Wagner Tuba

The Wagner tuba is a rare brass wind instrument, commissioned by Richard Wagner for his opera cycle *Der Ring des Nibelungen*. 

Characteristics: It is a hybrid between a French horn and a tuba: it looks like a horn (with rotary valves, played by horn players), but has a wider bore and an upward-facing bell like a tuba. 

There are two sizes: tenor (in B♭) and bass (in F). 

Sound: dark, warm, solemn, heroic, and mysterious – ideal for bridging the gap between horns and trombones. 

Wagner wanted a sound reminiscent of old Norse lures for the Valhalla motif. 

The instrument is usually used in quartets and appears in works by Wagner, Bruckner (including Symphony No. 7), Strauss, and others. 

In short: not a true tuba, but a special horn variant with a unique, rich sound.

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