History
CONDENSED SAXOPHONE
HISTORY
1840 - invented by Antoinne (Adolphe) Sax, a Belgian, in Paris; Until
his death in 1894 he spent much time in court defending patents, mostly
successful. Instrument making in the Industrial Revolution was popular
1853 - first played in US (isolated case)
1870s- common usage begins (in professional bands)
GILMORE (1870s-92), SOUSA (1892-1932) THE 2 MOST FAMOUS BANDS (OUT OF
THOUSANDS)
Lefebre, Jean Moeremanns, Ben Vereecken, Benne Henton, Jascha Gurewich
1889 - first American saxophone made by F.A. Buescher for Conn company
(Elkhart IN) [now Swedish owned, called United Musical Instruments]. Buescher
later started his own company [now owned by Selmer]. Other early saxophone
makers: Holton [now Leblanc], Martin [now Leblanc], White (King).
1890s- recordings begin
1919-24 Saxophone Craze; ragtime popular (precursor to jazz) - Brown
Brothers, Rudy Wiedoeft
saxophone outsells all other instruments, school band movement begins
1920s-40s Big Bands (fizzled out after WWII)
1920s - Johnny Hodges, Coleman Hawkins
1930s - Lester Young
1940s - Charlie Parker combo, not big band; Classical Mule (Fr
42-68), Rascher (ret 1981) USA
1950s - John Coltrane; Classical Leeson, Teal (ret UM 53-74)
1960s – Classical Hemke (NU 63-), Rousseau, Sinta, Defayet(Fr
ret '90) Londeix (Fr ret '93)
1980s-present Sampen, Delange (Fr), many others (still too early to
evaluate)
For more detail see: http://www.mnsfld.edu/~jmurphy/saxweb/bibsearch.cfm
and http://www.mnsfld.edu/~jmurphy/saxweb/websearch.cfm
LISTING
OF SELMER PARIS SAXOPHONE MODELS FROM THE COMPANY FILES
1. "Modele 22" 1922 Adolphe Sax instruments still in production.
Serial #957 is on the alto shown in the catalogue. Power forging key
mechanism.
2. "Modele 26" 1926 Now known as the "Pea Shooter" due to
the small bore. First serial number shown #3373.
SELMER ACQUIRES SAX COMPANY
3. Unmarked (transition) model 1930 Catalogue describes "New Large Bore
Alto
4. “Cigar Cutter” 1931 See cut for octave mechanism. The flat plate with
the hole, reminiscent of the cigar tip cutter men carried, gave this model its
nick-name. It was really the first Super model. First Serial number is 14222.
5. “Super” 1933 The octave mechanism was changed about Serial number
18,600. The body of the sax, and the playing characteristics were not changed.
6. “Balanced Action” 1935 Many mechanical changes, with the bell keys now
on the right side of the bell.
7. “Super-Action Sax” 1947 Another transitional model, with some changes
in key leverages, but otherwise same as “balanced”.
8. “Mark VI” 1954 Much greater refinement of the mechanism and many tuning
resolutions.
9. “Mark VII” 1975 Bore and taper changed to facilitate production of the
extremely high altissimo register. Minor improvements on intonation.
10. “Super Action 80” 1981
11. Super Action Series II (1987), front “x” key more like clarinet A key,
high F# key bent; series Iia (1989) left hand little finger keys.
Since
the saxophone, as are most instruments, is a compromise in respect to
producing a “perfect scale” each step closer to “perfection” taken by
a manufacturer takes more time and produces less in the way of measurable
change. The “perfectly tuned” saxophone would have to have twelve separate
octave vents, an impossible key mechanism to operate.
|
”Famous”
20th Century Composers (boldface wrote for sax) 1890s, alphabetical 1900s 1910s |
1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s Larsen, Libby 1950 solo Lauba,
Christian 1952
many Lennon,
John Anthony 1950
concerto, solo Rouse,
Christopher 1957 1960s Chambers,
Evan 1963
solos, chamber |