![Arthur lehman](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Arthur_lehman.jpg)
Arthur W. Lehman (September 24, 1917 – June 19, 2009) was a widely recorded American
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
virtuoso
A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'' or , "virtuous", Late Latin ''virtuosus'', Latin ''virtus'', "virtue", "excellence" or "skill") is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as ...
and soloist. He was noted for having radically changed the way the instrument was technically performed, and was a major influence on euphonium soloists who followed him.
Lehman retired as
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
soloist and section leader of the "President's Own"
United States Marine Band
The United States Marine Band is the premier band of the United States Marine Corps. Established by act of Congress on July 11, 1798, it is the oldest of the United States military bands and the oldest professional musical organization in the ...
in 1971 after twenty-four years of service. During his time with the Marine Band, he performed many solos that set the highest standards for euphoniumists who followed. Arthur Lehman was instrumental in changing the
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
section of the Marine Band from playing the small-bore
C.G. Conn
C. G. Conn Ltd., sometimes called Conn Instruments or commonly just Conn, is a former American manufacturer of musical instruments incorporated in 1915. It bought the production facilities owned by Charles Gerard Conn, a major figure in earl ...
Double-bell euphoniums of the Sousa Band era to the large-bore
Boosey and Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and woodwind musical instruments.
Formed in 1930 throu ...
self-compensating
euphoniums
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
, which he demonstrated to be more functional and adaptable to modern performance practices.
Early years
Art Lehman was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and attended
Penn State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...
, where he was awarded a B.A. in electrical engineering in 1940.
Drafted into the United States Army upon graduation, although initially assigned to an aircraft factory based on his engineering background, Lehman wound up playing
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
with an Army band from 1944 to 1946.
Having studied with
Simone Mantia
Simone Mantia (6 February 1873 – 25 June 1951) was an American baritone horn/euphonium virtuoso and also trombone artist at the turn of the twentieth century. He was both a performer and administrator with many American band and orchestral ensem ...
, soloist of the
Sousa Band, in the summer of 1946, Lehman began studying
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
with Harold Brasch, the noted
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
soloist of the United States Navy Band. Lehman played with the
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
Varsity Band and the
Philco
Philco (an acronym for Philadelphia Battery Company) is an American electronics industry, electronics manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia. Philco was a pioneer in battery, radio, and television production. In 1961, the company was purchased ...
Band of Philadelphia during his studies.
Arthur Lehman was accepted into the United States Marine Band in 1947. Retiring with rank of master gunnery sergeant, Lehman also served as the band's personnel manager from 1956 to 1964.
Lehman's
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
teacher, Harold Brasch had started using a bigger-bore
Boosey and Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and woodwind musical instruments.
Formed in 1930 throu ...
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
during World War II, but the bigger-sounding British-made euphoniums didn't catch on with other American players until the middle 1950s with Lehman's solo performances during Marine Band radio concerts.
In the late 1940s, Lehman worked closely with the British
Boosey and Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and woodwind musical instruments.
Formed in 1930 throu ...
musical instrument company to produce a set of five custom-made silver-plated "Imperial" model euphoniums which were used in the Marine Band for over half a century. One of these unique euphoniums is owned today by one of Lehman's former students, Glenn Call.
Always looking for a darker, more powerful sound, Arthur Lehman also developed the deep, large-bore parabolic-cup mouthpieces generally known today as the "Lehman Special," a radical change from the shallower cup-shaped mouthpieces of earlier
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
soloists. With his performances on the
Boosey and Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and woodwind musical instruments.
Formed in 1930 throu ...
euphoniums
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
and his "Lehman Special" mouthpieces, Lehman is widely credited for transforming the typical American
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
sound from the lighter continental sound of the
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dist ...
days to the rich, dark and resonant sound common today.
Later years
In 1969, Glenn Call, then euphoniumist with the Continental Army Band at Fort Monroe, Virginia, began studies with Arthur Lehman. It was at this time that Lehman began to meticulously formulate his
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
playing techniques and put them down in a document that came to be called ''The ART of the Euphonium''. These notes developed into a book published in the early 1970s by Robert Hoe, and later by the Tuba Press.
[Lehman, Arthur and Hoe, Robert, The Art of Euphonium, assorted publishers, 1977 - 1993]
Students
Call continued his lessons with Arthur Lehman through the 1970s after Call was accepted in the Marine Band. During this time, Lee Dummer, of the U.S. Army Band ("Pershing's Own") also studied with Lehman. Other enthusiastic Lehman euphonium students included
Michael Ressler, Frank Noonan, Robert Palmer, Maureen Hickey and Tony Ciarlante. Arthur Lehman's final student – and official biographer – was retired FBI agent Keith Barton, whom Arthur gave his personal Boosey and Hawkes euphonium.
A member of the
International Tuba Euphonium Association (ITEA), Arthur Lehman was a writer on
euphonium
The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...
technique and repertoire during the 1980s, through the early 2000s, appearing in professional journals and the internet. Following his years in the Marine Band, Arthur Lehman continued playing as a member of the National Concert Band of America. He retired from playing the instrument in April 2002 at age 84½.
Notable quotes
"Remember that accuracy as well as speed are important. Don't lose sight of your pitch, meter, dynamics, tone or tongue!"
"Every note a Pearl!" ... always said with a knowing twinkle in his eye.
Death
Arthur Lehman died June 19, 2009, at his home in
Camp Springs, Maryland
Camp Springs is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 22,734 at the 2020 census. Camp Springs is not an official post office designation; the area is divided ...
. He had
pulmonary fibrosis
Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failu ...
. He was survived by his wife, Frieda.
Books and articles written
''The ART of Euphonium Playing'', Volumes I and II, published by Tuba-Euphonium Press. (Not to be confused with ''The Art of Tuba and Euphonium Playing'', a different book by
Alfred Music Publishing
Alfred Music is an American music publishing company. Founded in New York in 1922, it is headquartered in Van Nuys, California, with additional branches in Miami, New York, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
History
In New York Cit ...
).
*Euphoniumist Harold Brasch Remembered, an Article in Ten Parts, 200
*Arthur Lehman Articles Onlin
References
External links
* http://www.tubaeuphoniumpress.com/p368.html
* http://www.dwerden.com/eu-articles-lehman.cfm
* http://www.dwerden.com/euphonia-LehmanAuditions.cfm
* http://www.dwerden.com/eu-articles-lehman-Mouthpiece.cfm
* http://www.infography.com/content/258597210635.html
* https://web.archive.org/web/20080928071257/http://www.marineband.usmc.mil/audio_resources/discography/bi_disc3.htm
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lehman, Arthur W.
1917 births
Euphonium players
2009 deaths
20th-century American musicians
20th-century American male musicians