Posted by Joe S. on December 17, 2000 at 03:00:28:
Some of you guys have chided me for avoiding the post pseudo-Latin term "euphonium" and preferring to stick to the old standby term, "baritone horn". I've even teasingly suggested that the term "euphonium" didn't end up being commonly used until a bunch of young folks wanted to actually "major" on the instrument in college, and wanted "what they were majoring in" to sound a bit more important than "baritone horn". WELL, after all of the instruction that I have picked up from various posts on this bulletin board, I finally believe that I absolutely understand what a "euphonium" is as opposed to a "baritone horn":
A euphonium has an upright bell, except for some of them that are the same exact instrument with a recording-style bell, such as have been manufactured by Besson, Willson, Yamaha, and perhaps others. Further, a euphonium is equipped with "top-action" pistons, except for some of the Willson euphoniums, Indiana-made Conn euphoniums, and rotary valve euphoniums. A baritone horn is obviously smaller than a euphonium, as its bore size is always at least 10/1000 of an inch smaller than a euphonium and its bell stack is at least 1/16 of an inch smaller than a euphonium, UNLESS it was made by C.G. Conn in Elkhart, Indiana. In the case of it being made by C.G. Conn in Elkhart, Indiana, it is a euphonium if it is the same exact instrument as the baritone horn, but has different-looking brace feet, a detachable bell, and a slightly differently bent mouthpipe, OR if it is ANY brand of baritone horn which has been enhanced by one extra valve which serves to give the player a choice between playing through a baritonish euphonium bell or a trombonish baritone bell (ie: the double-belled euphonium). Moreover, the euphonium is more of a professional instrument because it has four valves, except for student euphoniums which have only three. Baritones with four valves should never be mistaken for euphoniums, because they, well, are baritone horns, and no one would ever even think of doing something as foolish as to try to play a baritone horn with a euphonium mouthpiece. Finally, euphoniums play with a more "open" feel. That is why euphoniums are made with large, medium (English), or small shank mouthpiece receivers and with various bore sizes and tapers in their mouthpipes and in their valve sections.
To further (and parenthetically) clarify, the Mirafone euphoniums (of T.T.T.E. fame) are, of course, euphoniums EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE SMALLER THAN MOST BARITONES because (of course, again) they have rotary valves.
Now that I understand all about the differences between baritones and euphoniums, I will use these terms correctly in future discussions, and I would like to apologize for any confusion that my past misusages of these terms may have caused.
Incidentally, since these distinguishing characteristics are so obvious, shouldn't the tuba players have some hot-shot name for the tubas that obviously are different from just-any-old-tubas?