The many moods of the euphonist

The euphonium is described as “the most romantic” in the sound of brass instruments. It has a large range, both down and in the higher octaves, and good soloists enchant with their rich expressiveness. Here we present two CDs, one by the soloist Robbert Vos, the other in duet with Robbert Vos and Anteun Hoesen.

The CD “Vox: This solo album is an album which, as the Latin word already says, shows the special euphonium voice of the soloist. The title also combines the soloist’s surname – Vos – with his English translation Fox, which in turn alludes to one of the pieces specially commissioned for the CD, “Les Ruses du Renard” (“The Secrets of the Fox”).

Since the euphonium has more than one face, Vos wanted to make an album consisting of serious music in combination with a variety of different ensembles. So here are four brand-new compositions on the CD, most of which were written specifically for this project. These pieces are all stylistically very different, but each plays the strengths of the instrument. In addition to these four premieres, Marco Pütz’s “Concerto for Euphonium” can be heard, one of the best works written for Euphonium and Fanfare Band (a typical Dutch ensemble). By recording these five pieces with Brass Band, Symphonic Band and Fanfaren Band, the performer hopes to show the different voices the Euphonium has to offer.

The CD “Dual: this is a great opportunity for Robbert Vos to show his virtuosity and lyrical playing style as a soloist, while for Anteun Hoesen it is a nice occasion to record some solo pieces as additional activity.

The repertoire of this CD is as extensive as the partnership. Some commissioned works have been written specifically for the project, others have been arranged by leading composers from all over Europe. To ensure that the CD offers its listeners a wide variety of music, three existing pieces have been added to the selection.

The two performers had the honour of collaborating with two leading brass orchestras from the Netherlands, the Brass Band Shoonhoven and Altena Brass. They have done their best to offer an interesting CD worth listening to and introducing some new elements to the existing euphonium repertoire.

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