The instrument that followed the serpent in the evolution of the euphonium was the ophicleide. At this time, keyed instruments were the new fad as opposed to air holes, so as a result the ophicleide was invented to be the low brass of the new keyed instrument style. Unlike the serpent, the ophicleide was made entirely of brass, and normally had nine keys. However, the ophicleide was played with a cupped mouthpiece like the serpent and modern brass instrument.
Also, like the serpent the ophicleide was used by symphony composers of the Romantic period. The ophicleide also became popular as a solo instrument during the early part of the s. One of the most well-known ophicleide soloists was Alfred Phasey. Phasey would later become more known to mastering the euphonium as well. Finally, in Ferdinand Sommer invented his euphonium. After the euphonium was invented however, the ophicleide and even the serpent still existed alongside.
All three, as well as some of the other similar tenor like the tenor tuba, bass saxhorn, and coming a little later the Wagner tuba, would all battle for usage. Eventually, by it being easier to construct and at a lower monetary cost the euphonium would outlast the ophicleide.
Then in David Blaikley invented the automatic compensating system. With this new invention, it improved the intonation on the euphonium and was the birth of the British style compensating euphonium. This new style euphonium has now became the standard for professional level euphoniums everywhere. The euphonium is not widely recognizable in the orchestral scene as the instrument is only used sparsely in the small number of orchestral literature that calls for it or its alike counterparts.
A couple of those pieces in the orchestral literature that do call for it have previously been named, but a couple other notables give the euphonium key parts include Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky and The Planets by Gustav Holst.
Even though the orchestral scene has not completely accepted the euphonium into its instrumental family, the euphonium has found a home in wind symphonies, military bands, and brass bands. The euphonium solo literature for most of its history has been known for being transcriptions of music initially written for other instruments. Like the serpent and the euphonium it was played with a cupped mouthpiece and produced a deep tone.
Unlike the serpent, the ophicleide developed into a solo instrument. Several musicians became famous ophicleide soloists, the most eminent of these were Sam Hughes, Jean Prospere Guivier and Alfred Phasey, the former two reaching celebrity status with Jullien's Orchestra.
The ophicleide was a difficult instrument to master. George Bernard Shaw referred to the sound of the ophicleide as, 'a chromatic bullock' but singled out Sam Hughes' rendition of 'Oh Ruddier than the Cherry' at Covent Garden as moving. The ophicleide would, however, soon be consumed by the advances of technology through the invention of the piston valve and the rapid growth of the brass band movement in Britain.
The first piston valve was collaboratively patented in by Heinrich Stolzel and Friedrich Blumel. In William Wieprecht made a piston valved instrument called a Tenorbasshorn and in Carl Moritz of Berlin made a similar instrument called a tenor tuba. However, it was in that Sommer of Weimar designed and named a piston valved, tenor voiced instrument called a "euphonion".
Its name is derived from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "sweet-voiced" and many consider this instrument to be the ancestor of the modern day euphonium.
The euphonium and the ophicleide co-existed for at least five decades, but the euphonium was easier to play, and both cheaper and easier to manufacture in large quantities. Interestingly, of the three aforementioned ophicleidists; Hughes, Prospere and Phasey, the latter learned the euphonium and earned a good living for himself.
Sam Hughes ignored the euphonium, and died in leaving his widow in grief and poverty. During the industrial revolution manufacturing techniques and production skills improved. The piston valve was a product of the revolution as were many other musical inventions. However, the most significant development relating to the emergence of the euphonium was the amateur brass band movement. Algernon Rose was informed that there were 40, brass bands in Britain by and in Herbert's and Myers' book, 'The British Brass Band', Arnold Myers states that brass band instrumentation had crystallized around the same period.
This would mean that in the 50 or 60 years since Sommer invented the euphonium there were approximately 60, amateur euphoniumists in Britain. The meteoric popularity of the instrument can not be attributed solely to the Industrial Revolution or the formation of the brass band movement.
Instrument manufacturers actively promoted the euphonium by offering them as prizes to the best ophicleidists at competitions. This divisive practice contributed to the demise of the Ophicleide.
Adolph Sax produced a family of valved brass instruments called Saxhorns in the 's, which also contributed to the demise of the ophicleide and indeed the rise of the euphonium. Sax's Bb Baritone saxhorn and the Bb Bass saxhorn corresponded to the size and pitch of the euphonium and were among many of Sax's instruments promoted by the virtuosi Distin family. It is worth emphasizing at this point that the serpent, ophicleide and euphonium as they appeared did not literally replace each other; all three co-existed for a long period before the euphonium finally replaced them.
Similarly, it would be wrong to give the impression that the invention of the piston valve was entirely responsible for the growth of the brass band movement. In fact, Halliday's keyed bugles co-existed in brass bands for a number of years before piston valved instruments finally replaced them. However it is fair to say that the valve principle could be applied more easily to any voice of instrument.
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