MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 912, 1 February 1957, Page 5

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Sir-Mr. Maxwell-Stewart’s recent statement that most books of reference are delightfully vague as to the actual date of the invention of the saxophone is quite true, I have done a great deal of research into the life of Adolphe Sax and have found that hardly any two books of reference agree, or even attempt to give the precise year of its invention. It was, however, a surprise for me to read Mr, Maxwell-Stewart’s statement that the instrument was invented in 1820 -especially as he quotes a programme in the possession of Professor Sigurd Ruscher as his authority, Maybe Mr. Maxwell-Stewart is not aware that Sax was not born until 1814, and would therefore have only been six years old when he invented the instrument, Perhaps there is some confusion with the immediate predecessors of the saxophone. These were a nameless instrument which was really a clarinet with a bent mouthpiece and bell (not the bass clarinet) constructed by Desfontenelles in 1807, and the "tenoroon," which was simply-a bassoon with a small clarinetlike mouthpiece fitted to the end of the bassoon crook.

The actual idea of constructing the brass saxophone is said to have been suggested to Sax by. both the clarinet which, when over-blown, sounded an octave instead of a twelfth, and the ophicleide, which was made of brass and has similar tone holes. In this respect Mr. Maxwell-Stewart’s statement must be regarded as quite in order, as nobody really knows how Sax came to devise the instrument. It\is of more than passing interest to note that Oscar Comettant, in a biography of Adolphe Sax published in 1860, states that Hector Berlioz was one of Sax’s most enthusiastic supporters and often helped him-even to the extent of organising concerts featuring his new instruments, For one of these in 1843, Berlioz wrote a sextet featuring the saxophone which, unfortunately, has since been lost. The work was conducted by the composer himself with Sax playing the saxophone part. ; The instrument was not quite finished on the day of the concert and Comettant relates that "Sax, a man never discouraged by difficulties, tied the keys on with string, and held the other parts of the instrument together with sealing wax. After a long tutti, which filled the hall with a powerful but gentle sound, each player had a skilfully written solo passage which showed the advantages of his instrument. The last and most important passage was for the saxophone. A longheld note was conspicuously featured near the end of this solo. Sax played the note with great calm and assurance, swelling and diminishing the sound, giving it every nuance possible. He had forgotten the fingering of the next note, and kept going in order to gain time. Finally his memory came back, just as his lungs were about exhausted. The passage ended, and the audience burst into enthusiastic applause: it appeared to the listeners that this very long holding of the note was proof of immense skill, and a bold and happy instrumental inspiration. The concert was a genuine triumph

for the inventor:

S. P.

NEWCOMB

(Eltham).