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UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Title
A “Revolution in the Making”: Rediscovering the Historical Sonic Production of the Early
Saxophone
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Author
Lombard, Matthew Guy
Publication Date
2019
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University of California
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles
A “Revolution in the Making”: Rediscovering the Historical Sonic Production
of the Early Saxophone
A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the
requirements for the degree Doctor of Musical Arts
by
Matthew Guy Lombard
2019
© Copyright by
Matthew Guy Lombard
2019
ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION
A “Revolution in the Making”: Rediscovering the Historical Sonic Production
of the Early Saxophone
by
Matthew Guy Lombard
Doctor of Musical Arts
University of California, Los Angeles, 2019
Professor Neal H. Stulberg, Co-Chair
Professor Douglas H. Masek, Co-Chair
The saxophone was invented in the 1840s by Antoine (Adolphe) Joseph Sax (1814-1894)
and immediately received attention from prominent composers like Hector Berlioz (1803-1869.)
The work done by the ambitious inventor to promote his new instrument included presentations
at exhibitions in Belgium and France, which led to military bands adopting the instrument. In
addition, Sax opened a 400-seat theater on the premises of his factory in Paris to present concerts
featuring his innovations. Coupled with this, Sax established a prolific publishing house, Chez
Adolphe Sax, that published at least 35 works for saxophone with piano accompaniment.
When considering this early repertory, modern performers lack adequate resources that
provide specific details regarding the sonic characteristics of the early saxophone. How might
these performers form a sonic concept reminiscent of the early saxophone when there are so few
ii
early recordings? The contributing factors that shaped this sonic concept include the design of
the instrument and how it influenced the acoustic properties of the same, the intention of the
composer in creating it, the performers who adopted it and the performing practices that
informed their performances, and the repertoire published by Sax that they performed. These
factors are worthy of consideration for the modern saxophonist wishing to perform the repertoire
that helped to build the popularity of the instrument.
iii
The dissertation of Matthew Guy Lombard is approved.
James Bass
Raymond L. Knapp
Antonio Lysy
John A. Steinmetz
Neal H. Stulberg, Committee Co-Chair
Douglas H. Masek, Committee Co-Chair
University of California, Los Angeles
2019
iv
Dedication
This dissertation is dedicated to my wife, Nicole, and my three children, Hannah,
Jemima, and Ethan, who have helped to motivate and support me through my research and
performance activities, and continue to do so lovingly and sacrificially.
v
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
- Background and goals 1
- Survey of literature 2
- Dissertation outline 5
Chapter 1: Sax’s early instruments: design and sonic considerations 7
- An ambitious inventor, and an enthusiastic supporter 7
- First design and materials used 11
- Mouthpiece and reed design 14
Chapter 2: The establishment of early saxophone pedagogy 18
- Early method books for the saxophone 18
- Non-saxophone teaching methods considered 23
- Early performers and their performance backgrounds 25
- Early recordings 29
- Modern “historically informed” recordings 32
Chapter 3: Early repertory for the saxophone 35
- 35 works published by Sax in the nineteenth century 35
- Three lesser-known works considered 37
- My recorded performance: A blend of old and new 45
vi
Conclusion 48
Appendix 1: List of works published by Sax for saxophone and piano accompaniment 50
Appendix 2: The handwritten pages of Adolphe Sax’s patent of 1846 53
Appendix 3: Cover - J. B. Singelée’s Fantaisie Pastorale for
soprano saxophone and piano. 57
Appendix 4: Cover - Jules Demersseman’s Premier Solo for alto saxophone and piano. 58
Appendix 5: Cover – Klose’s Solo for alto saxophone and piano. 59
Appendix 6: Details about the accompanying recordings. 60
Appendix 7: Performer’s log based on my experience with the period instrument. 62
Bibliography 64
vii
List of Figures
Figure 1: Instruments de musique: M. Ad. Sax. Hector Berlioz’s article in the French Journal des
Debats, published June 12, 1842.
Figure 2: Sketches of the first saxophones patented by Adolphe Sax in 1846, with a mouthpiece.
The handwritten pages from the rest of the patent can be viewed in Appendix 2.
Figure 3: The translation of the mouthpiece description from Sax's 1846 patent by Sigurd
Raschèr.
Figure 4: Opening of Demersseman’s Premier Solo for also saxophone and piano, saxophone
part.
Figure 5: From Demersseman’s Premier Solo for alto saxophone and piano, saxophone part.
Figure 6: The finale of Demersseman’s Solo for alto saxophone and piano, saxophone part.
Figure 7: Klose’s Solo, opening, saxophone part.
Figure 8: Singelée’s Fantaisie Pastorale, saxophone part.
Figure 9: The finale section of Singelée’s Fantaisie Pastorale, saxophone part.
viii
Acknowledgements
A number of people have made it possible for me to complete this dissertation, without
whom my efforts would be futile. I would like to thank my committee members Professors Neal
Stulberg, Douglas Masek, Raymond Knapp, Antonio Lysy, James Bass, and John Steinmetz.
Again, thanks to Professor Masek for the support and guidance prior to and throughout my time
at UCLA and during the work done on this dissertation. I would also like to thank Professor
Jennifer Judkins for her guidance in the early stages of my research. Special thanks to Mr. Jean-
Marie Londeix who provided valuable information in the search for the lost repertoire published
by Sax. Also, I owe a great deal of gratitude to Mr. Nick Rail, who provided access to his
original Adolphe Sax alto saxophone from his private collection for me to use in my recording
sessions for this dissertation. Another thank you goes to Ms. Irina Bazik, who recorded the piano
parts in a recording session for the repertoire studied in the dissertation. Lastly, I would like to
thank Dr. Ian Pace, Dr. William Kinderman, Dr. Kenneth Hamilton, and Dr. Joyce Lindorff for
their feedback on my research and writing.
ix
Vita
2009 Bachelor of Music

University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
2011 Scholarship winner

University of South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa
2012 Bursary recipient

Royal Northern College of Music
Manchester, United Kingdom
2013 Master of Music

Royal Northern College of Music
Manchester, United Kingdom
2016 All-Star soloist

UCLA Philharmonia
Los Angeles, CA
2016-2017 Scholarship recipient

Mimi Alpert Feldman Foundation
Los Angeles, CA

Elaine Klein Krown Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
x
2017-2018 Teaching Assistant
UCLA Woodwind Chamber Music
Los Angeles, CA
2018-2019 Teaching associate

UCLA The Art of Listening
Los Angeles, CA
2016-2019 Fellowship recipient

UCLA Gluck Fellows Music
Outreach Program
Los Angeles, CA

Oppenheimer Memorial Trust
Johannesburg, South Africa

UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music
Los Angeles, CA
xi
Introduction
Background and goals
Unlike most other concert instruments, the saxophone has attracted little attention from a
performance practice perspective. The practical goal of my research is to unearth the largely
forgotten early saxophone repertoire and rediscover the gems so worthy of performance today.
As the focus of this dissertation is historical sonic production, this dissertation is accompanied by
selected recordings by the author on a nineteenth-century saxophone.1
Besides inventing the saxophone in the 1840s,2 Antoine-Joseph (Adolphe) Sax (1814-
1894) published approximately 35 works by other composers for the new instrument with piano
accompaniment. The majority of them were composed by Jean-Nicholas Savari (1786-1853) and
Jean-Baptiste Singelée (1812-1875). Many of these works were showpieces commissioned for
French competitions (solos de concours) which served as excellent marketing tools for Sax’s
inventions. Appendix 1 lists the publications related to this study. Several of Sax’s performer
colleagues – already accomplished clarinetists, flutists, and bassoonists – promoted the
instrument by playing these and other early saxophone works.
When considering the instrument’s early repertory and its reception, several questions
arise. What were the sonic characteristics of the first generation of saxophonists, and how can
that knowledge benefit the modern saxophonist? Can the implementation of an historically-based
sonic production provide another perspective on this repertory? How does this sonic
1
See Appendix 6 for details about the recordings.
2
The saxophone was first patented by Sax in 1846, even though the first working model appeared between 1838 and
1841, the year that Sax showed his new instrument to Hector Berlioz, who later wrote a review of the instrument and
published it in the Journal des Debats. Some claim that Sax already completed a prototype by 1838.
1
conceptualization illuminate the music in question? To what extent can we reconstruct the
conditions of nineteenth-century performance?
Since the first saxophone recordings date from the 1890s, direct evidence of nineteenth-
century performance traditions is scant. Nevertheless, instruments, published works, method
books, treatises, and concert reviews survive from the early era of the saxophone. In this
dissertation, I hope to help revive a lost performance tradition and provide performers with a
more informed sonic framework for their interpretations.
Survey of literature
Wally Horwood’s Adolphe Sax (1814-94): His Life and Legacy, Stephen Cottrell’s The
Saxophone, Richard Ingham’s The Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone, Michael Segell’s
The Devil’s Horn, and Fred Hemke’s The Early History of the Saxophone provide broad
overviews and fascinating narratives of the early history of the saxophone, focusing mainly on
the development of the instrument and the personal challenges that Sax faced.
Horwood’s biography of Sax is a thorough account of the inventor's trials and successes.
Horwood points out in his Preface that contemporary accounts by Sax's friends and supporters
(including Berlioz and Kastner) must be considered unreliable due to their often self-serving
motivation. Horwood contends that there must be some merit to the reputation that Sax
established and maintained, and attempts to use his scholarship to set the record straight. The
result is an authoritative account of Sax’s life and career. While the scope of the biography does
not include performance practice considerations of early performers, Horwood provides a
valuable context in which to examine these traditions.
2
Cottrell’s work in researching the development of the saxophone includes possibly the
most comprehensive biography of the inventor. He provides the reader with a detailed overview
of Sax’s life and his rise to prominence as a result of his saxophone. He considers how the social
and cultural contexts of Sax’s life in Brussels and Paris shaped the path of the inventor, and
debunks half-truths that have crept into the realm of facts.
Ingham's book has been considered authoritative on the history of the instrument, its
invention and development, its early repertoire and the influential performers of Sax’s time who
promoted the saxophone. Although Ingham traces the technical development of the instrument
through its patents, he makes no connection between these improvements and the implications
for performance practice. While he provides illuminating biographies of early soloists, he does
not consider how they might have shaped their individual sounds. In the two paragraphs where
he discusses the repertoire heritage of Sax's time, he does not present any practical performance
suggestions that might be adopted.
Segell provides a fascinating and colorful narrative of the story of the saxophone. With a
focus on the varied stylistic capabilities of the instrument, Segell provides a broad perspective
with interesting, controversial stories taken from accounts in interviews and historical sources.
His is one of the few sources that includes accounts from current performers. As the title
suggests, the book hones in on the disapproving reception of the instrument throughout its
history, even while its popularity grew. While he brings out many interesting facts about the
development of the instrument in the nineteenth century, Segell's focus is more on the reputation
of the instrument than the practical considerations of performance.
Hemke’s dissertation is the most regularly referenced secondary source material relating
to the early history of the saxophone. The attention to detail and the sources that Hemke uses
3
make this the first notable scholarly work on the early history of the instrument. He draws
attention to the common misconceptions about specific episodes in Sax’s life and career. His
thorough narrative provides rich details about how the saxophone was invented, developed, and
opposed; as well as how it came to be adopted by the military, was taught in conservatories, and
ultimately flourished.
While the history of this great instrument has undoubtedly sparked the attention of
scholars, issues relating to performance practice have not attracted the same attention that other
instruments have. As the first saxophonists were primarily woodwind players and modeled their
own sounds on the voice, woodwind instruments, brass instruments or stringed instruments, it is
safe to assume that general performance practice studies are vital in this discussion.
The writings of Clive Brown are particularly significant as they relate to string
performance practice. He provides a window into the general practice of the time and indicates
how musicians would have formed their performance styles.
Dwight Manning’s research about the lack of woodwind vibrato in the nineteenth century
is considered definitive and applies equally to saxophone performance practice of the time.
Although Manning explores only one aspect of sonic production in his research, it is an
important and controversial one. Through the study of various treatises and method books,
Manning makes assertions about how performers used vibrato in history, and how ideas differ
about how appropriate it is.
Claude Delangle’s famous interview with Marcel Mule (1901-2001) supports the theory
that Mule pioneered the usage of continuous vibrato on the saxophone. Mule was the first
professor of saxophone appointed at the Paris Conservatoire after Sax and was arguably the most
influential performer and pedagogue in the history of the saxophone. His performance practice
4
development, as outlined in the interview by Delangle, established the French school of
saxophone playing. The interview lays out Mule’s sound concept and how it developed from a
model based on nineteenth-century playing to his new, distinctive style.
Dissertation outline
In chapter 1, I explore the design and the subsequent evolution of Sax's instruments and
their timbral capabilities into the early twentieth century. It is revealing to compare the acoustic
characteristics of Sax’s original instruments with modern instruments.3 Hector Berlioz (1803-
1869) is known to have been Adolphe Sax's biggest supporter and close friend and was the first
composer who Sax demonstrated his invention to upon the inventor’s arrival in Paris before June
12th, 1842, the date that Berlioz published the famous essay in which he introduces the
saxophone. In his essay, Berlioz paints a favorable picture of the sonic qualities that the newly
designed saxophone possessed at the time.
In the second chapter, I consider how nineteenth-century method books might offer
valuable insights in sound production concepts then in current practice. I also explore early
recordings and more recent recordings made with older instruments, such as those by Jean
Moeremans (c. 1866-1937) and Arno Bornkamp (b. 1959) respectively. One key issue dealt with
in chapter 2 is the matter of vibrato pedagogy. When did widespread use of vibrato come into
use, and how much vibrato is most suitable to the performance of this earlier saxophone
literature? How do we best understand Berlioz's comments about vibration in his aforementioned
1842 essay, when he writes about the sound of the saxophone as “full, soft, vibrating, extremely
powerful, and easy to lower in intensity” and describes how “the notes of the higher compass
3
A list of known original Adolphe Sax instruments can be obtained here: http://homepages.ed.ac.uk/am/gdsl.html.
5
vibrate so intensively that they may be applied with success to melodic expression”? How might
we reconcile these statements with those of authors like Carl Weber (dates unknown), who, in
his 1897 method, described an ideal sound as “firm, pure, and unwavering”?
In chapter 3, I evaluate selected repertory for the saxophone from the first sixty years of
its existence, including works by Jules Demersseman, Jean-Nicholas Savari, and Jean-Baptiste
Singelée, and others. These are attractive works that deserve more attention. During Sax’s time, a
saxophone repertory was necessary to popularize the instrument. Sax not only invented the
saxophone but initiated the call for composers to write for the instrument. His establishment of a
small publishing house enabled the distribution of the music composed by many of Sax's
contemporaries. In this chapter, I focus on this largely neglected repertoire – particularly on the
approximately 35 works published for saxophone and piano. I hope that this study will illuminate
this forgotten repertory, and my findings will offer new timbral possibilities to performers.
With this in mind, I outline the factors that shaped the sound of the early saxophone: the
instrument’s origins, its design characteristics, its earliest performers and teachers, the tonal
concepts endorsed or neglected by these musicians, and how the instrument’s repertoire may
have been performed.
6
Chapter 1
Sax’s early instruments: design and sonic considerations
An ambitious inventor, and an enthusiastic supporter
Adolphe Sax lived a life filled with strife. It may seem that he was destined to fail in his
innovative endeavors. His early life was extremely difficult. In The Devil’s Horn, Michael Segell
shares fascinating stories about the inventor, summarized by Sax’s mother claiming that “[T]he
child is doomed to suffer; he won’t live.”4 This statement is supported by the many near-death
experiences that Sax faced throughout his childhood. These included falling down a flight of
stairs as a toddler, resulting in a week-long coma; ingesting harmful poisonous substances on
several occasions; swallowing a needle; burning himself severely on a stove; burning himself
again by exploding gunpowder; getting hit on the head by a falling slate roof tile (again resulting
in a coma); and nearly drowning in a river. According to Segell, “[b]efore he entered
adolescence, his head was scarred by the repeated blows, and one side of his body was badly
disfigured by burns.”5 Surviving these unfortunate events, Sax learned his father's trade. Charles-
Joseph Sax (1790-1865) was a Belgian instrument maker, known for making brass and wind
instruments, as well as pianos, guitars, and harps. It was in his father's workshop that young
Adolphe discovered his passion for instrument design.6
The younger Sax attended the Paris Exhibition in 1839, where he demonstrated an
improved bass clarinet design he had worked up in his father’s workshop to great success.
According to Thomas Liley, during this trip, “Sax met many prominent musicians, including
4
Michael Segell, The Devil’s Horn (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005), 11.
5
Michael Segell, The Devil’s Horn, 11-12.
6
Wally Horwood, Adolphe Sax 1814-1894: his life and legacy (Baldock, England, Egon Publishers, 1983), 19.
7
Berlioz, Halévy, Kastner and Meyerbeer.”7 His introduction to Berlioz, in particular, proved to
be a turning point in Sax’s career. For the next three years, Sax worked hard on his new
instruments and made significant progress in showing them to the musical community.
The first time the saxophone was seen in public was in 1841 during the Brussels
Exhibition, where Sax presented a most unsuccessful demonstration of his new instruments.
According to Georges Kastner, the new instrument “was sent flying with a kick by an unknown
person at a time when the inventor, Adolphe Sax, was away.”8 Shortly after this, and despite the
exhibit’s failure, Lieutenant-General Count De Rumigny asked him to provide the French army
with improved instruments.9 As a result of these circumstances, Sax moved to Paris in 1842 to
establish a small workshop.
Upon his arrival in Paris, Sax reconnected with Berlioz. The two men shared similar
personality traits that were to cement a long-lasting friendship. According to Horwood, both
“were romantic visionaries, liberal idealists with sweeping enthusiasms, quick to give and take
offense, both with unbridled self-confidence.”10 When Sax first showed his new inventions to
Berlioz in that year, the composer left with a good impression, and according to Horwood
remarked that “[t]omorrow, you will know just what I think of what you have just shown me.”11
An enthusiastic Berlioz proceeded to publish a detailed tribute to Sax and his new
instruments in the Journal des Debats on June 12, 1842. Sax made various types of instruments,
which in the case of the saxhorns and saxophones were invented not as isolated individuals but
as extended family groups. In his tribute, Berlioz praises Sax for his “lucid mind,” stating that he
7
Thomas Liley, “Invention and Development,” The Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone, edited by Richard
Ingham (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), 3.
8
Georges Kastner, Manuel général de musique militaire (Paris, Firmin-Didot Frères, 1848), 233.
9
Thomas Liley, The Cambridge Companion, 3.
10
Wally Horwood, Adolphe Sax, 43.
11
Wally Horwood. Adolphe Sax, 43.
8
is “far-seeing, tenacious, steadfast and skilled beyond words.”12 In Berlioz’s view, a “revolution
[was] about to take place”13 in instrument construction as promoted by Sax. In a different, later
publication, Berlioz referred admiringly to Sax as having been “looked upon as a lunatic,” while
having “changed the face of the world.”14
The figure below shows the original publication and Berlioz’s entry about Sax and his
new instruments, including the saxophone. A translation of relevant parts of this article by Fred
Hemke follows the figure.
Figure 1: Instruments de musique: M. Ad. Sax. Hector Berlioz’s article in the French Journal des Debats, published June 12,
1842.
“...A revolution is in the making and Monsieur Adolphe Sax from Brussels
strongly contributes to it . . . .The Saxophone (Le Saxophon), named after its
inventor, is a brass instrument with nineteen keys, whose shape is rather similar
to that of the ophicleide. Its mouthpiece, unlike those of most brass instruments
is similar to the mouthpiece of the bass clarinet. Thus, the Saxophone becomes
the head of a new group, that of the brass instruments with reed. It has the
compass of three octaves beginning from the lower B-flat beneath the staff (bass
clef); its fingering is akin to that of the flute or the second part of the clarinet. Its
sound is of such rare quality that, to my knowledge, there is not a bass
instrument in use nowadays that could be compared to the Saxophone. It is full,
soft, vibrating, extremely powerful, and easy to lower in intensity. As far as I am
concerned, I find it very superior to the lower tones of the ophicleide, in accuracy
12
Michael Segell, The Devil’s Horn, 14.
13
14
Berlioz describing Sax in his 1844 publication, Euphonia: A utopian kingdom where we are all musicians, set in
2334 Germany.
9
as well as in the solidity of the sound. But the character of such sound is
absolutely new, and does not resemble any of the timbres heard up till now in our
orchestras with the sole exception of the bass clarinet’s lower E and F. Owing to
its reed, it can increase or diminish the intensity of its sounds. The notes of the
higher compass vibrate so intensively that they may be applied with success to
melodic expression. Naturally, the instrument will never be suitable for rapid
passages, for complicated arpeggios; but the bass instruments are not destined to
execute light passages. Instead of complaining, we must rejoice that it is
impossible to misuse the saxophone and thus to destroy its majestic nature by
forcing it to render mere musical fripperies. Composers will be very indebted to
Mr. Sax when his new instruments are generally employed. If he perseveres, he
will meet with the support of all friends of music.”15
This article led to Sax becoming a household name in Paris and resulted in the first public
demonstration of the saxophone. The Paris Conservatoire hosted Sax and his new instruments in
what seems to have been an informal gathering at the school. Attendees included Daniel Auber
(1782-1871), Fromental Halévy (1799-1862), François Habeneck (1781-1849), and Édouard
Monnais (1798-1868), all Conservatoire faculty members. This group received Sax with
enthusiasm.
In 1844, Berlioz arranged his Chant Sacre for six of Sax’s instruments and renamed it
Hymne pour les instruments de Sax16 for a concert at the Salle Hertz, which marked the first
known use of the saxophone.17 This concert occurred two years before Sax struggled to obtain
and retain the copyright for the saxophone, and long before the efforts made by Sax to otherwise
promote his instruments through performance and publications. Although not documented, it
seems likely that Sax would have presented his bass saxophone at this concert, as this was the
first of the family to be completed18.
15
Fred Hemke, The Early History of the Saxophone (Ann Arbor, Michigan; 1975), 22-23.
16
Michael Segell, The Devil's Horn, 15.
17
Sax likely performed in the ensemble on his new bass saxophone, the first member of the saxophone family. The
performance was noted in Wally Horwood, Adolphe Sax, 52.
18
Sax’s 1846 patent included a bass saxophone only, with prose to the effect that more saxophones were coming.
10
Sax’s appointment to the Paris Conservatoire as professor of the saxophone is a contested
truth amongst scholars. While Ingham, Horwood, Segell, and others agree that Sax was the first
saxophone professor to be appointed at the Paris Conservatoire, Cottrell presents evidence to the
contrary that Sax was not appointed as professor in the traditional sense, and that Marcel Mule
was the first professor of saxophone at the famed Conservatoire in 1942.19 Sax was indeed
appointed to teach the saxophone to military musicians in the Garde Republican and was based
at the Paris Conservatoire. The contention that he was the first professor of the saxophone can be
affirmed based on the fact that these musicians were the only existing saxophone studio
musicians at the time.
First design and materials used
As Hemke notes, the precise date of the invention of the saxophone has not been
established, mostly because of the inconsistency among sources.20 Sax patented the saxophone
on a few occasions to secure his exclusive rights to manufacture the instrument (even though
there were competitors that stole his designs and started making copies of the instrument). The
19
“Sax was duly appointed [to teach the saxophone at the Paris Conservatoire], although military music teaching
was regarded as tangential to the main work of the Conservatoire, and those who taught such classes were not
regarded as full professors; Sax's name does not appear on a list of teachers who had worked at the Conservatoire
compiled in 1900, and no saxophone class was opened at the Conservatoire proper during Sax's lifetime, in spite of
Berlioz's recommendation as early as 1848 that one should be established. This did not prevent Sax rather
ingenuously styling his letterhead ‘Maison Adolphe Sax, Professeur au Conservatoire national de musique’ on his
letterheads.” From Cottrell, Stephen. The Saxophone (Yale Musical Instrument Series) (p. 34). Yale University
Press. Kindle Edition.
20
The closest scholars can get to determining this date is limited by knowing the chronology of events during the
years preceding Sax’s first patent (June 28, 1846). Firstly, one can assume that the saxophone existed in some form
by the time that Sax presented it at the Brussels Exhibition in 1841 (ascertained from Kastner’s account). Secondly,
we know that Berlioz must have seen the saxophone prior to him writing about it in the June 12, 1842 article
published in the Journal des debats. According to Hemke, despite the different accounts from various authors as to
the precise year of invention, the most plausible comes from Maurice Hamel, who indicated that his father, Henry
Hamel, was a close friend of Sax, indicated 1838 as the date Sax created the instrument
11
first patent (see the image below for sketches from the patent) filed by Sax was in 1846 and was
handwritten.21
Figure 2: Sketches of the first saxophones patented by Adolphe Sax in 1846, with a mouthpiece. The handwritten pages from the
rest of the patent can be viewed in Appendix 2.
According to Hemke, Sax was involved in many lawsuits with competitors who
attempted copies of his instruments.22 For this reason, his first patent did not include a detailed
description of a whole family of instruments but rather included provisions for the design
protection of the entire family. The only detailed image of a saxophone in this first patent was of
the bass saxophone, and Sax modeled this from the ophicleide, known to have been the
inspiration behind the saxophone when combined with a clarinet mouthpiece.23
21
Sax signed the patent but seemingly did not write the patent himself.
22
Fred Hemke, The Early History of the Saxophone, 46.
23
Also, see https://www.jstor.org/stable/841237?seq=11#metadata_info_tab_contents for patent comparisons and
technical developments.
12
Jean-Baptiste Singelée, who met the inventor as a fellow student in Belgium, was
particularly influential in encouraging Sax to develop the entire family of instruments. Singelée
was the most prolific composer of music written for Sax’s new invention, and wrote what was
probably the first saxophone quartet in 1857. This influence led to the inclusion of detailed
drawings of four saxophones in Sax’s second saxophone patent of 1850, all with detailed
keywork (as opposed to the first patent of 1846 that only featured a bass saxophone with detailed
keywork.)24 This opened up possibilities for composers like Singelée to write music that required
more technical finesse than the original bass instrument would allow.
Sax’s ambitions to produce a family of saxophones could also be linked to orchestrational
trends of the time, particularly those promoted by Richard Wagner (1813-1883). Wagner met
Sax in October 1860 in the early stages of the premiere of his opera, “Tannhauser.”25 A
translation of Wagner’s impression of Sax is provided by De Keyser: “Regarding this problem, I
had to deal with a terrible man, the famous musical instrument maker Sax, who tried to help me
with all kinds of surrogates such as Saxophones and Saxhorns. Moreover, this man was in charge
of the music behind the scene.”26 These new families must have appealed to Wagner in the way
that they aligned with his extensive use of “chorales” of instruments in orchestrations, most
significantly in the brass section. Peter Latham notes the following: “…it is in the brass that we
notice the most conspicuous advance. Not only does Wagner pursue the same plan here as in the
wood-wind, using four (or more) horns regularly, three trumpets, and reinforcing the three
trombones with a bass tuba, but he is able, owing to improvements in the mechanism of some of
24
William McBride, “The Early Saxophone in Patents 1838-1850 Compared,” The Galpin Society Journal 35
(March 1982): 120-121.
25
Ignace de Keyser, “Adolphe Sax and the Paris Opera” Brass Scholarship in Review. Proceedings of the Historic
Brass Society Conference, Cité de la Musique, Paris 1999 (New York: Pendragon Press, 2006), 146.
26
De Keyser, 146.
13
these instruments, to treat them with far greater freedom than had been possible
hitherto.”27 Many of these improvements in mechanism are a result of Sax’s innovations.28
There have been recent (unsupported) speculations that Sax made the first saxophone
prototype of wood, rather than brass.29 It seems far more logical that the inventor used brass, the
material used for an ophicleide, the saxophone’s model. As mentioned previously, the first
saxophone to be patented was the bass saxophone, with the subsequent growing family of
instruments being patented in 1850. The repertoire that Sax used to promote the instruments was
being composed during this period, and therefore, the composers had the instruments from this
patent in mind.
It is revealing to compare the acoustic characteristics of Sax’s original instruments with
modern instruments. The evolution of mechanical aspects of the saxophone is significant in that
the expansion of range influenced the nature of the sound of the instrument. Nineteenth-century
saxophones differed in sound from modern saxophones due to materials used and mechanisms
adopted in the key work, as noted by Richard Ingham and Michael Segell in their books, The
Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone, and The Devil’s Horn.
Mouthpiece and reed design
Before considering the pedagogical aspects of performance, it is important to address the
mouthpiece and reed combinations used by Sax and his contemporaries that shaped the sound of
the early saxophone. As noted in Wolfe, Fletcher, and Smith’s article, two broad elements
27
Peter Latham, “Wagner: Aesthetics and Orchestration,” Gramophone, June 1926. (Latham, P. (1926)
28
29
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-saxophone-made-of-wood-180962541/ makes this particular
claim, but has no credible sources and produces an image of a saxophone made in 1857 by Sax that is not made of
wood, as the article indicates.
14
influence the sound of the saxophone: the construction and design of the instrument, mouthpiece,
and reed; and the player’s breathing technique, articulation method, and airstream
manipulation.30 The former elements deal with issues that influence what timbres are possible for
the performer, while the latter deal with the performer’s role in a practical way. The mouthpiece
and reed design are possibly the most significant determining factor of timbre on the saxophone.
While access to nineteenth-century reeds is not possible today, the mouthpiece design is
something that can be emulated reasonably well based on knowledge of what Sax would have
used at the time. Sax designed the saxophone with the clarinet mouthpiece in mind (evidenced by
looking at the illustrations of his patent applications, pictured below with text translation by
Raschèr).
30
Wolfe, J; Fletcher, NH; Smith, J. “The Interactions Between Wind Instruments and Their Players.” 2015,
doi:10.3813/AAA.918820.
15
Figure 3: The translation of the mouthpiece description from Sax's 1846 patent by Sigurd Raschèr.
The difference between a saxophone and a clarinet mouthpiece can be summed up by
Sax’s description of the mouthpiece on his 1846 patent: “... a simple reed spout with a very
flared interior that tapers to the part that adapts to the body of the instrument.”31 Essentially, this
means that the mouthpiece is a clarinet mouthpiece that fits onto the crook of the saxophone,
rather than inside it. It also indicates that the inner design is large. In today's terminology, we
31
Translated from McBride, 1982: 117 – “... un bec à anche simple dont l’intérieur très évasé va en se rétricissant à
la partie qui vient s’adapter au corps de l’instrument.”
16
would call it a large chamber. The picture on the patent also indicates that the mouthpiece was
fairly short compared to modern mouthpieces (this was a necessary design issue due to the large
chamber, which aided intonation.)
For the performer, harder reeds make it easier to play on this mouthpiece. For my
recording project I first tried to use a Raschèr mouthpiece, which still had a similar design and
was modeled on Sax’s mouthpieces and boasted a round, large inner chamber, but found that the
intonation was too problematic to record with the historical instrument I had access to. Instead, I
have performed the recorded samples accompanying this dissertation on a modern Selmer
mouthpiece with Selmer reeds.
Information regarding reeds that performers used during Sax's time is scant, but it seems
likely that reeds were made by hand, much like double reeds still are today. One source indicates
that the first machine-made reeds were produced around 1869.32 The Henri Selmer Paris
company was established in 1885 and started by manufacturing reeds and mouthpieces.33 Made
from Arundo Donax (a type of cane found in the south of France), the reed significantly affects
the sound of the saxophone, as the source of the sound is from the vibration of the reed against
the mouthpiece. Since reeds were hand-made during Sax’s lifetime, the finish of the reed could
be adapted to the liking of the artist. This level of customization still exists today, although the
manufacturing of reeds provides more variants for specific uses. While the reed is the source of
the sound, the mouthpiece chamber and tip opening define the quality of the sound and are,
therefore, more relevant when considering sonic production.
32
Gregory Barrett, Development of the Clarinet, 1999 (accessed from
https://www.niu.edu/gbarrett/resources/development.shtml)
33
http://www.selmer.fr/histdetail.php?id=4
17
Chapter 2
The establishment of early saxophone pedagogy
Early method books for the saxophone
The saxophone boasts many method books from its early adopters. Saxophone
pedagogues wrote them as early as 1846, the year the saxophone was patented. The authors of
these books provide valuable insights into how to teach the saxophone and hints about how the
authors played the instrument. A significant topic of these books is how performers produce
sound. Principally, these discussions involve breathing and embouchure techniques, and
generally do not mention vibrato, as would typically be discussed in modern methods.
The first three saxophone method books were published in Paris in 1846. Their authors
were Georges Kastner (1810-1867), Jean-Francois-Barthelemy Cokken (1801-1875), and
Hartmann (identity unclear, but likely the bassoonist JPE Hartmann). Hyacinthe Klosé (1808-
1880) and Louis Mayeur (1837-1894) published the next methods for the saxophone, both in
1866. These methods show an evolution in the performance practices of saxophonists and
provide more detailed technical discussions on articulation in particular.
Kastner wrote his 142-page Méthode complète et raissonné de saxophone in
collaboration with Adolphe Sax. It is written from a composer’s perspective, and advocates for
the saxophone with the same enthusiasm that Berlioz did.34 Due to its comprehensive nature, it is
the most useful method book when considering general teaching methods of the time. In Gail
Levinsky’s dissertation, Kastner’s method is the most regularly cited source for the earliest
34
Pascal Terrien, A history of the saxophone through the methods published in France, 1846-1942 (France: Éditions
Delatour, 2015), 100-103.
18
technical information on how to play the saxophone. The fundamental technique that any wind
instrumentalist requires is breathing technique. Kastner provided details on this and other basic
sound production techniques in his 1846 method book. As Gail Levinsky notes, “the
instructional material provided in Méthode complete et raisonnie de saxophone with basic
performance concepts, such as embouchure, breathing, articulation, posture, and the holding of
the saxophone, are equally applicable to students of Sax's era as well with present-day teaching
practices.”35 On breathing in particular, Gail Levinsky notes the following about breathing based
on what Kastner indicated in his method:
As with any wind instrument the process of creating sound is initially generated
by the releasing of air through the instrument. Kastner includes many comments
about breathing in this method. He maintains that the air must flow evenly from
the mouth without puffing the cheeks; that the performer must not push the air
from the chest; [that the performer] must always calculate the amount of air
required; and the releasing of air should be a consistent stream in order to produce
an even sound. The information Kastner furnishes still remains an accepted
practice in modern teaching pedagogy.36
Cokken, a bassoonist by profession, was listed as the saxophone instructor at the
Gymnase Musical Militaire in Paris from 1845-1850, after which he was appointed by the Paris
Conservatoire as professor of bassoon in 1852.37 Gail Levinsky notes that his saxophone method
of 1846, Méthode compléte de saxophone, was published in Paris and adopted by the Gymnase
Musical Militaire. In the method, Cokken echoes Kastner’s instructions pertaining to sound
production in breathing and embouchure technique. Unlike Kastner, who provided Sax’s
alternative opinion about forming a single-lip embouchure, Cokken asserts that the single-lip
35
Gail Levinsky, An analysis and comparison of early saxophone methods published between 1846-1946 (Ann
Arbor, Michigan: UMI, 1997), 18.
36
Gail Levinsky, An analysis and comparison, 19.
37
19
embouchure harms the sound.38 At no point does he mention vibrato as an element of sound
production.
Hartmann’s method, Méthode élémentaire de saxophone, is more elementary than both
Kaster’s and Cokken’s, and provides just three pages of text with musical exercises on
preliminary performance skills. Unlike Kastner and Cokken, Hartmann advocates for a single-lip
embouchure. Also contrary to his peers, he points out that the embouchure could be tightened or
loosened for the upper and lower extremes of the instrument (an unconventional technique then
and now.)39
Klosé’s method is particularly useful because he was influential in the work he did to
develop the Boehm clarinet system in 1830-40. According to Terrien, Klosé’s Méthode complète
des saxophones is still a standard source of methodological material today.40 His clarinet method
of 1879 is considered to be “a versatile ‘bible’ that, to this day, accompanies many students
through their study of the instrument.”41
Mayeur’s Grande méthode includes a detailed description of fundamental sound
production techniques, including “embouchure formation, tongue position, sound production,
rhythm, articulation, and dynamics.”42 Mayeur gained his expertise from Klosé, who learned the
saxophone from Sax himself. Both method books reinforce what earlier methods emphasized in
terms of fundamental sound production techniques.
Regarding articulation, Levinsky notes that early saxophonists executed the attacks of
notes in the same way that modern saxophonists would. Also, Levinsky points out that double
38
39
40
Pascal Terrien, A history of the saxophone, 105-106.
41
Pascal Terrien, A history of the saxophone, 86.
42
20
and triple tonguing were commonly discussed in early saxophone pedagogy (Kastner refers
explicitly to this technique in his method book,)43 contrary to claims in modern method books
that these are contemporary, “extended” techniques.
Kastner mentions the formation of the embouchure in his method book, where he notes
that “Sax himself suggested that in some cases positioning the top teeth on the mouthpiece might
reduce fatigue.”44 According to Cottrell, the double-lip embouchure was a technique employed
by many clarinetists of the time (used mainly by double reed players, where both lips cover the
reeds.) The implication is that saxophonists may have been using this same technique. Despite
this, there seems to be no other evidence of this technique being the standard way to form an
embouchure in saxophone pedagogy. Cokken and Mayeur referred to the single-lip embouchure
(standard today, and produced by placing the top teeth on the top of the mouthpiece) in their
method books. While some performers may have adopted the clarinetist's double-lip
embouchure, it seems probable that most saxophonists would have learned the instrument with a
single-lip embouchure, as this was the popular teaching method of the time.
According to Levinsky, the concept of vibrato45 was not taught in the early saxophone
method books by Kastner (c. 1846), Cokken (1846), Hartmann (1846), L. Mayeur (1867), A.
Mayeur (1896), Klose (1866), and White (1887).46 Although they did not address vibrato
explicitly, these authors – by their avoidance of the topic – indicated that vibrato was not a
technique inherent in the saxophone sound of the time. Levinsky notes that Carl Weber, in his
method book of 1897, specifically describes the ideal saxophone sound as “firm, pure, and
43
44
Stephen Cottrell. The Saxophone (Yale: Yale University Press, 2012), 5.
45
Particularly, continuous vibrato, as opposed to ornamental vibrato.
46
21
unwavering.”47 This seems to contradict Berlioz’s comment (mentioned above) that the sound of
the saxophone was “vibrating,” with particular reference to the upper register of the instrument.48
It is important to remember that Berlioz would have had the sound of the early bass saxophone in
mind at the time of his comments. It can be assumed that Berlioz described the timbre of this
particular register on the bass saxophone this way, as there seems to be no evidence to support
the contention that he was referring to what we now commonly call vibrato. Levinsky’s evidence
makes it clear that early pedagogues did not consider vibrato to be a vital or expected component
of saxophone performance.
Levinsky also discusses late nineteenth-century saxophone method books, which
essentially reinforce her findings about the earliest method books. Her findings about saxophone
method books over time are summed up in her conclusion, and are particularly relevant to the
present study:
An analysis of early European and American saxophone methods exhibit

similar fundamental pedagogical practices regarding embouchure, breathing,
tonguing, posture, and fingering… Therefore, viewing the methodology appears
to indicate that the characteristic styles of good performance practices have not
radically changed through time… The nineteenth-century European methods
reveal that the environment in which a saxophonist would perform was in the
military band setting and to a lesser degree the symphony orchestra.
Comparatively, the European and American methods published after 1920
indicate that saxophonists of this period were playing jazz and popular music.
With this new performance venue new techniques and specialized sounds, such as
vibrato, slap tongue, key clicks, and a wide range of other effects, which in
modern times are considered “contemporary” techniques, have their roots in the
halls and stages of vaudevillian productions. The use of altissimo and multiple
tonguing was first discussed by Sax and Kastner, but was of limited use until the
early twentieth century. There is little question that early jazz and popular music
influenced how the saxophone would be played in modern times.49
47
Carl Weber, The Premier Method for Saxophone (Philadelphia: J.W. Pepper Company, 1897), 7.
48
Hector Berlioz, “Instruments de musique: M. Ad. Sax,” Journal des Debats, 1842, translated by Fred Hemke.
49
Gail Levinsky, An analysis and comparison, 188-190.
22
So what role, if any, did vibrato play in nineteenth-century saxophone performance? The
early method books certainly provide no evidence that the technique was used. Levinsky's
assertion that it was introduced with the advent of jazz seems congruent with Marcel Mule's
contention that he introduced it to the orchestral saxophonist’s palette.50 Thus, the early
saxophone repertory would have been performed without a continuous vibrato to color the
sound.
Non-saxophone teaching methods considered
The performance traditions of vocalists and instrumentalists naturally influenced the
development of early saxophone pedagogy. The use of vibrato in performance has always been a
common sound-shaping factor for both these traditions. Several authors in the historical
performance practice field have considered this and found valuable insights based on their
research. However, the history of vibrato remains controversial in academia, leading to
publications like Judith Malafronte’s Vibrato Wars in Early Music America.51
Today, scholars generally accept that nineteenth-century orchestral musicians did not use
a continuous vibrato, but rather used vibrato as an ornament to the sound when appropriate to the
music. While the intention of this dissertation is not to explore the non-saxophone methodologies
of the nineteenth century, it is important to consider scholarship concerning general performance
practice issues regarding vibrato.
Judith Malafronte highlights the controversy regarding vibrato in the previously
mentioned article from Early Music America, “Vibrato Wars.” Malafronte refers to an article by
50
Claude Delangle, “Interview with the Legendary Marcel Mule on the History of Saxophone Vibrato,” The
Australian Clarinet and Saxophone Magazine. March (1998): 5-11.
51
Judith Malafronte, “Vibrato Wars,” Early Music America (Summer 2015)
23
Beverly Jerold asserting that early string players did not use continuous vibrato in the nineteenth
century, a view that was subsequently contested vehemently by various scholars. To support
Jerold’s view, Malafronte includes references to Bruce Haynes' book, The End of Early Music, in
which “continuous vibrato-where every note is evenly enriched with pitch and intensity
oscillation-is a 20th century phenomenon.”52 From an earlier publication, Malafronte notes the
following:
In his seminal 1963 The Interpretation of Early Music, Robert Donington

arbitrarily distinguishes between what he calls “tremolo”—defined as “a
fluctuation of intensity”—and “vibrato,” which he calls “a fluctuation of pitch.”
When the pitch fluctuation is a semitone apart, he dubs this a “trill,” and if larger
than a whole tone, he uses the word “tremolo” again, muddling the matter
entirely, as he muddles quotations from early authors about the trillo, finger
vibrato, the sting, and thrumming on plucked instruments.53
There are obviously different views regarding the use of vibrato in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries, mostly due to terminology not being standardized. Through it all, there
seems to be a consensus that vibrato was used more sparingly in the past, and gradually became
more intentional and integral to sound and less ornamental.
When considering the saxophone, one has to ask why the saxophone adopted continuous
vibrato when the clarinet never really seemed to. Considering that the instruments are so similar
in the way they produce sound, should this concept not be more alike in practice? Perhaps the
difference in the harmonic series (due to the shape of the bore) of each instrument makes the
sounds of the two so vastly different that continuous vibrato works on one and not the other.
52
Judith Malafronte, “Vibrato Wars,” Early Music America (Summer 2015), 31.
53
Judith Malafronte, “Vibrato Wars,” 32.
24
Early performers and their performance backgrounds
The key performers who were promoting Sax's publications will be discussed here,
including how they might have performed. Also, I will survey and analyze recordings that claim
to feature informed performance practice on the early saxophone. The early saxophone struggled
to find the place desired for it by Sax, partly due to the reality that the performers of the
instrument in orchestral contexts were other woodwind players who had to learn the new
instrument, therefore producing sub-standard performances quickly. Fred Hemke notes the
following, quoting Berlioz:
Mr. Sax has created another instrument, the saxophone, a delightful brass
instrument with a clarinet mouthpiece, which possesses a new timbre and lends
itself to the most delicate and vaporous effects of shading as well as the majestic
accents of religious style. Mr. Sax had made an entire family of saxophones and if
composers do not as yet appreciate the value of this new organ, which they owe to
the genius of the inventor, the inexperience of the performers can be the only
reason.54
Despite these problems, there is much evidence to suggest that early virtuosos were
indeed performing as soloists on Sax’s invention and succeeding in winning over audiences. Sax
knew that the reception of his new instrument depended mainly on its promotion by performers.
The first performer of his instrument was Sax himself, whose first noted performance was at the
Paris Conservatory in 1842.55 In 1847, Sax opened a 400-seat concert hall in the same building
as his workshop in order to promote his instruments to audiences.
Sax originally intended his instrument to be used in military bands and in the orchestra,
and to bridge the gap between woodwinds and brass in terms of finesse and power. However, the
inventor intentionally published early works specifically for solo saxophone with piano, or for
54
Fred Hemke, Early History, 177.
55
Thomas Liley, “Invention and Development,” The Cambridge Companion to the Saxophone (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1998),
25
saxophone within a chamber setting, to showcase the virtuosity and versatility of the instrument.
While Sax may have originally intended the instrument to be used in large ensembles, it was
being used more and more for soloistic purposes. The solo performances of the works Sax
published enabled the spreading of the instrument to countries outside of Europe.
An article from the Revue et Gazette Musicale (1852) mentions the ease that woodwind
players would have in learning the saxophone (eight days to familiarize oneself with it) due to its
similar fingering systems to the flute, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon.56 However, Berlioz had a
different view in the previously cited report written in 1851 while serving as a judge at the
London Exposition, noting that “the saxophone is a difficult instrument; the player can learn its
technique only after long and serious study, but it has, up to now, been only too imperfectly
played and too little practiced.”57
While Adolphe Sax found great success in promoting his saxophone through performers
who became influential in the adoption of the instrument, Sax himself was the first significant,
influential soloist and pedagogue of the saxophone. He was appointed as the first teacher of
saxophone at the Paris Conservatoire in 1857, providing evidence of the acceptance of the
instrument.58 There is remarkably little written about the repertoire Sax performed to
demonstrate his saxophone before this period, but it was at this time that Sax established his
publishing house, which actively commissioned composers to write solo pieces for the
instrument. These composers included friends and colleagues of Sax, including Jean-Baptiste
Singelée, Jules Demersseman, Jérôme Savari, and Joseph Arban.
56
Matthew Ferraro, The Missing Saxophone Uncovered (Youngtown State University: 2012), 32.
57
Fred Hemke, Early History, 177.
58
Paul Harvey, Saxophone (London: Kahn & Averill, 1995), 12
26
Jean-François Cokken (1801-1875) took up the saxophone as a second instrument but
was primarily a bassoonist, composer, and pedagogue. He studied bassoon with Thomas-Joseph
Delcambre (1762-1828) at the Paris Conservatoire. He was the first saxophone instructor at the
Gymnase Musical Militaire, being listed as such from 1846 until 1850, after which he was listed
as teaching bassoon (from 1852-1875).59
Henri Wuille (1822-1871) is known to have “...produced marvellous [sic] effects on the
saxophone and possess[ed] the true sound of that instrument, an advantage often denied to
clarinettists [sic].”60 The Belgian-born clarinetist studied with Valentin Bender (1801-1873), who
also taught Sax and was known as the “king of clarinettists [sic].”61 Wuille was hired by French
conductor Louis Antoine Jullien (1812-1860) from 1852 to 1856 to tour with his orchestra as
clarinetist and solo saxophonist.62 Following this period, Wuille was appointed to teach clarinet
and saxophone at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg.
Charles Jean-Baptiste Soualle (1824-1899), known more widely by saxophone historians
as Ali Ben Sou Alle, is a significant early performer whose profile is encompassed by mystery.
This mystery is related to his name and his having “adopted the orientalist stage persona of ‘Ali
Ben Sou Alle’, performing on a modified version of the saxophone which, in keeping with his
stage act, he renamed as a ‘turkophone’.”63 Stephen Cottrell points out that even though scholars
have referred to Soualle by Charles Valentin, Augustin Edouard, and Alexandre Soualle, his
identity is confirmed by his record of birth as Charles jeanbaptiste Soualle (Cottrell changed his
59
Matthew Ferraro, The Missing Saxophone Uncovered, 31.
60
Thomas Liley, “Invention and Development,” 13-14.
61
Géry Dumoulin, Valentin Bender’s Sax clarinet (Music Instruments Museum), http://www.mim.be/valentin-
bender%E2%80%99s-sax-clarinet. In 1833 Bender personally received a clarinet made by Charles Sax.
62
Ingham, The Cambridge Companion, 13.
63
Stephen Cottrell, “Charles Jean-Baptiste Soualle and the Saxophone,” Journal of the American Musical
Instrument Society (2018), Permalink: http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/19911/, 1.
27
middle name to a modern orthography).64 Soualle studied clarinet under Hyacinthe Klose at the
Paris Conservatoire, graduating with the first prize in 1844.65 He traveled internationally and
performed on various instruments, including the aforementioned modified version of Sax's.
Soualle patented his modification of the saxophone in 1860, with a revision in 1861, eliminating
the second octave key from Sax's design, thus making the instrument more comfortable to play.
This concept has been carried through in the modern design of the saxophone.
Edward A. Lefebre (c. 1834-1911) was another important saxophone soloist during Sax’s
lifetime. Originally a clarinetist, Lefebre became one of Sax’s fiercest promoters of the
saxophone worldwide. Lefebre’s path was similar to that of many other prominent soloists of the
time: he met Patrick Gilmore (1829-1892) in 1873 and was featured as part of the Twenty-
second Regiment Band that Gilmore directed as saxophone soloist. Lefebre went on to tour
Europe and America, and even introduced the saxophone to South Africa. (Gee: 14).
Jean Moeremans (c. 1866-1937) was a Belgian saxophonist who emigrated to Canada in
1892 with his wife, Marie, and was naturalized as a US citizen in 1900, according to federal
census records. Before he immigrated to Canada, Moeremans lived and worked in Belgium as a
saxophonist in the Belgian Guards Band at some point and was a recognized artist. Stephen
Cottrell also notes that Moeremans either worked or studied in Paris in the early 1890s.66 He may
have immigrated to the Americas for better employment opportunities, as is evidenced by his
recruitment to the famous Sousa Band. Moeremans was the soloist in the band who succeeded
Edward Lefebre. It is highly likely that Moeremans would have been immersed in the tradition of
performance practices of Europe.
64
Stephen Cottrell, “Charles Jean-Baptiste Soualle,” 25.
65
Stephen Cottrell, “Charles Jean-Baptiste Soualle,” 1.
66
Stephen Cottrell, The Saxophone, 160.
28
Moeremans has left one of the most valuable resources for saxophonists in his early
recordings on wax cylinders dating from 1897.67 As a national of Belgium, the same country as
the instrument's creator, and studying and working in Paris, where Sax spent most of his life and
established a saxophone culture in the Paris Conservatoire, Moeremans' recordings provide the
most accurate (albeit limited) glimpse into the performance practice of saxophonists of the latter
half of the nineteenth century.
Early recordings
The challenge in identifying nineteenth century performance practice styles rests largely
on the lack of recorded material during that period. Thomas Edison (1847-1931) invented the
phonograph in 1877, followed by the invention of the wax cylinder phonograph by Alexander
Graham Bell (1847-1922), Chichester Bell (1848-1924), and Charles Tainter (1854-1940) in
1886.
The first recordings of saxophonists appear in the 1890s. When considering these
recordings, it is essential to note the limitations of the technology at that time. Daniel Leech-
Wilkinson puts it succinctly when considering historical recordings in general:
Reading through this description, it’s not hard to see that some quite serious
compromises are made in order to produce sounds the machine is capable of
recording. Both what went in and what came out were far from representative of
ideal music-making at the time. Moreover, there were very significant distortions
in the recording and playback of the sound, as we shall see in a moment. Clearly,
if we are to use these recordings for study it is essential that we understand what
these compromises and distortions are, how they arise, how they affect what we
hear, and how we might be able to compensate for them.68
67
Some of these recordings are available for perusal on the Library of Congress website, www.loc.gov.
68
Daniel Leech-Wilkinson, The Changing Sound of Music: Approaches to Studying Recorded Musical
Performance. (London: CHARM, 2009,)
29
Analysis of the earliest recordings requires the listener to bear in mind that the speed at
which the cylinder was recorded needs to match the speed that it is played back in order to
maintain the accuracy of pitch. The faster the cylinder turns, the higher the pitch. Referring to
Adelina Patti’s famous early recordings, Leech-Wilkinson comments that “what you think she
sounded like depends on the speed at which you play her recordings.”69 He goes on to describe
how singers would have had to perform into the phonograph by over-emphasizing their
annunciation to be heard during playback. Also, the arrangements of ensembles were dependent
on the positioning of the phonograph and loudness of the instruments. The result may be less an
accurate representation of what live performance might have been like, and more what the
recording process was like. Still, insights can be gleaned from these early recordings.
The first person to record the saxophone as a solo instrument was Bessie Mecklem (1876-
1942), who released 12 Edison wax cylinders with piano accompaniment on April 23, 1892.70
Unfortunately, these recordings appear to no longer exist. Thus, I will examine the earliest
surviving recordings of classical saxophone, by Eugene Coffin (c. 1848-1907) and Jean
Moeremans (c. 1866-1937/871).
Columbia Phonograph Company used Edison cylinders, and Eugene Coffin (notable
tenor saxophonist so well-known that he was one of the performers for the inauguration of
President William McKinley in the 1980s) recorded on these discs for the “Creation of
Storyville” in 1896 (Sea Flower Polka).72 Coffin’s recording73 of “Sea Flower” Polka by T. H.
Rollinson, dating from 1896 is probably the earliest surviving recording by a solo saxophonist. In
69
Ibid.
70
Hoffmann, Frank, ed. Encyclopedia of recorded sound. Routledge, 2004.
71
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 1454; Volume #: Roll 1454 -
Certificates: 126500-126875, 06 Jan 1921-07 Jan 1921
72
See http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/t/w/tws4/TSMusic/index.html for early American recordings.
73
Cohen, Paul, Lois Anderson, and Daniel Gordon. 1993. Paul Cohen's vintage saxophone revisited. [Teaneck,
N.J.?]: Classax.
30
this recording, Coffin performs with piano accompaniment (his brother, Harry Coffin on piano.)
The piece was originally composed for solo cornet and marching band, and was transcribed for
tenor saxophone and piano. The recording opens with an announcer introducing the piece and
artists. The work opens with a short piano solo, followed by a brief saxophone cadenza
(performed in a rather rushed fashion, understandable due to the length of the cylinders.)
Throughout the recording Coffin plays with no vibrato. His use of continuous triple tonguing
emulated the sound of a cornet very well, and his execution was exceptional. Also, particularly
notable is how Coffin stays in front of the beat, pushing the tempo of the pianist forward. This
could be due to the rush when recording to wax cylinder, so should not necessarily be considered
a definitive practice of the time.
Also particularly interesting is the lightness that Coffin achieves in the recording, despite
performing on a tenor saxophone, which tends to sound clumsier on modern instruments with
works of this nature. In addition, the use of dynamics is not particularly prominent in this
recording (although this too could be attributed to the method of recording discussed before.) It
is interesting to note that as Coffin ascends to the upper register of the instrument, he seems to
get softer in dynamic level. This thinning out of the color towards the upper extremes is a trait I
noticed when producing the recordings accompanying this dissertation.
Jean Moeremans' recordings on wax cylinder are particularly informative to the listener.
The University of California Santa Barbara Wax Cylinder Library holds a few of these surviving
recordings.74 The most interesting recording is his rendition of “Carnival of Venice”75 by Julius
Benedict (1804-1885). Moeremans plays the alto saxophone in this recording. Like Coffin, he
74
https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/talent/detail/14689/Moeremans_Jean_instrumentalist_saxophone
75
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. “Berliner matrix 3900. Carnival of Venice / Jean
Moeremans,” accessed May 23, 2019, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000148880/3900-
Carnival_of_Venice.
31
does not use a continuous vibrato and he has a general tendency is to play on the front of the
beat, slightly ahead of the piano. Moeremans’ technical proficiency in this recording rivals that
of many modern saxophonists. It can also be observed that his upper register has a distinctly
different tone color from the lower register, which is far more full-bodied.
A 1904 recording76 of Moeremans performing “The Gypsy’s Serenade” with piano by an
unknown composer reveals the same sonic characteristics, marked by an avoidance of vibrato,
with the exception of the very end, where he produces a shallow vibrato on the last high note of
the work. Also, in this recording, Moeremans plays with considerable freedom in rhythm, more
noticeable due to the slower tempo of the composition.
Modern “historically informed” recordings
The work of Dutch saxophonist Arno Bornkamp in revisiting early repertoire for the
saxophone on period instruments has been recorded on compact disc and brings the practices I
consider here to listeners.77 To my knowledge, there is no other saxophone recording that
attempts to recreate nineteenth century performance practice techniques to this extent. Bornkamp
makes particular effort to play without any vibrato on period instruments, emulating a sound that
he believes is characteristic of the instrument in the nineteenth century.
When comparing to his signature sound to the sound he produces in this recording, the
listener can hear a marked difference in the way Bornkamp approaches this repertoire. Because
he is performing on period instruments, the lightness of color over the entire range can be
76
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. “Victor matrix B-1469. The Gypsy's serenade / Jean
Moeremans,” accessed May 23, 2019, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/200002624/B-1469-
The_Gypsys_serenade.
77
Bornkamp, Arno, Adolphe Sax revisited. The Hague: Ottavo Recordings, 2001).
32
observed. In addition, he takes considerable liberty with time, stretching phrases to emphasize
the straight tone of the instrument. The challenges associated with performing on a period
instrument can be heard in his recordings, particularly as they relate to the primitive technical
facilities on the instruments he uses.
Claude Delangle, celebrated French saxophonist, released a compact disc titled “Historic
Saxophone,” on which he records using many of the techniques that Bornkamp uses, but to a
more subtle degree, and on modern instruments.78 Delangle is rooted in the performance tradition
of Marcel Mule, who established the technique of using continuous vibrato as a quality of the
sound of the saxophone. For him to restrict his usage of the technique to the extent that he does
in this recording is a significant departure from his regular performance style. Vibrato is
certainly used in this recording, but it is limited when compared to Delangle’s typical style of
playing. There is no significant pattern that he applies when using vibrato, but intentionally omits
the technique on the first of a repeated long note on some occasions. This is arguably a more
modern approach to the utilization of vibrato.
Another 1998 compact disc, “The Sax Players,” is a collection of original nineteenth-
century repertoire performed on original Adolphe Sax instruments by various artists. In the
accompanying booklet to this recording, Christian Debecq notes that the original instruments
used, along with mouthpieces that closely matched the original mouthpieces, enabled the artists
to recreate a seemingly close representation of the sound of Sax's instruments. Interestingly,
Debecq also notes that they performed without vibrato, and with a double lip embouchure (a
technique that early clarinetists employed, which darkens the sound somewhat). He also notes
that the thinness of the brass used in the original instruments contributes to a more “‘felted’”
78
Delangle, Claude, Historic Saxophone. (Sweden: BIS, 2003), http://www.naxosmusiclibrary.com.
33
sound.79 This description is appropriate when considering the differences between modern and
period instruments, as can also be heard in the recordings accompanying this dissertation by the
author.
Debecq’s recording of Singelée’s “Fantaisie Pastorale Op. 56” for soprano saxophone
and piano is particularly interesting. The use of the double lip embouchure causes the sound of
the saxophone to be somewhat unfocused, especially in the upper register. It becomes clear why
Sax and others suggested a single-lip embouchure instead in order to focus the sound more. In
addition, the sound of the soprano saxophone is certainly less direct than a modern sound would
be, and the “felted” nature certainly adds much to the nature of the work. In fact, the omittance
of vibrato in the sound here is well suited when coupled with the darker and lighter sound of the
instrument. The recordings by Debecq and his colleagues provide the listener with a window into
early performances of the saxophone.
79
Christian Debecq, Program notes to A Tribute to Sax, Performed by Christian Debecq (Out There Music, 1998,)
CD. Accessed from https://outhere-music.com/en/albums/a-tribute-to-sax-ric-341/booklet.
34
Chapter 3
Early repertory for the saxophone
35 works published by Sax in the nineteenth century
Beginning in the 1850s, Sax established a publishing house in Paris (according to Bruce
Ronkin, this business was started in the late 1850s and lasted into the 1870s80) to help promote
his new instrument by producing a solo repertory for it. Sax issued at least thirty-five works for
saxophone with piano accompaniment. These pieces offer a revealing and underestimated
resource for performers today. As Sax was teaching the saxophone at the Paris Conservatoire,
and needing to provide adequate repertoire for its emblematic solos de concours competitions, he
established Chez Adolphe Sax to commission composers to write for his instrument. The
majority of these works were composed for the Paris Conservatoire’s solos de concours and
served as well to bring attention to Sax’s new instrument.
The seven composers who contributed to this body of works were Joseph Arban (1825-
1889), Friedrich Baumann (identity is unclear, according to Ronkin – pg. 30), Léon Chic (1819-
1916), Jules Demersseman (1833-1866), Hyacinthe Klosé (1808-1880), Jean-Nicholas Savari
(1786-185x81), and Jean Baptiste Singelée (1812-1875). Bruce Ronkin's exhaustive search for
original manuscripts of these 35 works for saxophone and piano led to the discovery that eleven
do not exist in their original form.82 The works of Baumann, for example, have not yet been
80
Bruce Ronkin, The Music for Saxophone and Piano, 8
81
According to Ronkin, Savari’s death date is obscured between various sources.
82
Three of these works have been found in their original form by the author, thanks to the assistance of the
Biblioteque de Nationale de Paris.
35
uncovered. Ronkin's dissertation contains biographical information about these composers and
their respective compositional styles.
Before the publication of these works, little is documented about what repertoire was
being performed when the instrument was being showcased at exhibitions and fairs. Sax himself
played his instruments to promote them and demonstrate their capabilities to composers and
audiences as early as 1839. Hector Berlioz, an avid supporter and promoter of the saxophone,
allowed Sax to use his Chant Sacre in an arrangement for an ensemble that included Sax’s
saxophone in 1844.83 This arrangement was sadly lost, or never written down for publication.
Using a similar analytic process adopted by Ronkin in his dissertation, the following
section deals with the three lesser known works in the repertory that were not dealt with in
Ronkin’s work, as they were previously unobtainable. It is particularly notable that the form used
in each of these compositions is theme and variations, used in different ways by each composer.
The use of this form is reminiscent of some of the clarinet compositions of Carl Maria von
Weber (1786-1826), whose use of it and other virtuoso variation forms proved popular well into
the nineteenth century. Weber applied his experience with opera to his writing for instruments
and his clarinet works in this genre were well-known. This link with the clarinet repertoire
heritage and the influence of opera certainly carried through to the saxophone, as shown in the
forthcoming analysis of three lesser-known works published by Sax. Thanks to the help of the
Biblioteque de Nationale de Paris, I have acquired scanned images of the original publications I
consider here.
83
Stephen Cottrell, The Saxophone, 104.
36
Three lesser-known works considered
Jules Demersseman’s “Premier Solo pour Saxophone Alto Mi♭”
Instrumentation: E-flat alto saxophone and piano
Written saxophone pitch range: c¹ - e³
Saxophone dynamic range: p - ff
Piano dynamic range: pp - ff
Premier Solo was sold through Sax’s publishing house in Paris in 1866. The listed price
for the work is 5 francs, and the publisher adds that it was performed at the Paris Conservatoire
competition in the same year. The dedication on the cover page is to a Monsieur Staps, the chief
of staff in the music division of the Guides Regiment in Belgium. No more biographical
information could be found.
The work is in theme and variations form, with an introduction played by saxophone and
piano. The work opens in common time with a solo piano allegro passage of 7 bars consisting of
a syncopated falling chromatic line in the right hand with a tremolo on what seems to be the
tonic in the left hand but ends up being the dominant chord of E-flat minor. Following this, an
andante section begins, comprising a recitative by the alto saxophone in the home key of E-flat
minor, including a piu vivo marking in the fourth bar of the section.
The next section is marked andantino and serves as the theme in E-flat major. This theme
comes after the relatively free introductory section described before. The section ends with a
short saxophone cadenza, after which both instruments conclude in the tonic (E-flat major) with
an arpeggiated cadence. The final section is a variation on the original theme, and is marked
37
allegretto piu vivo, now in compound time and in A-flat major, ending with a short presto
section reiterating the tonic and dominant chords to conclude with a strong cadence.
Interestingly, the composer chooses to write the opening with the same key signature as
the transposed saxophone part. Where necessary, the composer adds accidentals to fulfill the
correct key of E-flat minor. This only happens in the allegro opening and andante section.
Beginning with the andantino, the key signature is printed correctly for the remainder of the
work.
Demersseman’s expressive markings deserve particular attention due to the implications
they have on the sound. The first, Récit., is the first material played by the saxophone and is a
direct reference to the operatic vocal style. The lack of specific rhythmic material in the piano
accompaniment at this point and the tremolo between E-flat and G-flat under the saxophone part
indicate that the soloist is at liberty to take considerable time. In the second bar of the saxophone
part, the composer includes a crescendo to fz with a range from the lowest note in the work to the
penultimate highest. This extreme range and dynamic variation provide the performer with an
indication of the quality of the desired sound very early in the piece.
In the third bar of the andante section, in the saxophone part, the composer’s direction is
piu vivo, with rising staccato sixteenth notes followed by falling slurred eighth notes. Towards
the end of the andante section in the same part, Demersseman adds a descending chromatic
passage marked doucement (meaning gently or soft).
38
Figure 4: Opening of Demersseman’s Premier Solo for also saxophone and piano, saxophone part. The low B in the last bar of
the second staff should include a natural sign.
The andantino is interesting in terms of dynamic contrasts. The theme starts as a pickup
to the second bar in the saxophone part, and is marked piano, with crescendi and decrescendi
that follow the contour of the melodic line. There are several instances where abrupt forte
markings are found, indicating a desire from the composer to have these sections stand out
dramatically, as might occur in the operatic culture. In the tenth bar of this section, the composer
adds the expression passionato to an upper register passage in the saxophone part, which is
placed directly after a forte lower register figure (see illustration.) This register change is
significant, and naturally produces a different tonal color without much manipulation required of
the performer.
Figure 5: From Demersseman’s Premier Solo for alto saxophone and piano, saxophone part.
39
In the allegretto section, Demersseman includes hairpin-style crescendo and decrescendo
on the ascending melodic lines, adding to the lilting nature of the compound time signature. In
the Piu vivo section, the composer adds an alternative technical passage that is more challenging
to execute on a period instrument, due to the register change over the dual octave mechanism
switch. The ending is similarly challenging on a period saxophone, due to the changeover
between the octave keys in simple-looking scalic passages.
Figure 6: The finale of Demersseman’s Solo for alto saxophone and piano, saxophone part.
Hyacinthe Klosé’s “Solo pour Saxophone Alto mi♭”
Instrumentation: E-flat alto saxophone and piano
40
Written saxophone pitch range: c¹ - f³
Saxophone dynamic range: ppp - ff
Piano dynamic range: pp - ff
Dedicated to Adolphe Sax, Klosé’s friend (assumed based on the cover dedication), this
Solo was listed in the publisher’s catalog in 1858. The listed price for the publication is illegible
on the scanned image obtained by the author.
The work is composed in theme and variations form, with an extended introduction that
is much like many fantaisies that were typical of the time. Klosé opens with an andante section
played by the piano initially in the tonic key of E-flat major, and then taken over by the
saxophone with piano accompaniment in the same key. Following a brief A piacere cadenza by
the saxophone, the andante continues with both instruments playing.
Figure 7: Klose's Solo, opening, saxophone part
In bar 14, the tempo indication changes to largement, and the rhythmic subdivision in the
piano accompaniment becomes smaller (from eighths to sixteenths). Towards the end of this
section, the saxophone is given a cadenza once again, with a long fermata concluding it. What
follows is the andante section reprised with sixteenth notes in the piano accompaniment. The
41
next section starts with a change in time signature, from 6/8 to 2/4, and is an allegro. After this
section, Klosé introduces another Largement, this time in 2/4 but with triplet eighth notes,
reminiscent of the opening 6/8 feel. This feel changes when the piano takes over the melody
while the saxophone plays sixteenth notes described as Légèrement, bringing the listener back to
2/4. A reprise of the 2/4 feel melody in the saxophone part marked poco piu lento, and an
exciting finale marked piu animato closes the work.
The opening piano introduction sets the andante tempo, after which the solo saxophone
enters with a piano dynamic marking. In this opening, the saxophone part includes crescendi and
decrescendi that shape the phrase, whereas the piano part merely includes a piano marking with
accents where the phrase climaxes. Within four bars, the saxophone part becomes a cadenza,
with the expression marking a piacere. In addition, Klosé uses the rf instruction to reinforce the
climax of the phrase in the saxophone part, but not in the piano accompaniment. The composer
utilizes terraced dynamics in the opening, and in bar 14 the expression mark that accompanies a
forte dynamic in both instruments is Largement. When the theme is introduced in the 6/8 feel
again in bar 24, the expression is dolce, and the music proceeds in a similar fashion with
markings like rf and a piacere. In the 2/4 section, the saxophone interjects with a Lento marking,
followed by a series of fermatas in recitative style. The composer specifies that one phrase
should be played in this style by including the expression Récit. At the end of the work, the
saxophone part is marked piu animato, as the arpeggiated figures continue to intensify towards
the end.
The opening of the work is in E flat major and modulates to A flat major in the 2/4
allegro section. Both these keys are very comfortable on the saxophone (C and F major
respectively) and provide the performer with maximum control and apparent ease of key work.
42
However, on a period instrument several passages are challenging due to the dual octave
mechanism, making even the simplest arpeggiated figure a challenge to execute.
Jean-Baptiste Singelée’s “Fantaisie Pastorale pour le saxophone en si♭ ”
Instrumentation: B-flat saxophone and piano
Written saxophone pitch range: c¹ - e-flat³
Saxophone dynamic range: pp - f
Piano dynamic range: pp - f
Jean-Baptiste Singelée’s Fantaisie Pastorale was published in 1858 for General Émile
Mellinet (1798-1894) of the French army and was listed for 7.50 francs at the time of
publication.
The work is in a similar form to Klosé’s Solo, and is more explicitly labeled by the
composer as theme and variations. The introduction is an andantino and opens with an
arpeggiated piano figure, followed by a similar figure in the saxophone part in 9/8, consistent
with a traditional pastorale, referring to something of a pastoral nature. When the solo section
starts, the saxophone part is marked dolce. Interestingly, Singelée indicates echoes many times in
the saxophone part, even though the dynamic indications suggest it.
43
Figure 8: Singelée’s Fantaisie Pastorale, saxophone part.
Next, the allegro section starts in common time. This section is short and ends with a
cadenza in the saxophone part, marked a piacere in the piano part. When the theme is introduced
next, the time signature changes to ¾ and the tempo parking is allegretto. The saxophone part is
marked dolce. Next, the first variation is presented in triple time, with the saxophone part marked
espressivo. The next section is marked Andante, with dolce in the saxophone part again. After a
cadenza section, the next sections starts with an Allegretto in 2/4 time. In the last section of the
work, the indication in the saxophone part is loure, a French Baroque gigue. In the finale section,
the composer includes a challenging technical passage for the saxophonist to execute, which is
essentially a variation on the simple theme, but using complex register changes that require
considerable skill from the performer.
44
Figure 9: The finale section of Singelée’s Fantaisie Pastorale, saxophone part.
The tonality of the piece starts in B-flat major and remains in this key until the andante
section, where the composer modulates to A-flat major. When the allegretto section starts, the
composer returns to the home key of B-flat major through the end of the piece.
My recorded performance: A blend of old and new
My desire to make an historically informed recording of the repertory in question started
with my recording selected works on a modern instrument with piano. The challenges associated
45
with this project really began when I first played on an original Adolphe Sax alto saxophone
from 1867, which I obtained on loan from Nick Rail,84 who keeps the instrument in his private
collection.
My first challenge was ergonomic. Sax designed the crook of the instrument with a
greater angle from the body than a modern instrument, which means the neck strap needs to be
shorter, and the angle of playing is greater than on a modern instrument. It also means that the
arms need to be positioned higher, resulting in a less-than-desirable posture.
Once the performer overcomes this obstacle, the next challenge involves the keys.
The earliest saxophones made by Sax include two octave keys, as opposed to modern
instruments that have only one key to operate both octave vent mechanisms. In practice, the
saxophonist is required to apply the first octave key when changing register from C#2 to D2, and
then change the application to the second octave key when changing from G#2 to A2. The latter
changeover is the more problematic one, as even the most straightforward scalar passage can be
challenging for the performer to execute. Rail writes the following in observation of his own
1867 Adolphe Sax saxophone:
The range on this alto just extends down to low B (standard for the day and hence
the short bell), but does go all the way up to high F. Key pearls weren’t in use yet,
nor were rollers on the low Eb, C and bell keys. There was no side F#, bis, or
front F key; no articulated G# or one-and-one Bb. The automatic octave was quite
a few years away: the double key system had a spatula to the left to open the
octave vent in the body for fourth line D through G# and one to the right to open
the octave vent on the neck for A through high F.85
84
Nick Rail lives in Santa Barbara and is president of Nick Rail Music. Mr. Rail has a private collection of
instruments that includes an 1867 Adolphe Sax alto saxophone.
85
Nick Rail, “Adolphe Sax Alto Saxophone” nickrailmusic.com. https://www.nickrailmusic.com/t-adolphesax.aspx
(accessed May 22, 2019).
46
Aside from the keywork, the material used to make the instrument is undoubtedly lighter
in weight than a modern instrument. As noted by Debecq, the brass used in Sax's day was thinner
than modern instruments' materials, resulting in different sound quality (darker and more
intimate) than modern instruments.86 The instrument I had access to had pads dating to the
1920s, which closely replicated the pads used in Sax’s original design. As a result of these older
pads, the keys required more forceful depression in order to sufficiently perform on the
instrument. Despite these factors, my work with the instrument revealed valuable insights for me
as I compared it with my modern instrument. As a result, I have recorded selected repertoire on
the instrument to accompany this dissertation. To compare, I have recorded the same repertoire
on a modern instrument with piano.
86
Christian Debecq, Program notes to A Tribute to Sax, CD.
47
Conclusion
The incompletely known history of the saxophone has led to a lack of appreciation of its
early repertoire, and the neglect of early sound concepts that were appealing (and still are) to
audiences. Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone to provide a new palette of sounds in the
orchestral and military band world. This palette combined the power of brass with the finesse
and agility of woodwinds. In terms of its sonic capability, it became arguably the most versatile
instrument in the woodwind and brass families.
Although mechanical advancements have been made since the 1846 patent filed by Sax,
the essence of the instrument has not changed as it relates to sound production. The instrument
that Berlioz fell in love with held the same sonic characteristics, despite the more primitive
keywork that made the instrument more challenging to master. Early pedagogues and performers
were excelling in mastering the instrument, as evidenced by the numerous virtuosos who excited
audiences worldwide. While we are able to hear only a few of these influential soloists through
early recordings, the performance traditions set by them and their predecessors are reaffirmed by
their successors who have studied their contributions.
The history of woodwind vibrato, let alone saxophone vibrato, is rarely explored, and is
still a controversial source of contention among scholars. This is particularly the case with
modern concert saxophonists, who default to the assumption that nineteenth-century works for
saxophone ought to be performed using modern vibrato. Modern concert saxophonists rarely
explore the sonic possibility of playing without vibrato, as evidenced by modern recordings of
notable artists who have canonized the regular use of vibrato in nineteenth-century music as an
expressive tool to supplement the timbre of the saxophone. Arno Bornkamp is the exception,
48
along with a few other artists like Claude Delangle and Christian Debecq. Bornkamp’s
historically informed performance disc of the nineteenth and early twentieth-century concert
music for the saxophone may prove to be a turning point in the way vibrato is used or omitted
with this repertoire.
While the repertoire published by Sax does not explicitly provide instruction about sound
production methods, the study of its musical content illuminates the expectations of the
composers, based on what their imagined sound profile was. The modern saxophonist can benefit
from the knowledge that vibrato was an ornamental addition to the sound and not a continuous
characteristic. Also, in terms of the sound of the nineteenth-century saxophone, much can be
learned by playing on period instruments. Albeit challenging to emulate on modern instruments,
the color palette these period instruments produces provides valuable information when
performing the repertoire published by Sax. By learning more about the history of the early
saxophone, and particularly about the way in which performers produced sound, the repertoire of
the early saxophone can be performed to its fullest potential.
In conclusion, early saxophonists performed with a darker, smaller, lighter sound, as a
result of the design of early instruments. The fundamental technique of the instrument did not
include continuous vibrato, and performers produced sound in the same manner as modern
performers, in terms of embouchure, breathing and articulation.
49
Appendix 1 – List of works published by Sax for saxophone and piano accompaniment
The table below lists all known works published for saxophone and piano accompaniment by
Chez Adolphe Sax. Compiled from Bruce Ronkin’s dissertation, The Music For Saxophone And
Piano Published By Adolphe Sax, and updated based on new information obtained by the author.
Composer Title and Instrumentation Year Dedication
Joseph Arban Caprice et variations (Asx/Pno) 1861 Adolphe Sax
Friedrich Baumann Fantaisie (Asx/Pno)
2e solo (Asx/Pno)
Léon Chic Solo sur la Tyrolienne (Asx/Pno) c. 1850 Adolphe Sax
Jules Demersseman Premier solo (Bsx/Pno) 1866 Joseph Xavier,

Victor Bosch
Premier solo andante et bolero (Tsx/Pno) 1866 Ch. Panne
Premier Solo (Asx/Pno) 1866 Monsieux Staps
Hyacinthe Klosé Solo (Eb Sx/Pno) 1858 A son ami Ad.

Sax
Jean-Nicholas Savari Fantaisie sur des motifs du Freyschutz 1855 A. Auroux

(Asx/Pno)
1re fantaisie (Asx/Pno)
2e fantaisie sur un theme original 1861 le Colonel Pinard

(Asx/Pno)
3e fantaisie sur un theme original (Ssx/Pno 1862 J. B. Singelée
50
Jean-Baptiste Singelée Fantaisie sur La Somnambule, Op. 49 (Bb
Sx/Pno)
Fantaisie, Op. 50 (Bb Sx/Pno) 1858 le Général Fleury
Fantaisie sur un theme Suisse, Op. 51 (Eb

Sx/Pno)
Duo concertante, Op. 55 (Ssx/Asx/Pno) 1861 Georges Kastner
Fantaisie pastorale, Op. 56 (Bb Sx/Pno) 1858 Le General

Mellinet
Concerto, Op. 57 (Bb Sx/Pno) 1859 le Général, Comte

de Rumigny
Fantaisie, Op. 60 (Bsx/Pno) 1859 La Marquise de

Contades
Adagio et rondo, Op. 63 (Tsx/Pno) 1861 Boquillon
Souvenir de la Savoie, Op. 73 (Ssx/Pno) 1861 Ernest Mareuse
Solo de concert, Op. 74 (Asx/Pno) 1861 H. Litolff
Fantaisie brillante, Op. 75 (Tsx/Pno) 1861 Jacques Mathieu
Solo de concert, Op. 77 (Bsx/Pno) 1861 Sax Père
Concertino, Op. 78 (Asx/Pno) 1861 Jules Demeur
Caprice, Op. 80 (Ssx/Pno) 1862 Elwart
3e solo de concert, Op. 83 (Bsx/Pno) 1862 Edouard Monnais
4e solo de concert, Op. 84 (Bsx/Pno) 1862 Savari
Fantaisie brillante sue un theme original, 1862 Limnander de

Op. 86 (Asx/Pno) Nieuwenhove
51
Jean-Baptiste Singelée Fantaisie, Op. 89 (Ssx/Pno) 1864 Colblain
5e solo de concert, Op. 91 (Asx/Pno) 1864 Sellenik
6e solo de concert, Op. 92 (Tsx/Pno) 1864 H. Klosé
7e solo de concert, Op. 93 (Bsx/Pno) 1864 Charles Sax, Fils
8e solo de concert, Op. 99 (Bsx/Pno)
9e solo de concert, Op. 100 (Tsx/Pno)
Fantaisie, Op. 101 (Tsx/Pno)
Fantaisie, Op. 102 (Ssx/Pno) 1865 Paulus
52
Appendix 2: The handwritten pages of Adolphe Sax’s patent of 1846
53
54
55
56
Appendix 3: Cover - J. B. Singelée’s Fantaisie Pastorale for soprano saxophone and piano
57
Appendix 4: Cover - Jules Demersseman’s Premier Solo for alto saxophone and piano
58
Appendix 5: Cover – Klose’s Solo for alto saxophone and piano
59
Appendix 6: Details about the accompanying recordings
Audio 1: Recording of Demersseman’s Fantaisie on 1867 Adolphe Sax saxophone.
Audio 2: Recording of Demersseman’s Fantaisie on 2014 Selmer Paris saxophone.
Audio 3: Recording of Savari’s 2ème Fantaisie on 1867 Adolphe Sax saxophone.
Audio 4: Recording of Savari’s 2ème Fantaisie on 2014 Selmer Paris saxophone.
This dissertation is accompanied by four audio files (a period and a modern recording of
2 works.) Fantaisie pour Saxophone en mi bémol by Jules Demersseman was not published by
Chez Adolphe Sax but by S. Richault in Paris. 2ème Fantaisie Sur Un Theme Original by Jean-
Baptiste Savari was published in the Chez Adolphe Sax catalogue. Both works were first
recorded on February 26th, 2019 in the Mo Ostin Recording Studio at the UCLA Herb Alpert
School of Music in isolated booths on a 2014 Henri Selmer Paris Serie III alto saxophone. The
pianist in the recording is Ms. Irina Bazik.
Due to the limited access to the original Adolphe Sax instrument used for the period
recording, a separate recording was made on May 11th, 2019 at Nick Rail Music in Agoura Hills,
CA, and mixed with the isolated piano recording from February 26th, 2019. The saxophone used
in the final recording in Agoura Hills is from Nick Rail’s private collection. This instrument was
manufactured in 1867 and bears the serial number 30133. The original mouthpiece has not been
retained; therefore, I used a modern Henri Selmer Concept mouthpiece with Henri Selmer Paris
reeds. The seal on the neck of the instrument was not re-corked, and therefore the mouthpiece
position could not be maintained, resulting in intonation difficulties that are apparent in the
accompanying recordings. In addition, Rail has maintained the character of the instrument to the
60
extent that the pads have not been replaced since the 1920s, making some lower notes
challenging to produce, also apparent in the recordings. Despite the limitations, these recordings
provide a valuable sonic representation of the sound of the early saxophone.
61
Appendix 7: Performer’s log based on my experience with the period instrument
My first encounter with Mr. Rail’s 1867 Adolphe Sax saxophone was encouraging, but
challenging in a number of ways from a technical standpoint. The differences between playing a
modern and a period instrument are considerable, and after my experience, I would think that a
modern performer would require several hours with the period instrument in order to master it. I
do not believe performers during Sax’s time would have struggled as much as I did, because it
was all that they knew.
My first visit with the period instrument was on February 1, 2019, in Agoura Hills, CA.
At that stage, I was not aiming to work on the repertoire related to my study, but rather intended
to get a feel for the instrument. The posture was a challenge, as my modern neck strap was too
long for the angle of the saxophone’s crook. Due to this greater angle, the instrument itself needs
to be held higher up than a modern instrument would. Initially, I tried the saxophone with my
modern mouthpiece and reed and got favorable results, but struggled with intonation and note
production in the lower extremes of the instrument. Having read up on the dual octave
mechanism, I knew how to change my finger technique appropriately to overcome this
challenge, but did not anticipate the distance between the two keys. My left thumb had to move
considerably more than I had hoped in order to change notes between registers. I also tried a
vintage mouthpiece that was clearly a significant challenge when compared to my modern
mouthpiece.
With each subsequent visit the technical challenges of playing the instrument decreased. I
started recording sections of repertoire from my study in two subsequent visits with the
instrument on April 18, 2019, and May 11, 2019. In the April session, I stuck to the vintage
62
mouthpiece and was able to get excerpts recorded, but struggled considerably with sound
production and intonation. This was due to the cork on the crook not being preserved well.
(Understandably, it had not being replaced by the owner so as to preserve the historical integrity
of the instrument.) As a result, the mouthpiece was pushed on too far, resulting in an inadequate
recording (intonation was too problematic) when paired with the pre-recorded piano
accompaniment. In the last visit, I used my modern mouthpiece and a make-shift appendage to
the crook in order to keep the mouthpiece from pushing on too far, thus keeping a lower pitch to
match the pre-recorded piano’s pitch. This visit proved to be far more productive, enabling me to
record substantial portions of selected repertoire. The challenges associated with older pads and
leaking lower notes were still present, so I had to manipulate the sound somewhat in order to
produce lower notes.
Other interesting discoveries I made were related to the keywork and its implications for
phrasing. As a result of the time it took to change notes, certain passages required changes in the
way I executed phrases. These limitations were mostly due to the dual octave mechanism
between G-sharp and A above the staff. Also, having only one option for playing a B-flat instead
of multiple as on modern instruments meant that I had to change the way I executed some
phrases (the side B-flat key is the only way to produce the note on period instruments.) The
recordings that accompany this dissertation represent the summary of my experiences learning to
play this interesting instrument, and are by no means polished performances. I believe that with
sufficient time on a period instrument, modern performers could successfully perform the
repertoire related to this study (and earlier transcriptions) on a nineteenth-century saxophone.
63
Bibliography
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Coates, E. Saxo-rhapsody : for alto saxophone & piano. New York: Chappell, 1936.
Debussy, C. Rapsodie for saxophone and orchestra. Paris: Durand, 1919 (composed 1903).
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A “Revolution in the Making”: Rediscovering the Historical Sonic Production

of the Early Saxophone

A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the

requirements for the degree Doctor of Musical Arts

Matthew Guy Lombard

Matthew Guy Lombard

A “Revolution in the Making”: Rediscovering the Historical Sonic Production

of the Early Saxophone

Matthew Guy Lombard

Doctor of Musical Arts

University of California, Los Angeles, 2019

Professor Neal H. Stulberg, Co-Chair

Professor Douglas H. Masek, Co-Chair

that helped to build the popularity of the instrument.

Neal H. Stulberg, Committee Co-Chair

Douglas H. Masek, Committee Co-Chair

University of California, Los Angeles

This dissertation is dedicated to my wife, Nicole, and my three children, Hannah,

performance activities, and continue to do so lovingly and sacrificially.

- Background and goals 1

Chapter 1: Sax’s early instruments: design and sonic considerations 7

- An ambitious inventor, and an enthusiastic supporter 7

- First design and materials used 11

- Mouthpiece and reed design 14

Chapter 2: The establishment of early saxophone pedagogy 18

- Early method books for the saxophone 18

- Non-saxophone teaching methods considered 23

- Early performers and their performance backgrounds 25

- Modern “historically informed” recordings 32

Chapter 3: Early repertory for the saxophone 35

- 35 works published by Sax in the nineteenth century 35

- Three lesser-known works considered 37

- My recorded performance: A blend of old and new 45

Appendix 2: The handwritten pages of Adolphe Sax’s patent of 1846 53

Appendix 3: Cover - J. B. Singelée’s Fantaisie Pastorale for

soprano saxophone and piano. 57

Appendix 5: Cover – Klose’s Solo for alto saxophone and piano. 59

Appendix 6: Details about the accompanying recordings. 60

Appendix 7: Performer’s log based on my experience with the period instrument. 62

Debats, published June 12, 1842.

Figure 7: Klose’s Solo, opening, saxophone part.

Figure 8: Singelée’s Fantaisie Pastorale, saxophone part.

Figure 9: The finale section of Singelée’s Fantaisie Pastorale, saxophone part.

their feedback on my research and writing.

2009 Bachelor of Music

2011 Scholarship winner

2012 Bursary recipient

2013 Master of Music

2016 All-Star soloist

2016-2017 Scholarship recipient

2017-2018 Scholarship recipient

2018-2019 Teaching associate

2016-2019 Fellowship recipient

2016-2019 Scholarship recipient

2016-2019 Scholarship recipient

Background and goals