The Saxophone Quartet
The Saxophone Quartet

The saxophone quartet is a formation of chamber music composed for a soprano saxophone, an alto, a tenor and a baritone. It also means by this name musical forms dedicated to this type of training, often in classical music built on the model of the string quartet. Because of the versatility of the musicians who composed, there are many variants of this training. The words "American" for two violas, a tenor and a baritone is the most common, but there are quartets of saxophones soprano, alto or tenor saxophone, including instruments and even rarer as sopranino saxophone or tubax.
Among the many existing sets of saxophone, the quartet is that the directory has the richest in quantity (more than a thousand works identified in 1994 by Jean-Marie Londeix in his book 150 Years of Music for Saxophone) and quality, and number of existing training is awesome. Without attempting to parallel with the wonderful string quartet repertoire, one can even consider it for this type of training that the most interesting composers have found inspiration in the fairest and most profound, and there are now number of pieces written for leading saxophone quartet, while the repertoire of sonatas for the instrument is unfortunately very limited qualitatively so far.
The birth of the formation
Shortly after the invention of the saxophone family (patent 1846), a friend and fellow of Adolphe Sax , Jean-Baptiste Singelée insisted to the inventor to develop formulas that chamber music around her instruments. Being himself a violinist, he offered this formula certainly Sax since he wrote his "First Saxophone Quartet" (well named) in 1858. The inventor was teaching four saxophones in his class from the Paris Conservatoire. And every student was specialized, contributing to the soprano saxophone, baritone who ... Contrary to what might suggest the subsequent hegemony of the viola in teaching classical (and tenor among the musicians of jazz ).
Adolphe Sax was then improvised music publisher and concert promoter. So he published a number of works for various groups of saxophones, but mostly for string quartet, in parallel to works written for the contest of the conservatory. Alas, few illustrious names in this production, but mostly military colleagues in the College attached to the academy, often themselves of talented instrumentalists. Besides Singelée, who also wrote "Grand quartet concerto" found in its catalog names of horn player Jean-Baptiste Victor Mohr, clarinetist, saxophonist and band leader Jerome Savari, pianist and music theory Emile Jonas, heads of music Jules Adolphe Cressonois and Valentine Sellenick. Sax's competitors also tried to occupy a market seemingly bearer publishing saxophonist Louis Mayeur and others.
However, after the closure of the class of Adolphe Sax in the Conservatory, and probably lack of properly trained musicians, the quartet repertoire (among others) until it disappears almost wilts. Among the few works that have emerged at the turn of the twentieth century include those of Raymond Moulaert Belgian or English Caryl Florio.
Le Quatuor Marcel Mule
We are indebted to Marcel Mule renewed interest during the 1930s. The soloist of the Republican Guard and unanimously recognized musician in classical music circles, and three of his colleagues panel initially form the Saxophone Quartet of the Republican Guard in 1928, later in 1936, the Saxophone Quartet of Paris, then Marcel Mule Quartet. Georges Chauvet, Hippolyte Poimbœuf, Rene Chaligne Paul Romby, Fernand Lhomme, G. Charron, Andre Bauchy Marcel Josse, Georges Gourdet and Guy Lacour (and even Daniel Deffayet on some records) will be part of the successive formations. The whole gives many concerts in Europe, while recording a series of disks that are part of the history of the instrument. Many composers write for them, including: Jean Absil, Adolphe Borchard, Amedee Borsari, Eugene Bozza, Charles Brown, Roger Calmel Robert Clérisse Alfred Desenclos Dupérier Jean, Julien Falk, Jean Francaix, Alexander Glazunov, Stan Golestan, Andre Jorrand, Eleuthere LOVREGLIO Roger Manas, Marcelle Manziarly, Georges Migot, Claude Pascal, Gabriel Pierne, Paul Pierne, Robert Planel, Jean Rivier, Jeanine Rueff, Florent Schmitt, Jules Semler-Collery, Peter Vellone.
These include among his immediate followers of Mule, who formed his retinue to similar formations: Daniel Deffayet Quartet, Ensemble Saxophone French Jean-Marie Londeix, quartets Nouali Michel (Republican Guard), Jacques Desloges , Jean le Dieu, Alain Liger (4 of Paris) ...
The Rascher Quartet
For its part, the alter ego of Mule, Sigurd Rascher also formed in 1969 with his daughter Karina and Bruce Weinberger quartet who also knew a great success in North America. Among the composers used: Erland von Koch, Gerhard Fritz, Werner Wolf Glaser, John David Lamb, Zdenek Lukas, Walter S. Hartley, Emil Hlobil, Rene Borel, Robert Starer, Samuel Adler. The quartet continues today and contributes seriously to the expansion of the repertoire since it was commissioned major pieces by composers such as Iannis Xenakis, Franco Donatoni Dufourt Hughes, Ivan Fedele, Luciano Berio, Philip Glass, Sofia Gubaidulina, Cristobal Halffter, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, Enrique Raxach Erich Urbanner, Charles Wuorinen ...
Contemporary repertoire
The most classical saxophonists today, inspired by the success of the quartet Mule and the interest of some scores when available, were themselves formed a quartet which includes the original parts and develops its own directory. Some parts are of great interest, and there is an increase of quality repertoire, parallel to the quantitative explosion. It is indeed often the formula for saxophone quartet as the most important composers of our time dedicating their work more relevant. Among the most notable include: Iannis Xenakis, Franco Donatoni, Ivan Fedele, Henri Pusher, John Cage, Salvatore Sciarrino, George Aperghis Erkki-Sven Tüür, Terry Riley, Hugh Dufourt Ichiro Nodaïra, Olga Neuwirth, ... portray a multifaceted instrument capable of feeding all the influences, first serve with all styles of music.
(Source: wikipedia.org - copyright authors - article under GFDL)
Glossary
Antoine-Joseph Sax
Anthony-Joseph Sax , better known by the name of Adolphe Sax (November 6, 1814 in Dinant, Belgium - February 4, 1894 in Paris) is a Belgian mailman of musical instrument, best known for inventing the saxophone. His father, Charles Joseph Sax, who was already himself a mailman of musical instrument, has made several changes to hunting horn. Adolphe Sax began making his own instruments very young, with two flutes and a clarinet into a competition at the age of 15 years. He then studied those two instruments at the Royal School of Singing in Brussels. It becomes a master of the clarinet to the point that competition is forbidden in his country.
Classical period
Daniel Deffayet
It has long led courses at the International Academy of Nice and was one of Annecy.
Teaching Deffayet Daniel continued the academic tradition of Mule, imposing the same standard phrasing, vibrato and a systematic inventory essentially neo-classical, mostly composed of professors from other of the Paris Conservatory. His Saxophone Quartet has not been as successful as the Mule, but was often hired by Radio France for creations, as Antoine Tisné alloys, among others.
Jacques Desloges
Jacques Desloges (born on September 2nd, 1934 in Paris) is a French saxophonist, also conductor of the Orchestra of the National police force and knight in the order of Arts and in Letters.
Jacques Desloges studies music in CNSM of Paris or he acquires several prices and rewards, particularly the first price of saxophone in 1964. It acquires then its upper certificate of direction of orchestra in 1969. From 1975 till 2002, it teaches the saxophone CNR of Versailles and is part of several jury of competition.
During its career, it is solo saxophone of several groups as the National Orchestra of France, the Opera of Paris or the philharmonic Orchestra of Berlin. From 1975, it aims different together musical (he is tenured leader of the Orchestra of Harmony of the National police force from 1986 till 1992). Finally, it is the director of the local conservatory Jehan-Alain, in Pecq from 1995 till 1999 and deputy manager in CNR of Cergy-Pontoise from 2000 till 2001.
Secretary of the Association of the French saxophonists (ASAFRA) of 1972 to 1982, Jacques Desloges wrote numerous articles on the saxophone, his musical problems, his compositors and his repertoire.
The jazz
Jean-Marie Londeix
Marcel Mule
Sigurd Rascher
Sigurd Rascher, born May 15, 1907 in Elberfeld) (Germany) and died February 25, 2001 at Shushan (New York) was an American saxophonist of German origin.
One of the pioneers of classical saxophone, Rascher was the sponsor of 150 pieces for the instrument including concerti Ibert and Glazunov.
After studying the clarinet, he chose to specialize in saxophone, which he develops game modes hitherto unknown and unheard, as shrill.
It be an overwhelming success in the early 1930s as a concert soloist, in Berlin and throughout Europe. This will encourage him to control many partitions to a judicious choice of talented composers, often captivated by his technical mastery.
Forced to emigrate because of the rise of the Nazis, he will then travel to Sweden and the United States.
His concerts with the Orchestra of Boston and New York are the first of these bands with a solo saxophonist.
He was a professor at the University of Michigan, the Juilliard School, Eastman School and the United States.