Ophicleide
The Ophicleide [ ofiklei ː də ] (Greek ophis snake dress flaps) is a brass instrument from the family of the flap horns, with flaps and facing upward bell. Its shape resembles that of the bassoon and it has nine to twelve valves. To fully chromatic playing the gamut (at B - instruments from A to b1 ) Eleven flaps are necessary.
The instrument was invented around 1817 by Halary (Jean -Hilaire Asté ) in Paris. Before the Ventiltuba prevailed because of their better suitability in military music, the Ophicleide was used as the bass instrument in symphonic orchestras, concert bands and in the church music. Became famous especially the Ophikleidensolo in Hector Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique ( Dies irae - quote).
Ophicleide is also the name of a usually extremely loud tongue register to 16 ' or 32' of the organ.
History
At the beginning of the 19th century you had the problem that full sounding bass instruments were missing, which could form a sufficient foundation for the new, more voluminous orchestral sound. The Serpent, which dated from the Renaissance, no longer fit for modern sound ideal, and also the bass horn in its various types has not convinced absolutely. The woodwinds contrabassoon and bass clarinet, however, were not loud enough. Therefore, new deep -sounding instruments have been developed. Of these, the Ophicleide continued until the introduction of the tuba in military music abruptly through what the many published in the period 1820-1840 Ophikleidenschulen show.
They, like all conical brass instruments on an easy response. The playability of old Ophikleiden is somewhat impaired in the pipe run and in the flap seat due to lack of precision of the instrument makers of the 19th century. However, the virtuosity of the solo pieces, the solos in orchestral works, operas and chamber music speak for a complete mastery of this instrument.
In German-speaking countries, the Ophicleide due to rapid introduction of the tuba in the military music - and possibly also by the lack of desire to travel the leading German composers Beethoven and Brahms - not prevail. However, in France, Italy and Britain, they remained throughout the 19th century through use. Known examples of music by German composers are Mendelssohn -Bartholdy the incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op 61, the oratorio Elijah and his second version of Athalie. By Richard Wagner 's operas are generally Rienzi and The Flying Dutchman known and of Robert Schumann 's Paradise and the Peri.
The earliest designs of the Tuba (1835 in Berlin) and the first patent of the saxophone clearly show the precursor function of Ophicleide for these instruments.
In the 20th century was hardly composed for the Ophicleide; one of the last composer who used them regularly, Heitor Villa -Lobos was. Until the Second World War, met the Ophicleide as an important bass instrument regularly the Brazilian Choro and the Cuban Danzon to, in some cases even to the end of the 20th century.
With the growing interest for musical performance practice of the 19th century, at the sound design of the composer and the ever-increasing number of performances with original instruments or their replicas of a market has been created, so again Ophikleiden be newly built and developed.
Characteristics
The sound of Ophicleide can be described between French horn and bassoon. In the sound spectrum of Ophicleide only two harmonics are easily visible, making their characteristic sound is created and its good suitability to mix sound with other instruments.
Berlioz polemicizes 1844 in his Grand traité d'Instrumentation on the bass Ophicleide:
" The sound of the bass is rough, but in certain cases, under masses of brass instruments, he works wonders. The very high notes have a wild character that you have not yet known how to use them in the right way. The middle layer is reminiscent, especially if the wind is not very skilled, too strongly to the sound of the Serpent and the tines. Nothing and crude [ ... ] there is [ ... ] than those more or less rapid passages that you as a solo of the middle layer of the ophicleide to the best available in some modern operas: This is just as if one of the stable runaway bull in the middle of a Salon made its great leaps. "
It is possible that Berlioz's criticism relates less to the French operatic literature ( Grand opéra and opéra comique ) than on the performance practice of accompanying singing in churches. A contemporary critique of a performance of Donizetti's La Favorite (1840 ) in Zurich confirmed the advantage of Ophicleide before the tuba in the opera orchestra: " Instead of the tuba is a lighter and more elegant sounding, Ophicleide ' as a bass instrument used. "
Contemporary works for Ophicleide
- Hans Werner Henze: The Raft of the Medusa
- Falk Hübner: derangement for solo Ophicleide
- Falk Hübner: Present tense for solo Ophicleide
- Johannes Wallmann: antiphon for solo or as a duo with organ Ophicleide
- Clifford Bevan: Sonata for solo piano and Ophicleide