Sarrusophone
Encyclopedia
Transposing instrument
A transposing instrument is a musical instrument for which written notes are read at a pitch different from the corresponding concert pitch, which a non-transposing instrument, such as a piano, would play. Playing a written C on a transposing instrument will produce a note other than concert C...
musical instruments patented and placed into production by Pierre-Louis Gautrot in 1856. It was named after the French bandmaster Pierre-Auguste Sarrus
Pierre-Auguste Sarrus
Pierre-Auguste Sarrus was a French musician and inventor.* He joined the army at the age of 23....
(1813–1876) who is credited with the concept of the instrument (it is not clear if Sarrus benefited financially from this association). The instrument was intended to serve as a replacement in wind bands for the oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
and 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...
which, at that time, lacked the carrying power required for outdoor band music.
Sizes and ranges
The sarrusophone was manufactured in the following sizes and had the following theoretical ranges:- E-flat Sopranino B♭-G (Sounding D♭-B♭)
- B-flat SopranoSoprano sarrusophoneThe Soprano sarrusophone is a member of the sarrusophone family. It is a keyed metal double reed instrument with a conical bore, pitched in B-flat. Its range is approximately the same as that of the soprano saxophone and its tone is similar to that of the oboe, although louder and less refined,...
B♭-G (Sounding A♭-F) - E-flat AltoAlto SarrusophoneThe E-flat alto sarrusophone is the alto member of the sarrusophone family of metal double reed instruments. Its body is folded only once, and has a bocal that resembles the neck of a tenor saxophone....
B♭-G (Sounding D♭-B♭) - B-flat TenorTenor SarrusophoneThe B-flat tenor sarrusophone is a smaller type of sarrusophone, and has about the same range as a tenor sax. They were originally made by companies such as Orsi, Gautrot, and Triebert, but are currently made only by Orsi, and are "special order" items....
B♭-G (Sounding A♭-F) - E-flat BaritoneBaritone SarrusophoneThe E-flat baritone sarrusophone, sometimes jokingly known as the combat bassoon, has the same range and key as the baritone saxophone, and is about the same size as a bassoon. Its body is wrapped around only once, whereas the contrabass sarrusophone wraps around twice....
B♭-G (Sounding D♭-B♭) - B-flat BassBass SarrusophoneThe B-flat bass sarrusophone is the bass member of the sarrusophone family of metal double reed instruments. It has a range almost identical to a bass saxophone. There are very few pieces written for it, although one of them includes Roupen Shakarian's Sarruso Rex. It is among the rarer of the...
B♭-G (Sounding A♭-F) - EE-flat ContrabassContrabass sarrusophoneThe Eb contrabass sarrusophone was the only sarrusophone that was ever mass produced in the United States. It was made by companies such as Gautrot, Couesnon, Romeo Orsi, Rampone , Buffet Crampon , and C.G...
B♭-G (Sounding D♭-B♭) - CC ContrabassContrabass sarrusophoneThe Eb contrabass sarrusophone was the only sarrusophone that was ever mass produced in the United States. It was made by companies such as Gautrot, Couesnon, Romeo Orsi, Rampone , Buffet Crampon , and C.G...
B♭-G (Sounding B♭-G) - BB-flat ContrabassContrabass sarrusophoneThe Eb contrabass sarrusophone was the only sarrusophone that was ever mass produced in the United States. It was made by companies such as Gautrot, Couesnon, Romeo Orsi, Rampone , Buffet Crampon , and C.G...
B♭-G (Sounding A♭-F)
As can be seen, the non-transposed range of the sarrusophone is nearly identical to that of the 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...
. The traditional conventional range of the saxophone is written B♭-F. Initially, Gautrot advertised the range of the sarrusophone to high F as well, but later fingering charts indicated a range to high G. Sometime after 1868, Gautrot also released a fingering chart indicating fingerings higher still up to a top B-flat, giving a range of three full octaves.
Construction
All members of the sarrusophone family are made of metal, with a conical bore, and the larger members of the family resemble the ophicleideOphicleide
The ophicleide is a family of conical bore, brass keyed-bugles. It has a similar shape to the sudrophone.- History :The ophicleide was invented in 1817 and patented in 1821 by French instrument maker Jean Hilaire Asté as an extension to the keyed bugle or Royal Kent bugle family...
in shape. Like the oboe and bassoon, all sizes of sarrusophone were originally designed to be played with a double reed. Later, single reed mouthpieces were developed which resemble alto or soprano saxophone mouthpieces. It is unclear if these were available for all sizes of the sarrusophone family, the most common examples being for the E♭ contrabass.
The fingering of the sarrusophone is nearly identical to that of the saxophone. This similarity caused Adolphe Sax
Adolphe Sax
Antoine-Joseph "Adolphe" Sax was a Belgian musical instrument designer and musician who played the flute and clarinet, and is best known for having invented the saxophone.-Biography:...
to file and lose at least one lawsuit against Gautrot, claiming infringement upon his patent for the saxophone. Sax lost on the grounds that the tone produced by the two families of instruments is markedly different, despite their mechanical similarities. However, because the sarrusophone never reached wide acceptance, makers were not inclined to develop its mechanism to the same extent as that of the saxophone. Although there are likely exceptions, features of the sarrusophone's mechanism generally include:
- Non-automatic octave keys (necessary to produce the "standard" top 4th of its range). From sopranino through bass, 2 octave keys. The contra basses (and perhaps some basses) have 3, the 3rd key being used for the notes D and E♭ directly above the octave break, only
- No articulated G♯, bis B♭, F♯ trill keys or 1/1 and 1/2 B♭ as found on the saxophone. The top and bottom key stacks are not linked. Surprisingly though, a B to C trill key as found on the saxophone did more or less become standard
- The key for low B♭ is activated by the left thumb as opposed to the left little finger as on the saxophone
- A key for rapid alternation across the C-D break. This key can also be used to play high D as well. This may be taken to be an equivalent of the high D palm key of a saxophone, although on the sarrusophone the location of the touchpiece varied.
- No palm keys for playing the top range. Using the non-automatic register keys, 3rd harmonics are easily available, rendering palm keys unnecessary. The relatively narrow bore of the sarrusophone also aids in the rendering of these 3rd harmonics
On earlier instruments, the use of rollers on the low E♭ and C natural keys seems to have been more common than having them on the G♯, low C♯ and B natural keys. Additionally on some (all?) instruments made by Buffet in the early 20th century, the G♯ key is "semi-articulated" so that a G natural to G♯ trill can be made by an additional touchpiece for the right hand. Saxophones of this time period also have this mechanism. Additionally, there is no connection from G♯ to low C♯ or low B natural, which is also identical to how saxophones were constructed at that time.
Classical music
The sarrusophone is rarely called for in orchestral music. However, around the turn of the 20th century, the contrabass sarrusophones in EE♭ and CC enjoyed a vogue, the latter as a substitute for the contrabassoon, (the French model patterned after the German Heckel model, having been introduced later around 1906 by Buffet et al.) so that it is called for in, for example, Maurice RavelMaurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
's Shéhérazade
Shéhérazade
Shéhérazade is the title of two works by the French composer Maurice Ravel.Shéhérazade, ouverture de féerie, written in 1898 but unpublished, is a work for orchestra intended as the overture for an opera of the same name...
overture (1898), Rapsodie espagnole
Rapsodie espagnole
Rapsodie espagnole is an orchestral rhapsody written by Maurice Ravel. Composed between 1907 and 1908, the Rapsodie represents one of Ravel's first major works for orchestra....
(1907) and L'heure espagnole
L'heure espagnole
L'heure espagnole is a one-act opera, described as a comédie musicale, with music by Maurice Ravel to a French libretto by Franc-Nohain, based on his play of the same name first performed at the Théâtre de l'Odéon on 28 October 1904...
(1907–09), and Arrigo Boito
Arrigo Boito
Arrigo Boito , aka Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito, pseudonym Tobia Gorrio, was an Italian poet, journalist, novelist and composer, best known today for his libretti, especially those for Giuseppe Verdi's operas Otello and Falstaff, and his own opera Mefistofele...
's Nerone
Nerone (Boito)
Nerone is an opera in four acts composed by Arrigo Boito, to a libretto in Italian written by the composer. The work is a series of scenes from Imperial Rome at the time of Emperor Nero depicting tensions between the Imperial religion and Christianity, and ends with the Great Fire of Rome...
(1924). Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
included a part for contrabass sarrusophone in Threni
Threni (Stravinsky)
Threni: id est Lamentationes Jeremiae Prophetae, usually referred to simply as Threni, is a setting by Igor Stravinsky of verses from the Book of Lamentations in the Latin of the Vulgate, for solo singers, chorus and orchestra. It is important in Stravinsky's output as his first and longest...
. The composer Paul Dukas
Paul Dukas
Paul Abraham Dukas was a French composer, critic, scholar and teacher. A studious man, of retiring personality, he was intensely self-critical, and he abandoned and destroyed many of his compositions...
used the contrabass sarrusophone to great effect in 1897 in his The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The Sorcerer's Apprentice is the English name of a poem by Goethe, Der Zauberlehrling, written in 1797. The poem is a ballad in fourteen stanzas.-Story:...
, where the instrument begins the bassoon's macabre dance motif (familiar to all who recall Disney's animated film Fantasia). These parts are nowadays all played on the contrabassoon
Contrabassoon
The contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon or double-bassoon, is a larger version of the bassoon, sounding an octave lower...
. In general when the term "sarrusophone" is used, it usually refers to the EE♭ contrabass which appears to have been made in larger numbers than any other size. It should be pointed out that although the CC contrabass was perhaps envisioned for these and other orchestral works, few instruments were made and those that did exist were most likely the property of the orchestras that they were made for. The CC contrabass has a range that is identical to the contrabassoon, while the EE♭ contrabass, while having the same written range as the CC, due to its key, lacks the lowest 3 notes of the contrabassoon's range (C, B, B♭).
The EE♭ contrabass has also been used as an alternative to the EE♭ contrabass saxophone, which due to its large size is impractical in many musical situations, especially marching.
Until recently, the BB♭ contrabass had the distinguishing feature of being the lowest pitched reed instrument ever placed in production, since it is capable of producing a low A-flat, one semitone lower than the lowest note on the standard piano and the extended range contrabassoon's low A. However, the German instrument maker Benedikt Eppelsheim
Benedikt Eppelsheim
Benedikt Eppelsheim is a world-renowned German maker of high- and low-voiced saxophones, the soprillo and tubax , which are available exclusively from him...
has recently introduced a brand new instrument called the "Tubax
Tubax
The tubax is a modified saxophone developed in 1999 by the German instrument maker Benedikt Eppelsheim. It is available in both E contrabass and B or C subcontrabass sizes...
" (a saxophone hybrid), one model of which, the BB♭ subcontrabass, also has A-flat as its lowest pitch.
The French firm of G. Leblanc for many years (1950s-1980s?) featured photographs of its EEE♭ octocontra-alto and BBB♭ octocontrabass clarinets, instruments that could play lower still, in its advertising. However, despite their notoriety and frequent citing in books on musical instruments and in on-line discussion forums, these instruments were never placed in production and were, perhaps, more along the lines of engineering achievements and curiosities (despite the fact that the EEE♭ model could be a viable instrument, it is said that only three were made). Even then, it appears that few BB♭ contrabass sarrusophones were ever built, the EE♭ being much more portable and perhaps, practical.
In the concert band literature, Percy Grainger
Percy Grainger
George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...
used the EE♭ contrabass in the original scoring of his children's march "Over the Hills and Far Away". In early 20th century Italian band scores, parts for the B♭ tenor, E♭ baritone, and B♭ bass sarrusophones as well as the contrabass are common. It appears that higher members of the sarrusophone family were not as popular as the lower members, with the sopranino in E♭ along with its distant cousin, the high E♭ oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
, being particularly rare. For the most part, the use of the sarrusophone was primarily in France, Italy and Spain. During or after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, US Military personnel noted the use of the contrabass sarrusophone in French military bands and thereafter, commissioned the U.S. firm Conn to manufacture the EE♭ contrabass for use in U.S. military bands beginning in approximately 1921, as per Conn's advertising of the time. The initial order was for 148 instruments. The instrument was offered for sale to the general public as well, but production appears to have ceased in the 1930s. Conns as late as 1936 are known to exist. Beginning in 1921, the John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
band used the Conn sarrusophone for an unknown period of time. In Germany, the instrument was practically unknown (although, curiously, Heckel stated in its 1930 catalog that sarrusophones could be made on demand), and in England, there may have been limited use of the instrument, but it never caught on there. In 1908 when Sir Thomas Beecham wished to perform the work "Apollo and the Seaman" by the British composer Josef Holbrooke (who had included parts for several sizes of sarrusophones), the sarrusophone parts had to be played by performers brought over from France. Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski GBE was a Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, and the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland.-Biography:...
included three E♭ contrabass sarrusophones in his Symphony in B Minor ("Polonia").
Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
used the E♭ contrabass sarrusophone in his scores for "Think It Over", "Big Swifty", "Ulterior Motive", "The Adventures of Greggery Peccary", "For Calvin", "Waka/Jawaka", and many others. These pieces can be found on his albums "Waka/Jawaka
Waka/Jawaka
Waka/Jawaka is an album by Frank Zappa, released in 1972. The album is the jazz-influenced precursor to The Grand Wazoo, and, as the front cover indicates, sequel of sorts to 1969's Hot Rats. Miles Davis's Bitches Brew-era influence is readily apparent on this and its sister album, The Grand Wazoo...
", "The Grand Wazoo
The Grand Wazoo
The Grand Wazoo is a 1972 jazz fusion album by Frank Zappa. Composed and recorded during Zappa's period of convalescence following his assault in London, the album, along with its "twin brother" Waka/Jawaka, represent Zappa's foray into big band fusion, the logical progression from Hot Rats, which...
", & "Zappa/Wazoo". The sarrusophone was played by Earl Dummler. In 2010, Franklin Stover composed a Double Concerto for Eb sarrusophone, bass clarinet and orchestra.
The British composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji was an English composer, music critic, pianist, and writer.-Biography:...
used the sarrusophone in various of his orchestral works, but never specified its type.
Jazz
A very unusual example of the sarrusophone in jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
is on the 1924 recording by the Clarence Williams Blue 5 of "Mandy, Make Up Your Mind," with the sarrusophone played by the jazz soprano saxophone and clarinet virtuoso Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.He was one of the first important soloists in jazz , and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist...
. One can conjecture that the sarrusophone played was most likely a contrabass with a single reed mouthpiece, as Bechet was not a trained double reed player. Bechet later denied having ever played the sarrusophone. According to the biography of Bechet by Chilton, Sidney "pulled a face" when asked about the solo on "Mandy", though he did not deny playing it.
In the 1970s and 1980s the American jazz musician Gerald Oshita
Gerald Oshita
Gerald Oshita was an American musician, composer, and sound recordist.Oshita, who was of Japanese ancestry, lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and specialized in unusual wind instruments, particularly those of especially low register...
(based in Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area and associated with Roscoe Mitchell
Roscoe Mitchell
Roscoe Mitchell is an African American composer, jazz instrumentalist and educator, mostly known for being "a technically superb—if idiosyncratic—saxophonist." He has been called "one of the key figures" in avant-garde jazz who has been "at the forefront of modern music" for the past...
) played avant-garde jazz on an EE♭ contrabass manufactured by Conn. More recently (1990–2006), recordings using sarrusophone have been released by saxophonists Scott Robinson
Scott Robinson (jazz musician)
Scott Robinson is an American jazz musician. Robinson is best known for his work with various styles of saxophone, but has also performed with the clarinet, flute, and sarrusophone, along with other, more obscure instruments....
, Lenny Pickett, James Carter
James Carter (musician)
James Carter is an American jazz musician.Carter was born in Detroit, Michigan and learned to play there before moving to New York City. He has been prominent as a performer and recording artist on the jazz scene since the mid-1990s, playing saxophones, flute, and bass clarinet...
, and Paul Winter
Paul Winter
Paul Winter is an American saxophonist , and is a six-time Grammy Award nominee.- Biography :Paul Winter attended Altoona Area High School and graduated in 1957...
.
Present status
Today, the sarrusophone is used in a handful of symphonic wind ensembles and as a novelty instrument on occasions. There appears to be a resurgence of interest in the instrument and there are amateur players (mostly the EE♭ contrabass). Bruce BroughtonBruce Broughton
Bruce Broughton is a film, video game, and television soundtrack composer who has composed several highly acclaimed soundtracks over his extensive career, including American music classics such as "Homeward Bound," "Silverado", "Tombstone," and wonderfully lyric music for "Miracle on 34th...
made extensive use of a contrabass sarrusophone in his score for the film Tombstone
Tombstone (film)
Tombstone is a 1993 American action film set in the Old West directed by George P. Cosmatos, along with uncredited directorial efforts by actor Kurt Russell and writer Kevin Jarre. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Jarre....
.
The tone of the sarrusophone is less clear but much reedier than that of the saxophone. In humorous terms, the sarrusophone can be said to sound rather "industrial" or perhaps "unrefined." New sarrusophones can still be bought by request from the Orsi Instrument Company
Orsi Instrument Company
Orsi Instrument Company, sometimes called Orsi Instruments or commonly just Orsi, is an Italian manufacturer of musical instruments, especially brass instruments.-Professor Romeo Orsi:...
, in Italy. Historically, Orsi, Rampone (later Rampone & Cazzani), Buffet
Buffet Crampon
Buffet Crampon et Compagnie is a French manufacturer of woodwind musical instruments, including oboes, flutes, saxophones, and bassoons; however, the company is perhaps most famous for their clarinets, as Buffet is the brand of choice for many professionals....
(under the ownership of Evette & Schaeffer), Conn
C. G. Conn
C.G. Conn Ltd., sometimes called Conn Instruments or commonly just Conn, was a United States manufacturer of musical instruments, especially brass instruments. In 1985 their Strobotuner division was bought by Peterson Electro-Musical Products, who continue to service their line of products.Assets...
(E♭ contrabass only), Gautrot and Couesnon (Gautrot's successor) were the best known and possibly, only makers that produced in quantity.
The somewhat harsh tone quality of the sarrusophone and the need for a double reed may have contributed to it not becoming a standard member of the wind band. Additionally, although originally intended to replace the oboe and the bassoon, the practical ranges of the corresponding sarrusophones, the soprano and bass, as per famed band conductor Edwin Franko Goldman
Edwin Franko Goldman
Edwin Franko Goldman is one of America's prominent band composers of the early 20th century. He composed over 150 works, more notably his marches. He is known for founding the renowned Goldman Band of New York City and the American Bandmasters Association...
and organologist Anthony Baines
Anthony Baines
Anthony Cuthbert Baines was an English organologist who produced a wide variety of works on the history of musical instruments, and was a founding member of the Galpin Society.-Partial bibliography:...
, did not lend themselves to proper playing of oboe and bassoon parts, especially in orchestra transcriptions for wind band.
The need for a contrabass pitched woodwind has existed since at least the 19th century. During the 19th century and into the 20th there were sporadic attempts by Sax, Buffet, Besson and others to build a successful contrabass clarinet
Contrabass clarinet
The contrabass clarinet is the largest member of the clarinet family that has ever been in regular production or significant use. Modern contrabass clarinets are pitched in BB, sounding two octaves lower than the common B soprano clarinet and one octave lower than the B bass clarinet...
in either E♭ or B♭. In the early 1930s, upon the suggestion of the American Bandmaster's Association, the French firm Selmer
Selmer
Selmer can refer to:People*Elisabeth Schweigaard Selmer, Norwegian judge and politician*Ernst S. Selmer, Norwegian mathematician*Ernst W. Selmer, Norwegian phoneticist*Christian August Selmer, Norwegian lawyer and statesmanOther...
succeeded when they introduced their E♭ contrabass model (the popular E♭ and B♭ contrabass models by the French firm LeBlanc
Leblanc
Leblanc is a French surname and may refer to:* Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, American journalist* Alfred LeBlanc , French aviator* André LeBlanc , haitian comic artist...
not being placed into production until the late 1940s, although invented earlier). It can be conjectured that the compactness and musical qualities of these instruments may have contributed to the non-use of the sarrusophone, as they are now very common in musical circles ranging from junior high school through professional.
Rothphone
The rothphoneRothphone
The Rothphone is a metal double reed instrument similar to the sarrusophone built in saxophone form. It was invented by Ferdinando Roth and is also known as the rothophone, rothaphone, or saxsarrusophone. The bore of this instrument is narrower than that of either the sarrusophone or...
, also known as the rothophone or saxarrusophone, is a sarrusophone hybrid that is rewrapped to look like a saxophone. It was manufactured by the German born (Adorf im Vogtland) maker Roth of Milan and was introduced around 1900, but found no popular acceptance, even in Italy (some instruments may be labeled Bottali, as Antonio Bottali was Ferdinando Roth's son-in-law and took over the company after Roth's death in 1898). They are, nowadays, even less common than the sarrusophone. They came in sizes from soprano to bass. It had a less conical and wide bore than both the saxophone and the sarrusophone. As per advertising of the time, the well-known American saxophone manufacturer, Buescher imported a number of these instruments into the United States during the late 1920s or early 1930s, perhaps as an answer to C.G. Conn's production of the contrabass sarrusophone. Per advertisements for this instrument and photos that have appeared in books, the lowest note on the Rothphone is a low B natural, not low B flat as with the saxophone and sarrusophone. In the 1930s the band at the University of Illinois under Austin Harding had a full sarrusophone section from soprano to E♭ contrabass that included at least the tenor rothphone. However, this appears to have been an isolated use of the instrument.