Greatest Current Solo Euphonium Player

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tim

Member
I was just wondering what people look for in good principal euphonium players whether its technique or sound.

Personally im more bothered about sound... Sure Morgan Griffiths may split a couple of notes but his osund is incredible whereas some players have a good technique but there sound can be quite bland

what is every1 elses opinion???
 
B

blue_smarties

Member
I think that it's important to have both but if i had to pick one or the other i'd say sound. Someone who's a fantastic technician but has a naff sound, in my opinion, isn't as good, and probably wont go as far, as someone who's not so great technically but has a lovely sound.
Just my opinion :)
 
Seedhouse

Seedhouse

Active Member
There are many things to consider when choosing a "best" player.
Phrasing, sound, adapting to different styles, "cleaness" of articulation, the list is VERY long.
Everyone has their own personal preferences to who they prefer as players, and most try to imitate their styles etc.
There are many good players out there in their own individual way, and it's very hard to choose a "best" player out of all of them in my opinion.
 
grandfilth

grandfilth

Member
Seedhouse said:
Everyone has their own personal preferences to who they prefer as players, and most try to imitate their styles etc.
quote]

Don't know who is best but a good way of knowing whos best is whether the hairs stand up on the back of your neck when they're playing. Personally I don't think immitation is a good thing, I try not to hear another redition of a piece i'm going to play because I like to make it my own...
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Rambo Chick

Rambo Chick

Member
blue_smarties said:
I think that it's important to have both but if i had to pick one or the other i'd say sound. Someone who's a fantastic technician but has a naff sound, in my opinion, isn't as good, and probably wont go as far, as someone who's not so great technically but has a lovely sound.
Just my opinion :)
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definitely sound over technique(to a certain degree) because i think a nice sound is very important-its no good having a great technique with the sound of a blocked drainpipe! but a good sound wins, even if technique isn't top notch :p


carolyn
flugel
utd co-op yorkshire
 
VenusTromster

VenusTromster

Member
Rambo Chick said:
blue_smarties said:
I think that it's important to have both but if i had to pick one or the other i'd say sound. Someone who's a fantastic technician but has a naff sound, in my opinion, isn't as good, and probably wont go as far, as someone who's not so great technically but has a lovely sound.
Just my opinion :)
Click to expand...
definitely sound over technique(to a certain degree) because i think a nice sound is very important-its no good having a great technique with the sound of a blocked drainpipe! but a good sound wins, even if technique isn't top notch :p


carolyn
flugel
utd co-op yorkshire
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Yeah I have to agree! :D
 
Seedhouse

Seedhouse

Active Member
Personally I don't think immitation is a good thing, I try not to hear another redition of a piece i'm going to play because I like to make it my own...
Click to expand...
No, sorry you've misinterpreted what I meant!
I meant that listening to CD's many players try to imitate other players' sound, and gather idea's about how to play certain things. Surely listening to a good player playing a solo with good phrasing etc, means that personally as players we ourselves can improve on things that we perhaps overlook.
Of course you want to put a piece of yourself into a performance, but surely we should all make it the best that we can.
 
E

EbHorny

Member
Keep an eye on an up and coming Euphonium player, who'll be playing in the finals of the BBC Young brass Soloist Competition.

Technically Brilliant, and not too bad a sound either!
:wink: :wink:
 
S

Steve

Active Member
tim said:
I was just wondering what people look for in good principal euphonium players whether its technique or sound.

Personally im more bothered about sound... Sure Morgan Griffiths may split a couple of notes but his osund is incredible whereas some players have a good technique but there sound can be quite bland

what is every1 elses opinion???
Click to expand...
Above everything else, in a good principal of any section I look for the right attitude. There have been several threads on here re: who is the best player on various instrument but it always seems to get overlooked that a players attitude has as much to do with sitting on the end as their playing. In a good principal euph, yeah I would look for the sound and the technique (as a package ideally) but its not just the principals playing you respect them for, its the effort, practice, guidance, knowledge and confidence they instill in the rest of the section that does it for me. It needs to be a player that leads a section and not just a good soloist, THAT makes a good principal.
 
Aidan

Aidan

Active Member
EbHorny said:
Keep an eye on an up and coming Euphonium player, who'll be playing in the finals of the BBC Young brass Soloist Competition.

Technically Brilliant, and not too bad a sound either!
:wink: :wink:
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not to be confused with the BBC Young Musician of the Year :p
Rich is in the BBC Radio 2 one. Silly BBC having them on at the same time!
 
Okiedokie of Oz

Okiedokie of Oz

Active Member
My music teacher once won the Ern Keller, and competed over in Britain. I remember thinking this guy was a eupho God. He had this big smooth sound, but could change it. He had an amazing range and his technical skills were superb. Bill Barker was a legend in my mind..

When I moved to Rocky, I had the opportunity to work with John Evenhuis. Not as competitive or as focussed as Bill, but his sounds is so much better!! It is sweet, blissful, with a subtle vibrato that makes you wanna cry. His upper range is to die for!!!!

Combone the two of them.....The childs Bros are history!!!
 
Griffis

Griffis

Member
What about Glyn Williams??!!

Being a fellow Welsh man, and also a friend of his (not that it makes me biast at all)!! he is a fantastic Euph player on his day, and even when it's not his day (lets face it...not very often) he is still phenomenal (sp??)!
 
Dave Euph

Dave Euph

Member
Being taught by Dave Thornton, I have occasionally had a chance to see him practise his own parts for solos, and to be honest it is quite breath taking! His solos I've seen him perform have been top-notch also.

Steven Mead has done some amazing stuff on recording, but to be honest his live-performances have left me a little under-whelmed. He has still done so much for the instrument and is still among the top mind, and he is among the best of the teachers of the instrument.

Then there's of course former Mr. Prodigy Dave Childs, who was amazing when he performed in young musician of the year final. Since then he's gone from strength to strength!

There are loads of others, Steven Miles, Morgan Griffiths, Thomas Ruedi and Glyn Williams to name just a few, but the three at the top for me represent the best at the moment.
 
iggmeister

iggmeister

Member
Would it be fair to say that the fact that there are so many fantastic euphonium players around is proof of how easy it is to play?

:twisted:

Hmmm.....

Igg

:lol:
 
iggmeister

iggmeister

Member
Touche!

He he.

One of the best euph players I ever heard was David Welch who used to play with Fairey. Whatever happened to him?

Igg
 
Dave Euph

Dave Euph

Member
iggmeister said:
Would it be fair to say that the fact that there are so many fantastic euphonium players around is proof of how easy it is to play?
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Ha ha ha ha ha ... ha ha

Actually in my opinion there are just as many quality cornet, horn and trombone players around as well. :)
 
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