The ophicleide ( / ˈ ɒ f ɪ k l aɪ d / OFF -ih-klyde ) is a group of brass instruments with cone-shaped tubes and keys. It was created in early 19th-century France to allow the keyed bugle to play lower notes. The bass ophicleide, which was made in eight-foot (8′) C or nine-foot (9′) B ♭ sizes, became widely used in military bands and as the lowest brass instrument in orchestras across Western Europe. It replaced the serpent and similar instruments. By the end of the 19th century, however, it was mostly replaced in bands by the euphonium and in orchestras by early versions of the modern tuba, which were based on valved ophicleides. In the late 20th century, interest in the ophicleide grew again for performances that follow historical practices. Today, a few manufacturers still produce ophicleides.
Etymology
The name of the instrument comes from two Greek words: "ophis," which means "serpent," and "kleis," which means "closure." This is because the instrument was designed to look like a serpent holding keys.
History
The ophicleide was invented in 1817 by a Paris instrument maker named Jean Hilaire Asté, who used the name Halary. He created the instrument to help extend the range of the keyed bugle into lower sounds, with the goal of replacing the serpent. In 1821, he patented a bass ophicleide in eight-foot (8′) C or nine-foot (9′) B♭, an alto quinticlave in six-foot (6′) F or six-and-a-half-foot (6½′) E♭, and a contrabass monstre in twelve-foot (12′) F. The quinticlave was rarely used in military bands before being replaced by instruments with valves, such as the clavicor and saxhorns.
The contrabass monstre, in 12′ F or 13′ E♭, was not widely used. In 1846, composer Felix Mendelssohn ordered one for his oratorio Elijah, which was played by musician Prospère in France and England. Four known monstres, all in F, are now in museums but are not playable. Only two playable contrabass ophicleides exist today, both built in E♭ by Robb Stewart, a Californian instrument maker, in the late 1980s. In the 1840s, Adolphe Sax created a soprano ophicleide, an octave higher than the bass, and Stewart later made playable replicas, including a smaller version in E♭.
The most successful ophicleide was the bass model, which became the main low-pitched brass instrument in early Romantic orchestras outside German-speaking countries. It replaced the serpent and its upright versions. The ophicleide first appeared in an opera called Olimpie by Gaspare Spontini in 1819. By the mid-1800s, it was commonly used in French and English operas by composers like Meyerbeer, Halevy, Auber, Michael Balfe, and Vincent Wallace. In Italian opera, composers such as Rossini, Bellini, and Verdi initially used the serpentone or cimbasso for low brass parts, but by the 1830s, these parts were often played on the ophicleide until valved instruments like the bombardone and pelittone were introduced. In Germany, Richard Wagner also used the ophicleide in his early works, but later switched to the tuba or trombone.
In the mid-1800s, after valves were invented, new instruments with similar designs but using valves instead of keys were created. These were called valved ophicleides (German: Ventilophikleide; French: ophicléide à piston). Improved valve designs led to the development of early tubas, such as the Baß-Tuba, patented in 1835, which became popular in German-speaking countries.
In military bands and civic brass bands in Britain and France, the ophicleide was used in the bass section, often playing alongside trombones. By the end of the 19th century, it was replaced by valved brass instruments, especially in Britain, where euphoniums were given as prizes to ophicleide players. One of the last great ophicleide players was Samuel Hughes, an English musician who taught at the Royal Military School of Music and played in Jullien’s orchestra and the Royal Italian Opera at Covent Garden.
The ophicleide (Portuguese: oficleide) was used in Brazilian choro bands well into the 20th century until it was replaced by the tuba, string bass, or seven-string guitar. A notable soloist in Brazil was Irineu de Almeida.
Interest in the ophicleide revived in Britain in the late 20th century, starting with David Rycroft in 1965. Other English musicians, including Alan Lumsden, Stephen Wick, and Clifford Bevan, also helped revive the instrument and the serpent. In the early 21st century, groups like the London Ophicleide Ensemble and the Sydney Ophicleide Quartet were formed, and new compositions for the ophicleide, such as concertos by Simon Proctor and William Perry, were created.
Construction
The ophicleide has tubing that is about the same length and shape as the upright serpents that came before it. Like a bassoon, the tubing bends back on itself. The ophicleide’s wide, cone-shaped tube narrows gradually, similar to a saxophone of the same range. Its bell shape is not as large as that of other brass instruments.
The instrument is played using a cup-shaped mouthpiece, like those used on a modern trombone or euphonium. The original design had nine keys, but later versions had up to 11 or 12 keys. These keys cover large holes that are sized according to the tube’s width. Most surviving ophicleides have either nine or eleven keys.
Ophicleides were made in large numbers until the 1920s, and some still exist in working or repairable condition today. Modern copies have been created, often with improved materials, key mechanisms, and sound design. These are usually made by skilled instrument makers, such as Benedikt Eppelsheim, Robb Stewart, and Jérôme Wiss. In 2002, Paul Schmidt, editor of the Serpent Newsletter, shared instructions for building a functional ophicleide called the Box-O-Cleide, made from plywood. The British-Chinese company Wessex Tubas produces new ophicleides and quinticlaves based on 19th-century models by Halary and Gautrot. The German maker Takao Nakagawa creates a valved ophicleide in F with five rotary valves.
Performance
Keyed brass instruments use a different way to play compared to other wind instruments. Most wind instruments use fingers to cover and close tone holes, or on larger instruments, use keys to close them from a distance. On the ophicleide, the tone holes are usually closed. When a player presses the key lever, the hole opens.
The largest key-covered tone hole, located just below the bell, is normally open. When the key is pressed, the hole closes. When open, this hole helps create the main sound of the instrument. The bell itself has little effect on the sound or pitch. When the hole is closed, the air inside the instrument travels farther, which lowers the pitch by one half step. The sound made when no keys are pressed is the instrument’s main pitch. The lowest note, achieved by closing the open key, is a semitone lower than this.
Players can change the notes from the same air column by adjusting how they shape their mouth, just like other brass instruments. When a normally closed tone hole is opened by pressing its key, that hole becomes the main sound maker, or "bell," of the instrument. This shortens the air column and creates a higher set of notes. The left hand controls three such tone holes and the normally open top hole below the bell. Notes in the middle and upper parts of the instrument can be played using only the left-hand keys, while the right hand holds and stabilizes the instrument.
The lowest notes on the ophicleide are more complex. They require one to three additional right-hand keys to open smaller tone holes near the mouthpiece. Right-hand keys can also be used in the upper range for alternate fingerings. This helps players play faster or improve the instrument’s tuning, a process called venting.
Repertoire
The ophicleide was first used by French composers, especially Hector Berlioz, who sought a deep bass voice for the brass section of the orchestra. In his Messe solennelle (1824), Berlioz included parts for serpent, buccin, and ophicleide. His Symphonie fantastique (1830) also required serpent and ophicleide, which are sometimes played by two tubas in modern orchestras. However, some writers argue that the original sound is lost because the tuba is too large for the intended effect. Berlioz used the ophicleide in other works, such as Hymne des Marseillais (1830), which called for two ophicleides, and Requiem: Grand messe des morts (1837), which required four ophicleides, one in each of four brass sections. His Symphonie funèbre et triomphale (1840) included six ophicleides playing two parts. Other French composers who wrote for the ophicleide include Georges Bizet, Léo Delibes, César Franck, Fromental Halévy, and Édouard Lalo.
Italian opera composers Vincenzo Bellini, Gioachino Rossini, and Giuseppe Verdi often specified serpentone or cimbasso as the bass voice in their early operas. These parts were later performed on the ophicleide before the invention of valved tubas like the pelittone and bombardone.
In Germany, the early adoption of the valved Baß-Tuba and its later versions limited the use of the ophicleide. However, Felix Mendelssohn included the ophicleide in his Overture for Winds (1838), incidental music to Athalia (1845), and his oratorio Elijah (1847). His Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream (1826) was originally written for an English bass horn and upright serpent but was later published for the ophicleide.
In Britain, the ophicleide became popular in military bands and civic brass bands, leading to the creation of method books, études, and solo pieces for competitions. It was also used in orchestras, and British composers continued to write for the ophicleide into the late 19th century. Arthur Sullivan included the ophicleide in his Overture di Ballo (1870), which also features a part for the serpent, similar to Wagner's opera Rienzi. Alice Mary Smith used the ophicleide in her concert overture Jason, or The Argonauts and the Sirens (1879).
Since the 20th century, Nick Byrne, a trombonist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, has recorded two CDs of ophicleide music and commissioned a concerto from American composer William Perry. The concerto, titled Brass From the Past, was first performed in 2012 and later recorded by Naxos Records. In 2014, Byrne formed the Sydney Ophicleide Quartet with Jono Ramsey, Brad Lucas, and Scott Kinmont, and commissioned works from Australian composer Houston Dunleavy. In France, Patrick Wibart is a modern performer of the ophicleide, recording The Virtuoso Ophicleide in 2015, a collection of 19th-century solo and ensemble pieces. He teaches serpent at the Conservatoire de Paris and serpent and ophicleide at the Conservatoire de Versailles Grand Parc.