The saxophone
History and saxophone technical
A little history ...
It is in a prosperous industrial town, where the Belgian mines, particularly in Dinant that Antoine Joseph Sax said " Adolphe Sax "was born November 6, 1814. Initiated to instrument by his father, Charles Joseph Sax music instrument maker, he studied clarinet with Bender, bandmaster of the regiment of Guides to Brussels. By working with this instrument that he became aware of his imperfection, any relief there by numerous patents. His work earned him the encouragement of numerous foreign dignitaries. It shows that the instrument timbre is determined by the proportions given in the column of air formed in the instrument: it is this law which perfects and completes the family of wind instruments. |
In his father's workshop is responsible for conducting in Brussels that "invents" a wind instrument that "the character of his voice could be closer to stringed instruments, but possessed more strength and intensity than the latter "(French patent No. 3226 of March 21, 1846). Thus was born the "saxophon" wind instrument of brass woodwind (because of his reed).
In a work of Hector Berlioz , February 3, 1844, appeared as the saxophone for the first time in concert. Georges Bizet used the first saxophone in the "Arlesienne" in 1873. In the Military Bands that was introduced around 1845 and the most used.
Some technical ...
The saxophone is a wind instrument whose body is cone shaped dish with holes that you just plug by pads of skin. It is composed of a bell shape, a cylinder head ensuring the link between the flag and the body which is fitted in the jar. |
Going up the sleeve of cork, glued onto the end of the jar, on a single reed mouthpiece. A reed is a piece of cane fixed in the mouthpiece by a ligature is beating against the mouthpiece in contact with the breath of the musician, that sound is produced. The saxophones are transposing instruments, plus it's Octavia: this is because the vibration node is formed at its midpoint. |
The saxophone family has seven, the most serious to the most acute bass sax, bass, baritone, tenor, alto, soprano, sopranino.
Models saxophone ...
The most used saxophones are:
Bb soprano saxophone playing is delicate because of its accuracy, however, it is very swift, its sound is similar to the oboe. | |
The Eb alto saxophone is the instrument virtuoso, its expression is soft like a violin, his agility as a flute, and his grades are higher possibilities of the clarinet. His weak point: the rehearsals of her too fast. | |
Bb tenor saxophone timbre velvety and fleshy in the grave, it competes with the bassoon. Mainly used in jazz or variety to his power and her singing. | |
Eb baritone sax too rarely used, it is a unique expression, nuances and timbre of its ease tasty emission uncommon among the lower instruments. |
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.
Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz is a composer, a writer and a French critic, born December 11, 1803 at La Cote Saint Andre, Isere, died March 8, 1869 in Paris.
It is considered one of the greatest representatives of European Romanticism, although it should challenge the term "romantic" that meant nothing to him.
It is defined in fact as a classical composer. His music had the reputation of not respecting the laws of harmony, accusation which does not resist to a deepened reading of its scores.
It reveals, paradoxically, that Berlioz respects the historical foundations of harmony dating from the XVIth century (rules governing opposite and joint movements), but sometimes it frees additional rules appeared later and aesthetically questionable (rules modulation cadential among others).
Alexandre-César-Léopold Bizet
Alexandre-César-Léopold, said Georges Bizet, was a French composer of the XIXth century, born in Paris October 25, 1838 and died in Bougival June 3, 1875.
He is buried at Père-Lachaise (division 68). He is the "father" of one of most popular French operas in the world: Carmen (1875).