The Original Sax Concert

[pete]

Les grandes inventions : les saxophones et les saxhorns : concert enregistré à la Cité de la musique le dimanche 26 octobre 1997 (15h, amphithéâtre)

Translation:
Great Inventions: the Saxophones and Saxhorns. Concert recorded at the Cité de la Musique Amphitheater on October 26, 1997.

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This is another case of looking for something and finding something else that's equally as interesting: I was browsing for some AJ and AE Sax saxophone pictures on the Cité de la Musique Médiathèque website and stumbled across an entry for Berlioz's "Chant Sacré," which is one of the first pieces for saxophone. There were also a couple references to various Kastner pieces, too. Well, I don't read French, so I just clicked around. Looks like there are archived concerts all over the Médiathèque website. This particular concert happens to be about -- and presumably played on -- AJ Sax instruments that were presented in the various "Expositions Universelles" from 1851 to 1889. (They even have a 35 page booklet on it. Click on "Consulter le document.")

Here's the concert link. Just click on the links under "Programme," then click on "Ecouter un extrait."

For lots more fun stuff, check this list out!

 

[Groovekiller]

That particular piece by Berlioz was originally written for voices, as I remember. I'm too lazy to research it now, so don't shoot me if I'm wrong.

The concert included various instruments made by Adolphe Sax, including one saxophone, a bass in C (Others may debate the key) that looked like an ophicleide. There have been some dramatic descriptions of the bass sax during the concert, including one in which Adolphe Sax, who was the one playing the bass sax, improvised a repair of the instrument that had momentarily failed to work - During the performance!

In my own opinion, yes, this recollection of the performance may be correct, but it describes a long note in the bass sax part, and I can't find it in the music that has survived.

I only wish that somewhere, maybe in a French attic or cellar, someone would discover an example of the ophicleide-shaped bass saxophone, in any key. Ignace DeKeyser, curator of the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels, calls this form of the saxophone THE PROTOTYPE. If one exists, it would be the most valuable saxophone in the world.

 

[pete]

There have been some dramatic descriptions of the bass sax during the concert, including one in which Adolphe Sax, who was the one playing the bass sax, improvised a repair of the instrument that had momentarily failed to work - During the performance!

I remember reading this, so you've got your confirmation .

I've also read comments identifying A. Sax basses in C -- generally in a more traditional shape. The traditional-shaped ones I'm slightly unsure about because of possible high pitch instruments. I'm posting a bunch of AJ and AE Sax pics on my gallery this week, so I'm sure I'll find the horns identified as C basses at some point.

The ophicleide-shaped prototypes are ones that I've heard about and posted about. I've just not seen one. The closest I've gotten has been with the Georgeophones from the late 19th century. I do wish I remembered what source material I read regarding the "prototype" horns, but that predated even my old website. I think I read that around 1987 or so; I remember it was at the music library at SUNY at Buffalo (UB) ....

 

[SOTSDO]

I only wish that somewhere, maybe in a French attic or cellar, someone would discover an example of the ophicleide-shaped bass saxophone, in any key.

It was melted down to make shell casings for the Franco-Prussian War...

 

[pete]

I disagree. It was sold to Selmer during WWII, melted down and was used as the metal for the 5-digit serial number Mark VIs. That's why those horns are the bestest.