Adolphe Sax: Visionary or Plagiarist?

It is generally considered that Adolphe Sax made an impact on the design and popularisation of valved brass instruments. Some of the inventions credited to him not only were challenged at the time but also seem to be unsupported by either contemporary documents, e.g. patents, or by surviving examples of his production. The authors have examined a large number of extant instruments from the Sax workshop and have reconsidered the content of Sax'’s brasswind patents and the evidence presented at the court cases, and have examined other primary sources. Sax'’s contributions to the development of valved brass instruments are reassessed. The impact of Sax’'s inventiveness to the flourishing of musical life in Paris and beyond is discussed.