Rothophones

[Helen]

A few years ago I remember seeing Paul Cohen's "for sale" listings of some of his peculiar horns. The one that most stuck in my head was the rather anorexic-looking rothophone.

I was wondering if anyone here had actually played one (or owns one for that matter). What do they sound like? Other than playing them in the privacy of your own home, what might they be used in?

 

[Gandalfe]

Helen, did he ever sell that thang? It's still posted for sale here. Also there's no mouthpiece or bocal that I can see in the pics.

 

[pete]

I *think* he did. It was on sale on eBay several years back.

Beginning of the IDRS Rothophone article.
Another article.

The caption in the catalogue reads thus:

The Saxorusophone has the same range and voice of the Sarrusophone but in respect to this it has the merit of a perfect keywork: simple and sturdy; it also has the great advantage of having the same shape and fingering of the Saxophone, so that it is easy to study for any player, even modest, of clarinet, saxophone, oboe or bassoon!

Rothophone family pic.
Rothophone quartet compared to a sax quartet.

It's somewhat sad that my former website, saxpics.com, is one of the top three hits for "rothophone" on Google, especially as I just have Paul Cohen's rothophone pics from his eBay ad.

Rob Verdi owns a rothophone and he's pictured with it on the cover of Saxophobia. Sadly, he doesn't play it on the CD.

============

So, if one assumes that the Rothophone sounds just like a Sarrusophone, happy, happy. There are quite a few recordings of Sarrusophones around (Google away!). The purpose of a Sarrusophone -- and, by extension, a Rothophone -- was to have a LOUDER double reed, particularly a bassoon. Primarily for marching/military bands.

I wax prosaic about the Sarrusophone in the Sarrusophone section.