Wagner tuba
DEFINITION
A tuba invented by the composer Richard Wagner to be used in his operas. It is smaller than the orchestral tuba and has a range between that of the horn and the trombone. Its somber, majestic tone has inspired other composers such as Strauss, Bruckner, and Stravinsky to include it in compositions.<br><br>An instrument in either 9-ft B-flat or 12-ft F developed to meet Wagner's requirement for a saxhorn-like instrument playable by french horn players with their usual mouthpieces