111-421: Antoine-Joseph " Adolphe " Sax ( French: [ɑ̃twan ʒozɛf adɔlf saks] ; 6 November 1814 – 7 February 1894) was a Belgian inventor and musician who invented the saxophone in the early 1840s, patenting it in 1846. He also invented the saxotromba , saxhorn and saxtuba , and redesigned the bass clarinet in a fashion still used to the present day. He played the flute and clarinet. Antoine-Joseph Sax
222-449: A 15-year patent for the instrument on 28 June 1846. The patent encompassed 14 versions of the fundamental design, split into two categories of seven instruments each, and ranging from sopranino to contrabass . A limited number of instruments in the series pitched in F and C were produced by Sax, but the series pitched in E ♭ and B ♭ quickly became the standard. All the instruments were given an initial written range from
333-407: A B ♭ soprano saxophone, E ♭ alto saxophone, B ♭ tenor saxophone, and E ♭ baritone saxophone (SATB). On occasion, the soprano is replaced with a second alto sax (AATB); a few professional saxophone quartets have featured non-standard instrumentation, such as James Fei 's Alto Quartet (four altos). There is a repertoire of classical compositions and arrangements for
444-676: A Dutch emigré and saxophonist who had family business associations with Sax. Lefebre settled in New York in early 1872 after he arrived as a clarinetist with a British opera company. Gilmore organized the World Peace Jubilee and International Music Festival taking place in Boston that summer. The Garde Republicaine band performed and Lefebre was a clarinetist with the Great Festival Orchestra for that event. In
555-479: A clarinet into a competition at the age of 15. He subsequently studied performance on those two instruments as well as voice at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels . Sax faced many brushes with death. As a child, he once fell from a height of three floors, hit his head on a stone and was believed dead. At the age of three, he drank a bowl full of acidic water, mistaking it for milk, and later swallowed
666-544: A classical instrument waned in the late nineteenth century. Saxophone teaching at the Paris Conservatory was suspended from 1870 to 1900 and classical saxophone repertoire stagnated during that period. But it was during this same period that the saxophone began to be promoted in the United States, largely through the efforts of Patrick Gilmore , leader of the 22nd Regiment band , and Edward A. Lefebre ,
777-506: A concave ("excavated") chamber are truer to Adolphe Sax's original design; these provide a softer or less piercing tone favored by the Raschèr school of classical playing. Saxophonists who follow the French school of classical playing, influenced by Marcel Mule , generally use mouthpieces with smaller chambers for a somewhat "brighter" sound with relatively more upper harmonics. The use of
888-502: A copper-nickel-zinc alloy more commonly used for flutes, for the bodies of some saxophone models. For visual and tonal effect, higher copper variants of brass are sometimes substituted for the more common "yellow brass" and "cartridge brass." Yanagisawa made its 902 and 992 series saxophones with the high copper alloy phosphor bronze to achieve a darker, more "vintage" tone than the brass 901 and 991 models. Other materials are used for some mechanical parts and keywork. Buttons where
999-637: A decade director of the European Academy of Music (French: Académie européenne de musique ) at the Aix-en-Provence Festival , was appointed as the Conservatoire's first woman director on 14 December 2019. Currently, the conservatories train more than 1,200 students in structured programs, with 350 professors in nine departments. A concert hall, designed by the architect François-Jacques Delannoy [ fr ] ,
1110-403: A detachable neck or a bow but some have a small detachable neck and some are shaped like an alto saxophone with a bow section. There are rare examples of alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones with mostly straight bodies. Baritone, bass, and contrabass saxophones have extra bends to accommodate the length of tubing. The fingering system for the saxophone is similar to the systems used for the oboe ,
1221-539: A diploma. Historically, students who failed to pass the exam on the first attempt would return for another one to two years additional study and try a second time. A student failing to earn either level diploma after two additional attempts would be terminated from the program. CNSMDP moved to its new facilities in the Cité de la Musique in September 1990. After over two centuries of male directors, Émilie Delorme , for
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#17327985054871332-443: A half octaves above the low B ♭ , but many instruments now have an extra key for a high F ♯ , and some modern soprano saxophones even have a high G key. Notes above this are part of the altissimo register and require advanced embouchure techniques and fingering combinations. Saxophone music is written in treble clef, appropriately transposed for each different type of instrument, and all saxophones use
1443-483: A melodic sense based on blues tonalities. Illinois Jacquet , Sam Butera , Arnett Cobb , and Jimmy Forrest were major influences on R&B tenor styles and Louis Jordan , Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson , Earl Bostic , and Bull Moose Jackson were major influences on alto. The R&B saxophone players influenced later genres including rock and roll , ska , soul , and funk . Horn section work continued with Johnny Otis and Ray Charles featuring horn sections and
1554-582: A member of a horn section in some styles of rock and roll and popular music . The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in the early 1840s and was patented on 28 June 1846. Sax invented two groups of seven instruments each—one group contained instruments in C and F, and the other group contained instruments in B ♭ and E ♭ . The B ♭ and E ♭ instruments soon became dominant, and most saxophones encountered today are from this series. Instruments from
1665-470: A pin. He received serious burns from a gunpowder explosion and once fell onto a hot cast-iron frying pan, burning his side. Several times he avoided accidental poisoning and asphyxiation from sleeping in a room where varnished furniture was drying. Another time young Sax was struck on the head by a cobblestone and fell into a river, almost dying. His mother once said that "he's a child condemned to misfortune; he won't live". His neighbors called him "little Sax,
1776-413: A single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. Each size of saxophone (alto, tenor, etc.) uses a different size of reed and mouthpiece. Most saxophonists use reeds made from Arundo donax cane, but since the middle of the twentieth century some have been made of fiberglass or other composite materials. Saxophone reeds are proportioned slightly differently from clarinet reeds, being wider for
1887-437: A sound stand out among amplified instruments. Mouthpieces come in a wide variety of materials including vulcanized rubber (sometimes called hard rubber or ebonite ), plastic and metals like bronze or surgical steel . Less common materials that have been used include wood, glass, crystal, porcelain and bone. Recently, Delrin has been added to the stock of mouthpiece materials. The effect of mouthpiece materials on tone of
1998-511: A vaudeville performer. C.G. Conn introduced two new variants in 1928–1929, the Conn-O-Sax and the mezzo-soprano saxophone , both keyed in F, one step above the E♭ alto. The Conn-O-Sax is built straight, with a slightly curved neck, a spherical liebesfuss -style bell, and extra keys for low A and up to high G. It was produced only in 1929 and 1930, and intended to imitate the form and timbre of
2109-401: A woodwind. He wanted it to overblow at the octave , unlike the clarinet, which rises in pitch by a twelfth when overblown. An instrument that overblows at the octave has identical fingering for both registers . Sax created an instrument with a single-reed mouthpiece and conical brass body. Having constructed saxophones in several sizes in the early 1840s, Sax applied for, and received,
2220-406: Is an octave key , which raises the pitch of the lower notes by one octave . The lowest note on most modern saxophones is the written B ♭ below middle C. Nearly all baritone saxophones are now constructed with an extra key to allow them to play low A, and a small number of altos with a low A key have been manufactured. The highest keyed note has traditionally been the F two and
2331-437: Is an expensive process because an underplating of silver is required for the gold to adhere to. Nickel plating has been used on the bodies of early budget model saxophones and is commonly used on keywork when a more durable finish is desired, mostly with student model saxophones. Chemical surface treatment of the base metal has come into use as an alternative to the lacquer and plating finishes in recent years. The saxophone uses
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#17327985054872442-560: Is an independent thinker: that is to say, there is much we can expect from him, and it is with joy that we welcome his nomination." Fauré appointed forward-thinking representatives (such as Debussy, Paul Dukas , and André Messager ) to the governing council, loosened restrictions on repertoire, and added conducting and music history to the courses of study. Widor's composition students during this period included Darius Milhaud , Arthur Honegger , and Germaine Tailleferre . Other students included Lili Boulanger and Nadia Boulanger . New to
2553-402: Is often considered the prototype for quartets due to the level of virtuosity demonstrated by its members and its central role in the development of modern quartet repertoire. However, organized quartets existed before Mule's ensemble, the prime example being the quartet headed by Edward A. Lefebre (1834–1911), which was a subset of Patrick Gilmore 's 22nd Regiment band between 1873 and 1893. In
2664-412: Is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to produce a sound wave inside the instrument's body. The pitch is controlled by opening and closing holes in the body to change the effective length of the tube. The holes are closed by leather pads attached to keys operated by the player. Saxophones are made in various sizes and are almost always treated as transposing instruments . A person who plays
2775-553: Is the exploration of non-Western ethnic sounds on the saxophone, for example, the African-influenced sounds used by Sanders and the Indian -influenced sounds used by Coltrane. The devices of the avant-garde movement have continued to be influential in music that challenges the boundaries between avant-garde and other categories of jazz, such as that of alto saxophonists Steve Coleman and Greg Osby . Some ensembles such as
2886-479: The Boehm clarinet for the right, was simplistic and made certain legato passages and wide intervals extremely difficult to finger; that system was later improved with extra keys, linkage mechanisms, and alternate fingerings. Early in the development of the saxophone the upper keyed range was extended to E, then to F above the staff; 1880s era sheet music for saxophone was written for the range of low B to F. In 1887
2997-574: The 19th arrondissement of Paris as part of the Cité de la Musique , designed by Christian de Portzamparc . The new facilities were inaugurated in 1990. The organ on site was built in 1991 by the Austrian Rieger Orgelbau firm . It has 53 stops on 3 manuals and pedals. A larger organ of over 7,000 pipes with 91 stops was made in 2015 by the same company for the symphony hall of the nearby Philharmonie de Paris . A list of former students can be found at List of former students of
3108-580: The Boehm-system clarinet , and the flute . From the earliest days of the saxophone the body and key cups have been made from sheet brass stock, which can be worked into complex shapes. The keywork is manufactured from other types of brass stock. King made saxophones with necks and bells of sterling silver from the 1930s into the early 1960s. Yanagisawa revived this idea in the 1980s and later introduced instruments entirely made of sterling silver. Keilwerth and P. Mauriat have used nickel silver ,
3219-485: The Buffet-Crampon company obtained a patent for extending the bell and adding an extra key to extend the range downwards by one semitone to B ♭ . This extension is standard in modern designs, with the notable exception of baritone saxophones which have keys down to low A. The upper range to F remained the standard for nearly a century until a high F ♯ key became common on modern saxophones. In
3330-535: The Count Basie Orchestra in the late 1930s and the popularity of Hawkins' 1939 recording of " Body and Soul " marked the saxophone as an influence on jazz equal to the trumpet, which had been the defining instrument of jazz since its beginnings in New Orleans. But the greatest influence of the saxophone on jazz was to occur a few years later when alto saxophonist Charlie Parker became an icon of
3441-656: The Great Depression . During the 1920s the saxophone came into use as a jazz instrument, fostered by the influences of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra and the Duke Ellington Orchestra . Starting in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the modern era of classical saxophone was launched largely through the efforts of Marcel Mule and Sigurd Raschèr , and the classical repertoire for the instrument expanded rapidly. The use of
Adolphe Sax - Misplaced Pages Continue
3552-749: The Memphis Horns , the Phenix Horns , and Tower of Power achieving distinction for their section playing. Horn sections were added to the Chicago and West Coast blues bands of Lowell Fulson , T-Bone Walker , B.B. King , and Guitar Slim . Rock and soul fusion bands such as Chicago , The Electric Flag , and Blood, Sweat, and Tears featured horn sections. Bobby Keys and Clarence Clemons became influential rock and roll saxophone stylists. Junior Walker , King Curtis and Maceo Parker became influential soul and funk saxophone stylists, influencing
3663-466: The Menus-Plaisirs du Roi , proposed that Niccolò Piccinni should be appointed director of a future École Royale de Chant (Royal School of Singing). The school was instituted by a decree of 3 January 1784 and opened on 1 April with the composer François-Joseph Gossec as the provisional director. Piccinni refused the directorship, but did join the faculty as a professor of singing. The new school
3774-604: The Paris Conservatory , is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris ( CNSMDP ), it is situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris , France. The Conservatoire offers instruction in music and dance, drawing on the traditions of the 'French School'. Formerly the conservatory also included drama, but in 1946 that division
3885-485: The SATB instrumentation dating back to the nineteenth century, particularly by French composers who knew Sax. However, the largest body of chamber works for saxophone are from the modern era of classical saxophone initiated by Marcel Mule in 1928. Sigurd Raschèr followed as a soloist in orchestral works, starting in 1931, and also figured prominently in development of modern classical saxophone repertoire. The Mule quartet
3996-467: The Scottish Borders . The period around 1840 saw Sax inventing the clarinette-bourdon , an early unsuccessful design of contrabass clarinet . On 28 June 1846 he patented the saxophone, intended for use in orchestras and military bands. By 1846 Sax had designed saxophones ranging from sopranino to subcontrabass , although not all were built. Composer Hector Berlioz wrote approvingly of
4107-491: The World Saxophone Quartet use the soprano-alto-tenor-baritone (SATB) format of the classical saxophone quartet for jazz. In the 1990s, World Saxophone Quartet founder Hamiet Bluiett formed the quartet Baritone Nation (four baritones). The "jump swing" bands of the 1940s gave rise to rhythm and blues , featuring horn sections and exuberant, strong-toned, heavily rhythmic styles of saxophone playing with
4218-761: The bebop revolution that influenced generations of jazz musicians. The small-group format of bebop and post-bebop jazz ensembles gained ascendancy in the 1940s as musicians used the harmonic and melodic freedom pioneered by Parker, Dizzy Gillespie , Thelonious Monk , and Bud Powell in extended jazz solos. During the 1950s, prominent alto players included Sonny Stitt , Cannonball Adderley , Jackie McLean , Lou Donaldson , Sonny Criss and Paul Desmond , while prominent tenor players included Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon , John Coltrane , Sonny Rollins , Stan Getz , Zoot Sims , Lucky Thompson , Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis , and Paul Gonsalves . Serge Chaloff , Gerry Mulligan , Pepper Adams and Leo Parker brought
4329-459: The concours , has required students, at the end of their course of study, to perform in public a prepared set of musical pieces for a jury consisting of the professors and internationally renowned professionals on the particular instrument, the composer of the solo de concours, and the Director. Behind closed doors, the candidates would be given additional tasks to perform such as sight-reading. In
4440-478: The cor anglais . With fewer than 100 surviving instruments, the Conn-O-Sax is highly sought after by collectors. The Conn mezzo-soprano experienced a similarly short production run, as the economics of the Great Depression curtailed the market for what were regarded as novelty instruments. Most were subsequently expended by Conn to train its repair technicians. The most successful of the unusual 1920s designs
4551-400: The ophicleide , a large conical brass instrument in the bass register with keys similar to a woodwind instrument. His experience with these two instruments allowed him to develop the skills and technologies needed to make the first saxophones. As an outgrowth of his work improving the bass clarinet, Sax began developing an instrument with the projection of a brass instrument and the agility of
Adolphe Sax - Misplaced Pages Continue
4662-535: The syncopated African-American rhythmic influences of ragtime were an exciting new feature of the American cultural landscape and provided the groundwork for new styles of dancing. Two of the best known ragtime-playing brass bands with saxophones were those led by W. C. Handy and James R. Europe . Europe's 369th Infantry Regiment Band popularized ragtime in France during its 1918 tour. The rise of dance bands into
4773-399: The "sweet" music of Paul Whiteman and Guy Lombardo , jazz, swing, and large stage show bands. The rise of the saxophone as a jazz instrument followed its widespread adoption in dance bands during the early 1920s. The Fletcher Henderson Orchestra , formed in 1923, featured arrangements to back up improvisation, bringing the first elements of jazz to the large dance band format. Following
4884-505: The 1840s and 1850s, Sax's invention gained use in small classical ensembles (both all-saxophone and mixed), as a solo instrument, and in French and British military bands. Saxophone method books were published and saxophone instruction was offered at conservatories in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, and Italy. By 1856 the French Garde Republicaine band was the largest ensemble of its time to prominently feature
4995-607: The 1920s experimental designs, in addition to the Saxello, provide the basis for similar instruments produced during the modern era. Straight altos and tenors have been revived by Keilwerth, L.A. Sax and Sax Dakota USA. A mezzo-soprano in the key of G has been produced by Danish woodwind technician Peter Jessen, most notably played by Joe Lovano . This instrument is more in the timbral quality of Bb soprano saxophone. Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris ( French: [kɔ̃sɛʁvatwaʁ də paʁi] ), also known as
5106-503: The 1920s followed from the popularity of ragtime. The saxophone was also used in Vaudeville entertainment during the same period. Ragtime, Vaudeville, and dance bands introduced much of the American public to the saxophone. Rudy Wiedoeft became the best known individual saxophone stylist and virtuoso during this period leading into the "saxophone craze" of the 1920s. Following it, the saxophone became featured in music as diverse as
5217-480: The 20th and 21st centuries, the saxophone found increased popularity in symphony orchestras. The instrument has also been used in opera and choral music. Musical theatre scores also can include parts for saxophone, sometimes doubling another woodwind or brass instrument. Coincident with the more widespread availability of saxophones in the US around the turn of the century was the rise of ragtime music. The bands featuring
5328-587: The 20th century, the candidates were judged against a standard, and those who demonstrated outstanding mastery and artistry receive the Premier Prix , the equivalent of a diploma with high honor. Those who earned Deuxieme Prix, also received a diploma but could elect to remain to try again a year later for the top prize. Two lesser levels of distinction existed, the Premier Accessit and Deuxieme Accessit , equivalent to Honorable Mentions but without
5439-461: The B below the treble staff to the E ♭ one half-step below the third ledger line above staff, giving each saxophone a range of two and a half octaves. Sax's patent expired in 1866. Thereafter, numerous other instrument manufacturers implemented their own improvements to the design and keywork. Sax's original keywork, which was based on the Triebert system 3 oboe for the left hand and
5550-494: The Cleveland Band Instrument Company started producing saxophones under contract to the H. N. White Company in 1916. The saxophone was promoted for the casual market with introduction of the C soprano (slightly higher than the regular soprano) and C melody (between alto and tenor) saxophones, both pitched in C to enable them to play from piano music. Production of such instruments stopped during
5661-619: The Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP). Delvincourt was succeeded by Dupré in 1954, Raymond Loucheur in 1956, Raymond Gallois-Montbrun in 1962, Marc Bleuse in 1984, and Alain Louvier in 1986. Plans to move CNSMDP to more modern facilities in the Parc de la Villette were initiated under Bleuse and completed under Louvier. The tradition of the final or exit examination,
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#17327985054875772-617: The Conservatoire de Musique under the direction of Sarrette . The combined organization remained in the facilities on the rue Bergère. The first 351 pupils commenced their studies in October 1796. By 1800, the staff of the Conservatory included some of the most important names in music in Paris, including, besides Gossec, the composers Luigi Cherubini , Jean-François Le Sueur , Étienne Méhul , and Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny , as well as
5883-561: The Conservatoire de Paris on the rue du Conservatoire at rue Sainte-Cécile in the 9th arrondissement of Paris . Free public performances by students at the CNSAD are given frequently in the Conservatory of Music's former theatre. The music and dance divisions of the Conservatoire de Paris are now officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) (National Superior Conservatory of Paris for Music and Dance). The French government built its new campus in
5994-508: The Conservatoire was ruled by Nazi Germany and the collaborationist Vichy government during the Occupation of France of 1940–1944. Under the regime's antisemitic policies , Conservatoire administrators alternated between actively collaborating to purge the school of Jewish students (in the case of Rabaud) or working to conceal and protect Jewish students and faculty (in the case of Rabaud's successor, Claude Delvincourt ). Delvincourt
6105-408: The New Orleans or large band formats, fostering the innovations of saxophonists Jimmy Dorsey (alto), Frankie Trumbauer (c-melody), Bud Freeman (tenor) and Stump Evans (baritone). Dorsey and Trumbauer became important influences on tenor saxophonist Lester Young. Lester Young's approach on tenor saxophone differed from Hawkins', emphasizing more melodic "linear" playing that wove in and out of
6216-487: The US. Lefebre worked with the music publisher Carl Fischer to distribute his transcriptions, arrangements, and original works for saxophone, and worked with the Conn Conservatory to further saxophone pedagogy in the US. Lefebre's associations with Conn and Fischer lasted into the first decade of the twentieth century and Fischer continued to publish new arrangements of Lefebre's works after his death. While
6327-405: The baritone saxophone to prominence as a solo instrument. Steve Lacy renewed attention to the soprano saxophone in the context of modern jazz and John Coltrane boosted the instrument's popularity during the 1960s. Smooth jazz musician Kenny G also uses the soprano sax as his principal instrument. Saxophonists such as John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman , Sam Rivers , and Pharoah Sanders defined
6438-557: The baritone saxophone to prominence with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. The New Orleans player Sidney Bechet gained recognition for playing the soprano saxophone during the 1920s, but the instrument did not come into wide use until the modern era of jazz. As Chicago style jazz evolved from New Orleans jazz in the 1920s, one of its defining features was the addition of saxophones to the ensemble. The small Chicago ensembles offered more improvisational freedom than did
6549-521: The casual market as parlor instruments during the early twentieth century, and saxophones in F were introduced during the late 1920s but never gained acceptance. The modern saxophone family consists entirely of B ♭ and E ♭ instruments. The saxophones in widest use are the B ♭ soprano, E ♭ alto, B ♭ tenor, and E ♭ baritone. The E ♭ sopranino and B ♭ bass saxophone are typically used in larger saxophone choir settings, when available. In
6660-467: The chordal structure and longer phrases that differed from those suggested by the tune. He used vibrato less, fitting it to the passage he was playing. His tone was smoother and darker than that of his 1930s contemporaries. Young's playing was a major influence on the modern jazz saxophonists Al Cohn , Stan Getz , Zoot Sims , Dexter Gordon , Wardell Gray , Lee Konitz , Warne Marsh , Charlie Parker , and Art Pepper . The influence of Lester Young with
6771-539: The curator of the museum in 1871 and did much to expand and upgrade the collection. The collection is now located in the Musée de la Musique . The dramatics arts were separated from music and dance in 1946 and are now in the Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique (CNSAD) (National Superior Conservatory of the Dramatic Arts), a school for acting, drama. It is located in the original historic building of
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#17327985054876882-757: The fall of 1873 Gilmore was reorganizing the 22nd Regiment band under the influence of the Garde Republicaine band and recruited Lefebre, who had established a reputation in New York as a saxophonist over the previous year. Gilmore's band soon featured a soprano-alto-tenor-baritone saxophone section, which also performed as a quartet. The Gilmore-Lefebre association lasted until Gilmore's death in 1892, during which time Lefebre also performed in smaller ensembles of various sizes and instrumentation, and worked with composers to increase light classical and popular repertoire for saxophone. Lefebre's later promotional efforts were very significant in broadening adoption of
6993-431: The fingers contact the keys are usually made from plastic or mother of pearl . Rods, screw pins, and springs are usually made of blued or stainless steel . Mechanical buffers of felt, cork, leather, and various synthetic materials are used to minimize mechanical noise from key movement and to optimize the action of the keywork. Nickel silver is sometimes used for hinges for its advantages of mechanical durability, although
7104-634: The first female student to win a prize on violin. In the Franco-Prussian War , during the siege of Paris (September 1870 – January 1871), the Conservatory was used as a hospital. On 13 May 1871, the day after Auber's death, the leaders of the Paris Commune appointed Francisco Salvador-Daniel as the director. Daniel was shot to death ten days later by troops of the French Army. He was replaced by Ambroise Thomas, who remained in
7215-407: The forefront of creative exploration with the avant-garde movement of the 1960s. The new realms offered with Modal , harmolodic , and free jazz were explored with every device that saxophonists could conceive of. Sheets of sound, tonal exploration, upper harmonics, and multiphonics were hallmarks of the creative possibilities that saxophones offered. One lasting influence of the avant-garde movement
7326-624: The ghost". After leaving the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Sax began to experiment with new instrument designs, while his parents continued their business of making conventional instruments. Sax's first important invention was an improvement in bass clarinet design, which he patented at the age of 24. He relocated permanently to Paris in 1842 and began working on a new set of valved bugles . While he did not invent this instrument, his examples were much more successful than those of his rivals and became known as saxhorns . Hector Berlioz
7437-464: The hall almost continuously until 1945, when it moved to the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées . The French composer Hector Berlioz premiered his Symphonie Fantastique in the conservatory's hall on 5 December 1830 with an orchestra of more than a hundred players. The concert hall is now part of CNSAD . The original library was created by Sarrette in 1801. After the construction of the concert hall,
7548-509: The innovations of the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Jean Goldkette 's Victor Recording Orchestra featured jazz solos with saxophones and other instruments. The association of dance bands with jazz would reach its peak with the swing music of the 1930s. The large show band format, influenced by the 1930s swing bands, would be used as backing for popular vocalists and stage shows in
7659-692: The instrument was initially ignored in Germany, French and Belgian military bands were quick to include it in their ensembles. Most French and Belgian military bands incorporate at least a quartet of saxophones, comprising an E ♭ baritone, B ♭ tenor, E ♭ alto and B ♭ soprano. These four instruments have proven the most popular of all Sax's creations with the E ♭ contrabass and B ♭ bass usually considered impractically large and E ♭ sopranino insufficiently powerful. British military bands tend to include at minimum two saxophonists on alto and tenor. The saxophone
7770-459: The instrument, using eight saxophones. The saxophone was used experimentally in orchestral scores, but never came into widespread use as an orchestral instrument. In 1853-54 the orchestra of Louis Antoine Jullien featured a soprano saxophone on a concert tour of the United States. After an early period of interest and support from classical music communities in Europe, interest in the saxophone as
7881-428: The latter's death in 1896. Professors included Charles-Marie Widor , Gabriel Fauré , and Charles Lenepveu for composition, Alexandre Guilmant for organ, Paul Taffanel for flute, and Louis Diémer for piano. Lenepveu had been expected to succeed Dubois as director, but after the " Affaire Ravel " in 1905, Ravel 's teacher Gabriel Fauré became director. Le Courrier Musical (15 June 1905) wrote: "Gabriel Fauré
7992-404: The left thumb. Ergonomic design of keywork evolved rapidly during the 1920s and 1930s. The front F mechanism supporting alternate fingerings for high E and F, and a stack-linked G ♯ key action, became standard during the 1920s, followed by improvements to the left hand table key mechanisms controlling G ♯ and the bell keys. New bore designs during the 1920s and 1930s resulted from
8103-403: The library moved to a large room above the entrance vestibule. In the 1830s, Berlioz became a part-time curator in the library and was the librarian from 1852 until his death in 1869, when he was succeeded by Félicien David . The Conservatory Instrument Museum, founded in 1861, was formed from the instrument collection of Louis Clapisson . The French music historian Gustave Chouquet became
8214-602: The more technical jazz-fusion sounds of Michael Brecker and Bob Mintzer and pop-jazz players such as Candy Dulfer . A number of experimental saxophones and saxophone-related instruments have appeared since Sax's original work, most with no lasting impact. During the early 1920s Reiffel & Husted of Chicago produced a slide soprano saxophone . During the 1920s some straight alto and tenor saxophones were produced by Buescher , which proved cumbersome to handle and more difficult to transport. Buescher custom produced one straight baritone saxophone as novelty instrument for
8325-449: The most common material for such applications has remained brass. Manufacturers usually apply a finish to the surface of the instrument's body and keywork. The most common finish is a thin coating of clear or colored acrylic lacquer to protect the brass from oxidation and maintain a shiny appearance. Silver or gold plating are offered as options on some models. Some silver plated saxophones are also lacquered. Plating saxophones with gold
8436-443: The new instrument in 1842, but despite his support, saxophones did not become a standard part of the orchestra. Their ability to play technical passages easily like woodwinds yet project loudly like brass instruments led to their inclusion in military bands in France and elsewhere. Sax's reputation helped secure him a job teaching at the Paris Conservatory in 1857. He continued to make instruments later in life and presided over
8547-427: The new saxophone course at the Paris Conservatory. Legal troubles involving patents continued for over 20 years, with rival instrument makers attacking the legitimacy of his patents and Sax suing them for patent infringement. He was driven into bankruptcy three times: in 1852, 1873 and 1877. Sax suffered from lip cancer between 1853 and 1858 but made a full recovery. In 1894 he died of pneumonia in Paris, in poverty, and
8658-488: The post World War II era, and provided a foundation for big band jazz. Show bands with saxophone sections became a staple of television talk shows (such as the Tonight Show that featured bands led by Doc Severinsen and Branford Marsalis ) and Las Vegas stage shows. The swing era fostered the later saxophone styles that permeated bebop and rhythm and blues in the early postwar era. Coleman Hawkins established
8769-499: The post until 1896. Thomas's rather conservative directorship was vigorously criticized by many of the students, including Claude Debussy . During this period César Franck was ostensibly the organ teacher, but was actually giving classes in composition. His classes were attended by several students who were later to become important composers, including Ernest Chausson , Guy Ropartz , Guillaume Lekeu , Charles Bordes , and Vincent d'Indy . Théodore Dubois succeeded Thomas after
8880-601: The quest for improved intonation , dynamic response and tonal qualities. The 1920s were also an era of design experiments like the Buescher straight altos and tenors, the King Saxello soprano, the C. G. Conn mezzo-soprano saxophone keyed in F, and the Conn-O-Sax saxophone–English horn hybrid. French saxophonist and educator Jean-Marie Londeix greatly expanded the saxophone repertoire and available techniques in
8991-520: The right-side bell key layout. In 1948 Selmer introduced their Super Action saxophones with offset left and right hand stack keys. Thirty to forty years later this 1948 Selmer layout was nearly universal. The high F ♯ key was also first introduced as an option on the Balanced Action model, although it took several decades for it to gain acceptance because of perceived deleterious effects on intonation. Marcel Mule established study of
9102-399: The same key arrangement and fingerings. Therefore any written note corresponds to the same fingering on any saxophone, making it easier for players to switch instruments. Alto and larger saxophones have a detachable curved neck at the top, and a U-shaped bend (the bow ) that turns the tubing upward as it approaches the bell. Soprano and sopranino saxophones are usually constructed without
9213-463: The same length. Commercial reeds vary in hardness and design, and single-reed players try different reeds to find those that suit their mouthpiece, embouchure, and playing style. Mouthpiece design has a profound impact on tone. Different mouthpiece design characteristics and features tend to be favored for different styles. Early mouthpieces were designed to produce a "warm" and "round" sound for classical playing. Among classical mouthpieces, those with
9324-616: The saxhorns, in 1845, though they survived only briefly. The use of saxhorns spread rapidly. The saxhorn valves were accepted as state-of-the-art in their time and remain largely unchanged today. The advances made by Adolphe Sax were soon followed by the British brass band movement, which exclusively adopted the saxhorn family of instruments. A decade after saxhorns became available, the Jedforest Instrumental Band (1854) and The Hawick Saxhorn Band (1855) were formed in
9435-646: The saxophone as a classical instrument at the Conservatoire de Paris from the 1940s. Larry Teal did the same in the United States at the University of Michigan a decade later. A number of other American institutions have since become recognized homes for the study of classical saxophone. They include Northwestern University , Indiana University , and the Eastman School of Music . The saxophone first gained popularity in military bands . Although
9546-401: The saxophone for more dynamic and more technically demanding styles of playing added incentive for improvements in keywork and acoustic design. Early saxophones had two separate octave keys operated by the left thumb to control the two octave vents required on alto or larger saxophones. Around the turn of the century, mechanisms were developed to operate both octave vents with a single key using
9657-420: The saxophone has been the subject of much debate. According to Larry Teal , the mouthpiece material has little, if any, effect on the sound, and the physical dimensions give a mouthpiece its tone color. There are examples of "dark" sounding metal pieces and "bright" sounding hard rubber pieces. The extra bulk required near the tip with hard rubber affects mouth position and airflow characteristics. The saxophone
9768-420: The saxophone in dance orchestras and jazz ensembles from the 1920s onward placed emphasis on dynamic range and projection, leading to innovation in mouthpiece designs. At the opposite extreme from the classical mouthpieces are those with a small chamber and a low clearance above the reed between the tip and the chamber, called high baffle . These produce a bright sound with maximum projection, suitable for having
9879-404: The saxophone is called a saxophonist or saxist . The saxophone is used in a wide range of musical styles including classical music (such as concert bands , chamber music , solo repertoire , and occasionally orchestras ), military bands , marching bands , jazz (such as big bands and jazz combos), and contemporary music. The saxophone is also used as a solo and melody instrument or as
9990-592: The saxophone remained marginal, used mainly as a novelty instrument in the classical world, many new musical niches were established for it during the early decades of the twentieth century. Its early use in vaudeville and ragtime bands around the turn of the century laid the groundwork for its use in dance orchestras and eventually jazz. As the market for saxophones grew in the US, the manufacturing industry grew. The Martin Band Instrument Company started producing saxophones between 1905 and 1912, and
10101-463: The saxophone. Starting near the end of the 1880s he consulted with the brass instrument manufacturer C.G. Conn to develop and start production of improved saxophones to replace the costly, scarce, and mechanically unreliable European instruments that were in the American market. The early 1890s saw regular production of saxophones commence at Conn and its offshoot Buescher Manufacturing Company , which dramatically increased availability of saxophones in
10212-487: The second half of the 20th century, commissioning a great deal of new saxophone works with extended techniques, including those by Denisov , Lauba , Rossé, and Rolin. The modern layout of the saxophone emerged during the 1930s and 1940s, first with right-side bell keys introduced by C. G. Conn on baritones, then by King on altos and tenors. The mechanics of the left hand table were revolutionized by Selmer with their Balanced Action instruments in 1936, capitalizing on
10323-537: The series pitched in C and F never gained a foothold and constituted only a small fraction of instruments made by Sax. High-pitch (also marked "H" or "HP") saxophones tuned sharper than the (concert) A = 440 Hz standard were produced into the early twentieth century for sonic qualities suited for outdoor use, but are not playable to modern tuning and are considered obsolete. Low-pitch (also marked "L" or "LP") saxophones are equivalent in tuning to modern instruments. C soprano and C melody saxophones were produced for
10434-674: The staff were Alfred Cortot for piano and Eugène Gigout for organ. In 1911 the Conservatory moved to 14 rue de Madrid, into facilities that were formerly the collège of the École Saint-Ignace of the Jesuits , whose building had been purchased by the French state in 1905. Henri Rabaud succeeded Fauré in 1920 and served until April 1941. Notable students were Olivier Messiaen , Jean Langlais , and Jehan Alain . Staff included Dukas and Jean Roger-Ducasse for composition, Marcel Dupré for organ, Marcel Moyse for flute, and Claire Croiza for singing. Like all institutions in Paris,
10545-413: The table below, consecutive members of each family are pitched an octave apart. The pitch of a saxophone is controlled by opening or closing the tone holes along the body of the instrument to change the length of the vibrating air column. The tone holes are closed by leather pads connected to keys—most are operated by the player's fingers, but some are operated using the palm or the side of a finger. There
10656-669: The tenor saxophone as a jazz solo instrument during his stint with Fletcher Henderson from 1923 to 1934. Hawkins' arpeggiated , rich-toned, vibrato-laden style was the main influence on swing era tenor players before Lester Young , and his influence continued with other big-toned tenor players into the era of modern jazz. Among the tenor players directly influenced by him were Chu Berry , Charlie Barnet , Tex Beneke , Ben Webster , Vido Musso , Herschel Evans , Buddy Tate , and Don Byas . Hawkins' bandmate Benny Carter and Duke Ellington's alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges became influential on swing era alto styles, while Harry Carney brought
10767-706: The violinists Pierre Baillot , Rodolphe Kreutzer , and Pierre Rode . Sarrette was dismissed on 28 December 1814, after the Bourbon Restoration , but was reinstated on 26 May 1815, after Napoleon 's return to power during the Hundred Days . After his fall, Sarrette was compelled to retire on 17 November. The school was closed in the first two years of the Bourbon Restoration, during the reign of Louis XVIII , but reopened in April 1816 as
10878-482: The École Royale de Musique, with François-Louis Perne as its director. In 1819, François Benoist was appointed professor of organ. Probably the best known director in the 19th century was Luigi Cherubini, who took over on 1 April 1822 and remained in charge until 8 February 1842. Cherubini maintained high standards and his staff included teachers such as François-Joseph Fétis , Habeneck, Fromental Halévy , Le Sueur, Ferdinando Paer , and Anton Reicha . Cherubini
10989-603: Was also installed in the facilities of the former Menus-Plaisirs on the rue Bergère and was responsible for the training of musicians for the National Guard bands , which were in great demand for the enormous, popular outdoor gatherings put on by the revolutionary government after the Reign of Terror . On 3 August 1795, the government combined the École Royale with the Institut National de Musique, creating
11100-526: Was born on 6 November 1814 in Dinant , in what is now Belgium, to Charles-Joseph Sax and his wife Marie-Joseph (Masson). While his given name was Antoine-Joseph, he was referred to as Adolphe from childhood. His father and mother were instrument designers themselves, who made several changes to the design of the French horn . Adolphe began to make his own instruments at an early age, entering two of his flutes and
11211-461: Was designed around 1840 by Adolphe Sax , a Belgian instrument maker, flautist , and clarinetist . Born in Dinant and originally based in Brussels , he moved to Paris in 1842 to establish his musical instrument business. Before working on the saxophone, he made several improvements to the bass clarinet by improving its keywork and acoustics and extending its lower range. Sax was also a maker of
11322-508: Was director from 1941 until his death in an automobile accident in 1954. Delvincourt was a progressive administrator, adding classes in harpsichord , saxophone, percussion, and the Ondes Martenot . Staff included Milhaud for composition and Messiaen for analysis and aesthetics. In 1946, the dramatic arts were transferred to a separate institution, the Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique (CNSAD). Music and dance became
11433-622: Was inaugurated on 7 July 1811. It is in the shape of a U (with the orchestra at the straight end). It holds an audience of 1055. The French composer and conductor Antoine Elwart described it as the Stradivarius of concert halls. In 1828 François Habeneck , a professor of violin and head of the conservatory's orchestra, founded the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire (forerunner of the Orchestre de Paris ). The society held concerts in
11544-583: Was interred in section 5 (Avenue de Montebello) at the Cimetière de Montmartre in Paris. In his birthplace Dinant in Belgium the Mr Sax's House is dedicated to his life and saxophones. Saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax ) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass . As with all single-reed instruments, sound
11655-605: Was introduced into the concert band , which usually calls for an E ♭ alto saxophone, a B ♭ tenor saxophone, and an E ♭ baritone saxophone. A concert band may include two altos, one tenor, and one baritone. A B ♭ soprano saxophone is also sometimes used, and is played by the first alto saxophonist. A bass saxophone in B ♭ is used in some concert band music (especially music by Percy Grainger ). Saxophones are used in chamber music, such as saxophone quartets and other chamber combinations of instruments. The classical saxophone quartet consists of
11766-477: Was located in buildings adjacent to the Hôtel des Menus-Plaisirs at the junction of the rue Bergère and the rue du Faubourg Poissonnière . In June, a class in dramatic declamation was added, and the name was modified to École Royale de Chant et de Déclamation. In 1792, Bernard Sarrette created the École Gratuite de la Garde Nationale, which in the following year became the Institut National de Musique. The latter
11877-506: Was moved into a separate school, the Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique (CNSAD), for acting, theatre and drama. Today the conservatories operate under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Communication and are associate members of PSL University . The CNSMDP is also associated with the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon (CNSMDL). On 3 December 1783 Papillon de la Ferté , intendant of
11988-462: Was revived by jazz musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk , who called his straight Buescher alto a "stritch" and his Saxello a "manzello" . The Buescher straight alto was a production instrument while the manzello was in fact a Saxello with a custom-made large bell and modified keywork. More recently, the mezzo-soprano, or a modern variant of it, came into use by jazz musicians Anthony Braxton , James Carter , Vinny Golia , and Joe Lovano . Some of
12099-516: Was so enamoured of these that he arranged in February 1844 for one of his pieces to be played entirely on saxhorns. They were made in seven different sizes and paved the way for the creation of the flugelhorn . Today saxhorns are sometimes used in concert bands , marching bands, and orchestras. The saxhorn also laid the groundwork for the modern euphonium . Sax also developed the saxotromba family, valved brass instruments with narrower bore than
12210-477: Was succeeded by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber in 1842. Under Auber, composition teachers included Adolphe Adam , Halévy, and Ambroise Thomas ; piano teachers, Louise Farrenc , Henri Herz , and Antoine François Marmontel ; violin teachers, Jean-Delphin Alard and Charles Dancla ; and cello teachers, Pierre Chevillard and Auguste Franchomme . In 1852, Camille Urso , who studied with Lambert Massart , became
12321-547: Was the King Saxello , essentially a straight B ♭ soprano, but with a slightly curved neck and tipped bell, made by the H. N. White Company . Such instruments now command prices up to US$ 4,000. Its lasting influence is shown in the number of companies, including Keilwerth, Rampone & Cazzani ( altello model), L.A. Sax and Sax Dakota USA, marketing straight-bore, tipped-bell soprano saxophones as saxellos (or "saxello sopranos"). Interest in two 1920s variants
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