Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
David Maslanka is one of the most acclaimed performed and beloved composers to contribute to the wind ensemble repertoire. He wrote his euphonium concerto in 1999 for his son, Matthew Maslanka, who is a euphoniumist himself and would eventually finish David's Symphony No. 10 "The River of Time", which was incomplete at the time of his death in 2017.
David writes in the program notes about this concerto:
"In brass-player slang, the euphonium is the “eupho.” I have punned this into “UFO,” giving it an altogether different twist. I wanted to throw our “life-on-earth” experiece into sharp relief by suggesting a cosmic origin and connection for the human spirit. In any case, my son Matthew, for whom this piece was written, is convinced that I am from another planet! The concerto is in the traditional three movements. The first is based on the English folk song “The Water is Wide.” This is a beautiful song that my wife used to sing to the children when they were very young. The movement consists of two sets of variations on the melody, separated by a central digression. The second movement – “Home Planet – Who are you? Where do you come from?” – is a dream of distant origins. My choice of this title is still a mystery to me, but it feels quite right. The last movement is again a set of variations, this time on a melody from the bach Chorale book. The title of the tune is “Aus meines Herzens Grunde” (“From the Bottom of My Heart”). The music is bold and spirited, and expresses my wish for Matthew’s life and cosmic journey."
COMPOSER: David Maslanka
CONDUCTOR: Scott A. Hagen
EUPHONIUM: Adam Frey
BAND: Utah Wind Symphony
TRACKLIST:
0:00 - I. Fantasy Variations (The Water Is Wide)
9:10 - II. Home Planet (Where Do You Come From? Who Are You?)
15:22 - III. Variations (From the Bottom of My Heart)
Please be aware that all of the music (and images) featured in this video belong to their respective owners, and I or this channel does not claim any right over them. I upload these solely for archiving purposes, and for the sharing and enjoyment of great music. Monetization is not enabled. If you are the rightful owner of copyrighted material used and would like the video removed from YouTube, please, instead of reporting/striking my channel, leave a comment below with your statement and I will take the video down effective immediately.
David Maslanka is one of the most acclaimed performed and beloved composers to contribute to the wind ensemble repertoire. He wrote his euphonium concerto in 1999 for his son, Matthew Maslanka, who is a euphoniumist himself and would eventually finish David's Symphony No. 10 "The River of Time", which was incomplete at the time of his death in 2017.
David writes in the program notes about this concerto:
"In brass-player slang, the euphonium is the “eupho.” I have punned this into “UFO,” giving it an altogether different twist. I wanted to throw our “life-on-earth” experiece into sharp relief by suggesting a cosmic origin and connection for the human spirit. In any case, my son Matthew, for whom this piece was written, is convinced that I am from another planet! The concerto is in the traditional three movements. The first is based on the English folk song “The Water is Wide.” This is a beautiful song that my wife used to sing to the children when they were very young. The movement consists of two sets of variations on the melody, separated by a central digression. The second movement – “Home Planet – Who are you? Where do you come from?” – is a dream of distant origins. My choice of this title is still a mystery to me, but it feels quite right. The last movement is again a set of variations, this time on a melody from the bach Chorale book. The title of the tune is “Aus meines Herzens Grunde” (“From the Bottom of My Heart”). The music is bold and spirited, and expresses my wish for Matthew’s life and cosmic journey."
COMPOSER: David Maslanka
CONDUCTOR: Scott A. Hagen
EUPHONIUM: Adam Frey
BAND: Utah Wind Symphony
TRACKLIST:
0:00 - I. Fantasy Variations (The Water Is Wide)
9:10 - II. Home Planet (Where Do You Come From? Who Are You?)
15:22 - III. Variations (From the Bottom of My Heart)
Please be aware that all of the music (and images) featured in this video belong to their respective owners, and I or this channel does not claim any right over them. I upload these solely for archiving purposes, and for the sharing and enjoyment of great music. Monetization is not enabled. If you are the rightful owner of copyrighted material used and would like the video removed from YouTube, please, instead of reporting/striking my channel, leave a comment below with your statement and I will take the video down effective immediately.
