# Flugelhorn



## Rhombic

Is there anyone who does not like the marvelous delicate sound of the flugelhorn? It looks like a trumpet in some ways, but it sounds great.
Whoever has played in wind bands, brass bands, etc. will already know this instrument which has had very rare appearances in symphonic works. Yet, for many people, this instrument is capable of playing melodic lines in a more _espressivo_ fashion than trumpets.
The funny thing is that, despite being relatively common outside the orchestral mini-universe, there are very few concertos for this instrument. In fact, I'm rather outraged by this lack of soloist repertoire, bearing in mind that the saxophone's similar situation does not have that problem. In fact, traditionally-inclined composers, such as Glazunov, have composed concertos for saxophone.

PS. I hate it (and most other musicians and audiences do) when a trumpet player who has never played flugelhorn CORRECTLY before picks up the flugelhorn and, TC knows why, it sounds exactly like a trumpet. Please, keep that annoying sound for your own instrument.

PS'. All jokes directed to trumpets are not to be taken seriously. They are only for the enjoyment of those who distinguish musical instruments from trumpets and violas .


----------



## eugeneonagain

I surprised no-one answered this. I took up the flugel coming from a similar instrument, the cornet, both conical bore. I had been playing on trumpet for a while and went to flugel because Chet Baker played one. You're right it is much better at playing lyrically, with a softer, purer tone than the trumpet.


----------



## Larkenfield

There are a few examples:






And jazz, Clark Terry was a master of it... He could make it talk!


----------



## Heck148

Chuck Mangione played a lot of Flugelhorn....
a wonderful symphonic use is V-Wms Sym #9....the slow mvt features flugelhorn solo....symphony also makes wonderful use of saxophones.


----------



## TMHeimer

Love Chuck Mangione--("where is he now"). "We've only just begun" arr. for trumpet & flugal--our 2 first tpts. from the Westchester Band recorded this with the band to play the tape as our 1995 Wedding dance song. I recall another band arr. for flugal that we played as well.
As a clarinetist, it is my next favourite instrument. I've owned one for decades and could get around on it OK (not gunna play Feels So Good anytime soon. I actually took a solo once in a while with the H.S. Jazz Band I directed back in my teaching years. Great stuff.


----------



## david johnson

Flugel has a home in jazz, for sure. Older concert band/march music make use of them. William Lang used it for the posthorn solo in the Mahler 3/Horenstein/LSO recording.


----------



## Heck148

TMHeimer said:


> Love Chuck Mangione--("where is he now").


I don't know what he's up to these days, years ago, when I was in Rochester, NY, I played with him in his big productions in the Eastman Theater, iirc....(long time ago)..they were fun, big crowds...


----------



## Manxfeeder

Heck148 said:


> I don't know what he's up to these days, years ago, when I was in Rochester, NY, I played with him in his big productions in the Eastman Theater, iirc....(long time ago)..they were fun, big crowds...


Mangione was/is one of those rare people who could make a whole note interesting.

Were you part of Friends and Love?


----------



## SixFootScowl

Wow, and all my life I thought a flugelhorn was just something Dr. Seuss made up.


----------



## Heck148

Manxfeeder said:


> Mangione was/is one of those rare people who could make a whole note interesting.
> 
> Were you part of Friends and Love?


Don't remember the titles of the shows....it was along while ago...early 70s??..memory is a bit foggy...


----------



## Manxfeeder

Heck148 said:


> Don't remember the titles of the shows....it was along while ago...early 70s??..memory is a bit foggy...


I saw one of the concerts on PBS back in the '70s. It blew me away at the time. I still have the recording.


----------

