Richard Strauss

Don Quixote — tenor tuba part

Strauss's tenor-tuba writing is among the most exposed and characterful in the orchestral literature — the voice of Sancho Panza himself.

ComposerRichard Strauss
Composed1897
EraRomantic
Difficultyvirtuoso
AccompanimentOrchestra
Duration~6 minutes
Clefbass, tenor
PublisherVarious (1898)

In Don Quixote, Strauss assigns the tenor tuba (played on euphonium) the earthy, comic character of Sancho Panza, with writing so specific and exposed that it functions almost as a solo. Alongside the tenor-tuba parts in Ein Heldenleben, it is a standard and feared orchestral excerpt — a test of character, control, and nerve in equal measure.

Recordings

Sources

  • Clifford Bevan, The Tuba Family (2000)

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