Zelle 24
Saxophone 19th and 20th Century
Description
A whole new range of instruments emerged, beginning in the 1830s, as a result of experimentation and the need to produce additional, softer, more flexible timbres.
Some of these new instruments enjoyed tremendous success. The cornet, which was a modified version of the post horn, appeared in 1828. The saxophone, based on the clarinet, was patented in 1846. It was named after Adolphe (Antoine-Joseph) Sax who was born at Dinant, Belgium in 1814 and who died in Paris in 1894.
The saxophone was played for the first time, not in a military band as one might expect, but in the Orchestra of the Paris Opera on 1 December 1844.
In 1996, a group of former amateur jazz musicians from Basel donated 10 instruments to the M useum. These were part of the private collection belonging to Ernst W. Buser of Binningen. These included an original saxophone quartet (soprano, alto, tenor and barito,ne saxophones) which had been made between 1856 to 1863 in Paris by Adolphe Sax.
Six other instruments coming from the same private collection were donated to the Museum in 1997.
The Bernoulli collection also contains saxhorns and saxtrumpets, all further witness to the creative genius of Adolphe Sax.
Audios
Introduction Cell 24
Saxophone Quartet 19th c. Jean-Baptiste Singelee (1812 - 1876) Allegro vivace, 3rd movement from Premier Quatuor, op. 53 1857 Quatuor Ars Gallica, Jerome Bartalucci, Serge Bertocchi, Claude Heraud, Herve Saillard P/C 1996; Lidi 0106044-96
Oldest Existing Recording with Saxophone 1897 Saxophone solo Jean Moeremans, New York Carnival of Venice, variations Nr. 3900 We wish to thank Ernst W. Buser, Binningen, for kindly allowing us to use the recording.
Military Music for Saxophone 1912 (?) Le Marsouin, march La Musique de la Garde republicaine Paris Nr. 30238 We wish to thank Ernst W. Buser, Binningen, for kindly allowing us to use the recording.
Saxophone 20th c. Blues for Alice Charlie Parker, saxophone (1920 - 1955), Red Rodney, John Lewis, Ray Brown, Kenny Clarke , Recording 8 August 1951, New York P/C 1993; Verve Jazz Masters 15, 519 827-2
P/C 1993; Verve Jazz Masters 15, 519 827-2 Saxophone and String Quartet Adolf Busch (1891 - 1952) Andante sostenuto, 3rd movement from quintet in E flat major, op. 34 1925 Ivan Roth, saxophone, Erato-quartet P 1992/ C 1991; MGB CD 6108 - Musikszene Schweiz Adolf Busch, who is mainly known as the first violin of the Busch quartet, lived from 1927 to 1939 in exile in Riehen, near Basel.
Saxophone Quartet 20th c. Iannis Xenakis (1922 - 2001) XAS 1987 The Rascher Saxophone Quartet, Carina Rascher, Harry Kinross White, Bruce Weinberger, Linda Bangs P/C 1994; CAP 21435