Octavin
Encyclopedia
The octavin is a woodwind instrument
with a conical bore and a single reed. As such it resembles a saxophone
, and its range is similar to that of a soprano saxophone, but the octavin differs in three respects: first, its conical bore has a smaller taper than that of a saxophone; second, its body is made of wood, rather than metal; third, its usual shape is similar to that of a bassoon
, having two parallel straight sections joined at the bottom, with the mouthpiece attached to the top of one section and a metal bell to the top of the other. (A few straight octavins exist, having a wooden bell; in this configuration it resembles a tarogato
but has a smaller taper.) The instrument was produced in B♭ and C. One writer (Altenberg) mentions a bass octavin but no such instrument is known to have been produced. The (written) range of the octavin is from G♯3 to G6.
While invention of the octavin around 1893 is sometimes attributed to Julius Jehring, Oskar Adler and Hermann Jordan of Markneukirchen patented it.
The octavin never caught on and is an extremely rare instrument, though the American composer Jeff Britting
(b. 1957) has composed a sonatina for octavin.
Woodwind instrument
A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator to vibrate...
with a conical bore and a single reed. As such it resembles a saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and its range is similar to that of a soprano saxophone, but the octavin differs in three respects: first, its conical bore has a smaller taper than that of a saxophone; second, its body is made of wood, rather than metal; third, its usual shape is similar to that of a bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
, having two parallel straight sections joined at the bottom, with the mouthpiece attached to the top of one section and a metal bell to the top of the other. (A few straight octavins exist, having a wooden bell; in this configuration it resembles a tarogato
Tárogató
The tárogató refers to two different Hungarian woodwind instruments: the ancient tárogató and the modern tárogató...
but has a smaller taper.) The instrument was produced in B♭ and C. One writer (Altenberg) mentions a bass octavin but no such instrument is known to have been produced. The (written) range of the octavin is from G♯3 to G6.
While invention of the octavin around 1893 is sometimes attributed to Julius Jehring, Oskar Adler and Hermann Jordan of Markneukirchen patented it.
The octavin never caught on and is an extremely rare instrument, though the American composer Jeff Britting
Jeff Britting
Jeff Britting is an American composer, playwright, author, and producer.His credits include associate-producing the 1997 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life with director Michael Paxton, for which he also wrote the musical score. He is presently archivist at the...
(b. 1957) has composed a sonatina for octavin.