A History of Single-Reed instruments

Single reed instruments of this type have been found in many cultures throughout the world

It was such an important alteration that it invented a new instrument!

the underside key was placed higher (now called a speaker key or register key)

clarinet had a wider bore (body)

clarinet bell was wider and flared out

clarinet mouthpiece was larger to allow the uppper register to sound more easily (now called the clarion register)

The full truth behind the saxophone's invention is not known

Aloph Sax did not kept a journal detailing dates and steps towards his new invention

• Adophe sax sued M. Sarrus, creator of the sarrusophone because he thought it was too similar to his new saxophone ... he lost his claim

• Sax also sued Marie-Constance Sass an Opera singer, who became displeased with her last name and changed it to ‘Sax’ ... he won.

• Well-knowns pieces dedicated to Rascher include:

• Concerto in Eb by Alexander Gauzunov

• Concertino da camera by Jacques Ibert

The End

Idioglot Reeds

• reeds that are cut out of part of the instrument that is placed inside the mouth to sound

The Invention of the Clarinet

• Invented c. 1698 - 1710 by either Johann Christoph Denner or his son Jacob Denner of Nuremburg

• They made one important change to an instrument known as the Chalumeau

About 2700 B.C., the Egyptians created an instrument called the zummara (sometimes referred to as the memet). The zummara was a single-reed instrument, but it had a double bore like the double-reeded Greek instrument aulos. The zummara’s two pipes were parallel so that with each finger the player covered two holes, one on each pipe. The pipes were said to be out of tune with each other and produced a very dissonant beating sound.

Zummara

Why?

Suite g-minor - chalumeau solo from Boismortier/Fuss played by Hans-Joachim Fuss on a chalumeau, copy after J.C.Denner (Nürnberg, end of 17th c., pitch a-415)

Left: An Eb contrabass sarrusophone.

The sarrusophone is essentially a metal bassoon, the design of which borrowed heavily from saxophone design. Like the saxophone, sarrusophones came in sizes from sopranino through contrabass, but only the contrabass became popular. They are still made in Italy, and although they have been considered obsolete for 80 years or so, they are having a bit of a revival. Below is the University of Illinois band's sarrusophone section from 1942. Included are soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, and contrbass sarrusophones.

Frederick Hemke, a concert saxophonist, says that the invention had taken place in three steps:

• Sax was searching for a clarinet that could play octaves rather than twelfths

• Sax subsituted the cup mouthpiece of the ophicleide with a single-reed mouthpiece.

• Sax experimented with a single-reed mouthpiece on a rudimentary bassoon.

The Chalumeau

• A slur of lawsuits obscure the full truth behind the saxophone’s invention

• Adolphe sax endured years of bankruptcy throughout his life, resulting from lawsuits

Some of these lawsuits included...

IMPORTANT DATES

• The most credible date for the date of invention of the saxophone is c. 1838.

• Maurice Hamel, in a series of handwritten recollections, indicated his father Henry Hamel, a very close friend of Adolphe Sax, had related that Sax created the saxophone in 1838.

• The famous story of the first appearance of the saxophone at the Begium Industrial Exhibition of 1841 (January) was recalled by the composer, Georges Kastner. Wrapped in cloth and waiting to be unveiled by its inventor, the first-known saxophone was kicked by an unknown person and rendered unplayable.

Considering it took C. G. Conn two years to develop its first line of saxophones (c.1890-92), it is reasonable to conclude that for Sax to have brought the saxophone to this exhibition in January 1841 meant he likely had begun the developmental process by 1838.

Sax was granted a French patent for “a system of wind instruments called saxophones” in June of 1846. This patent was for 15 years, and during that time The patent encompassed 14 versions of the fundamental design, split into two categories of seven instruments each and ranging from sopranino to contrabass.

A HISTORY OF SINGLE-REED INSTRUMENTS

The development of the clarinet & saxophone

Key was added to the underside of the Chalumeau

Early Saxophone - Physical Features

Further 19th C. Developments Clarinet

The Saxophone

and Adolphe Sax

• Sax's patent expired in 1866, thereafter numerous saxophonists and instrument manufacturers implemented their own improvements to the design and keywork. The first substantial modification was by a French manufacturer who extended the bell slightly and added an extra key to extend the range downwards by one semitone to B.

• Sax's original keywork, which was based on the Triebert system 3 oboe for the left hand and the Boehm clarinet for the right, was very simplistic and made playing some legato passages and wide intervals extremely difficult to finger.

• Numerous developers added extra keys and alternate fingerings to make chromatic playing less difficult.

• The early saxophone had two separate octave vents (just as modern instruments do), but players of Sax's original design had to operate these via two separate octave keys operated by the left thumb.

• 1888 - The single octave key for the saxophone was invented and rollers for low Eb and C was added.

Alto saxophone in E-flat by Adolphe Sax, Paris, France, 1857.

• Fingered range: low B-natural to high F.
• Dual octave keys.
• No touchpieces or rollers on E-flat, low C,

G-sharp, low C-sharp, or low B keys.

Reed now separate from mouthpiece!

Saxophone Gains Popularity

• The saxophone became an integral part of French military bands in 1845.

This is the year of the famous "battle of the bands". The French Army band was still using "traditional" instrumentation. Sax saw this as an opportunity to show the world how the saxophone could improve the tonal quality in all bands. He suggested a contest between an army band composed of the original orchestral instrumentation against a band with an instrumentation that included saxophones. Sax’s band of twenty-eight men, compared to the French Army band of thirty-five, overwhelmed the crowd. That day, the saxophone was officially introduced into the French Army Band and soon to all other bands.

• Adolphe Sax first teacher of saxophone at the Paris Conservatory in 1858

• The first saxophone was built in the US by Gus Buesher in 1885

• Marcel Mule is born in 1901

When depressed with the thumb it sounded a 12th above the corresponding Chalumeau register note

Chalumeau & Early Clarinet

Differences

• After 1860, few improvements

• 1869, first machine-made reeds

• 1870, first hard rubber mouthpieces appear

• Early 20th Century, Osker Ohler develops

22-keyed Ohler system clarinet (based on Muller system)

1907 - 2001

The Clarinet was born!

Adolphe Sax, a Belgian inventor, was born in 1814. As a young child he grew up learning to make instruments in his father's shop. He studied clarinet and flute at the Brussels Conservatory. Sax, being the musician he was, became aware of the tonal disparity between the strings, winds and brasses. Adolphe Sax needed an instrument that would balance out the three sections. While Sax was trying to perfect the bass clarinet he imagined the construction of this completely new instrument. His answer was seeking a horn with a coned shape brass body, clarinet type mouthpiece and a slightly flared bell.

Sigurd Rascher

Development of the Clarinet

• Sigurd Rascher was and American Saxophonist of German Birth

• Rascher is known as an important figure in the development of the 20th century saxophone repertoire for the concert soloist

• Rascher began studying on clarinet and switched to saxophone to earn money working in night clubs

• Rascher’s Arival in American came in 1938

• Rascher’s American debut was on 11 November, 1939 when he played with the New York Philharmonic at Carnagie hall.

• In America Rascher taught at the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music and at Eastman School of Music

• Rascher had over 140 works dedicated to him during his life many of these works are known as very important works for the instrument

• With his daughter, Carina, he founded the Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, one of the first classical saxophone ensembles in the world, in 1969

• Developed and expanded the saxophone's altissimo register

Marcel Mule

1901 - 2001

“Ah, if only we too had clarinets! You cannot imagine the glorious effect of a symphony with flutes, oboes, and clarinets”

W.A. Mozart writing to his father from Mannheim in 1777

• Marcel Mule 1901-2001 is known today as the greatest contributor to the saxophone’s advancement, both in Europe and Abroad

• Marcel Mule was introduced to the saxophone by his father, who was a saxophonist himself, and leader of a military band

• Marcel Mule became the second Saxophone Professor at the Paris Conservatory and taught over 300 students there

• Mule was first taught by his father to use a straight tone, without vibrato, this was common practice at the time.

• In 1942 Claude Delvincourt allowed for reestablishment of the saxophone classes at the Paris Conservatory

• Mule’s development in world war one as a saxophonist in military bands led him to experience the american jazz craze and then began teaching vibrato to his students. He began teaching vibrato in classical saxophone vibrato for expression

• 3rd Key c. 1740s
• 4th Key c. 1760s

• By 1780, most orchestras had a pair of clarinets in their membership

• 5th Key c. 1785
• 6th Key c. 1791

!

Wait... what about the clarinet?!

!

A few works which were written or dedicated to

Marcel Mule are:

• Caprice en forme de valse by Pierre Bonneau

• Tableaux de Provence by Paule Maurice

• Cinq dances exotiques by Jean Francaix

• L’Histoire by Jacques Ibert

Early 19th Century Developments

Stamitz Clarinet Concerto

Replica of a 1790 Goulding clarinet with 8 keys and a boxwood body.

!

• c. 1812 Iwan Muller invented a 13-keyed Clarinet with improved intonation due to better placement of the tone holes

• c. 1825 - 13-keyed Clarinet becomes standard

!

Early 19th Century

Clarinet Music

The Saxophone Family

• By the Early 19th Century we already have works by Mozart,

(written for Stadler), Stamitz (Johann & Carl)... and others

• Spohr (4 concertos) for Hermstadt

• Weber 1st Concerto (1811) 2nd Concerto and Quintet (1815)

and Grand Duo (1816) all for Baermann

• 1830 Berlioz Symphony Fantastique - Eb Clarinet

Boehm/Albert System Split

?

• Boehm System created c. 1839 - 1843

• Collaboration between Klose and Buffet who were influenced by Boehm and his creation of the “long-axle” for flute keys in 1832

• Albert System created by Euguene Albert - a refined version of the earlier “simple systems” (Muller influenced)

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The Clarinet Today

?

So what change did Denner make on the chalumeau?

?

Clarinet in Large Ensembles

Meanwhile....

• The majority of professional Clarinets are made of an

African type of wood called Grenadilla.

• The instrument’s keys are most often made of nikel

• Clarinet reeds - Arundo Donax

• Contemporary works push the envelope

?

Rare Saxophones

?

• Bb, A Clarinets in Orchestra

(still have to transpose from C parts)

• Eb Clarinet in Orchestra

(still have to transpose from D Clarinet parts)

• Bass Clarinet

• More clarinets used in Wind Ensembles

The saxophone was originally patented as two families, each consisting of seven instruments. The "orchestral" family consisted of instruments in the keys of C and F, and the "military band" family in Eb and Bb. Each family consisted of sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass and contrabass, although some of these were never made.

In music written since 1930, only the soprano in Bb, alto in Eb, tenor in Bb and baritone in Eb are in common use - these form the typical saxophone sections of concert bands, military bands, and big-band jazz ensembles. The bass saxophone (in Bb) is occasionally used in band music (especially music by Percy Grainger)

Of the orchestral family, only the tenor in C, soprano in C, and mezzo-soprano in F (similar to the modern alto) ever gained popularity

The Clarinet Family

Ab Clarinet, Eb Clarinet, D Clarinet, C Clarinet, Bb Clarinet, A Clarinet, Alto Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Bassette Horn, Bassette Clarinet, Eb Contra Alto Clarinet, Bb Contra Bass Clarinet, Octo Contra Bass Clarinet

10 members of the saxophone family (from largest to smallest: Eb contrabass, Bb bass, Eb baritone, Bb tenor, C tenor, Eb alto, F mezzo-soprano, Bb soprano, C soprano, Eb sopranino)

How the Clarinet is made

Ab Clarinet (sopranino)

C Clarinet

Bassett Clarinet

Bassett Horn

Eb Contra Clarinet

Bb Contra & Octo Contra Clarinets

How the Saxophone is made