since the late 18th century. In 1821 he created the ophicleide, the name being constructed from the two words “ophis” (Greek for “serpent”) and “kleis” (for “stopper” or “cover”).

Though the ophicleide bears no resemblance to its progenitor, being made of brass, having keys and pads like a saxophone, and standing upright, what matters here is its less obvious internal design. It is a brasswind of conical bore utilizing holes that, when covered or uncovered, change the pitch of the instrument.

If the appearance of the ophicleide is reminiscent of the saxophone, there is good reason for this. The saxophone was but one of several attempts to fuse ophicleide and woodwind design. In fact, Sax’s earliest saxophones were often refered to as the ophicléides á clefs, or the ophicléides á clefs et á bec.

Adolphe Sax was by no means the first inventor to attempt this. Other fusions of ophicleides and woodwinds, with single and double reeds, predate Sax’s efforts. In fact, when he first introduced the progenitor of the modern saxophone at a Paris exhibition, another inventor had brought a very similar instrument. Because Sax’s instrument was far superior to its competitors, the competition was soon routed, but in typical Sax fashion the authenticity of his invention is doubtful.

The ophicleide all but swept aside its predecessor, but the plucky serpent managed to hang on, whilst the ophicleide finally expired in 1928, though it has recently been resurrected, and faithful replicas are once again available.

The largest version of the ophicleide is the contrabass Monstre Ophicleide, built by Robb Stewart, an expert at making replicas of 19th century brasswinds.

source:blackdiamondbrass.com