Mezzo-soprano saxophone

Mezzo-soprano saxophone

Mezzo-soprano (left) and alto (right) saxophones.
Classification	Wind Woodwind Aerophone
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	422.212-71 (Single-reeded aerophone with keys)
Inventor(s)	Adolphe Sax
Developed	28th June 1846[1]
Playing range
In F: sounds a perfect fifth lower than written. Sounding:
Related instruments
Military band family: Sopranino saxophone Soprano saxophone Alto saxophone Tenor saxophone Baritone saxophone Bass saxophone Contrabass saxophone Subcontrabass saxophone Orchestral family: C soprano saxophone Mezzo-soprano saxophone C melody saxophone Other saxophones: Sopranissimo saxophone ('Soprillo') Tubax
Musicians
List of saxophonists
More articles
Saxophone

The mezzo-soprano saxophone, sometimes called the F alto saxophone, is an instrument in the saxophone family. It is in the key of F, pitched a whole step above the alto saxophone. Its size and the sound are similar to the E♭ alto, although the upper register sounds more like a B♭ soprano. Very few mezzo-sopranos exist — they were only produced in 1928 and 1929 by the C. G. Conn company. They were not popular and did not sell widely, as their production coincided with the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression. Harsh economic conditions forced Conn to reduce the range of saxophones they produced to the most popular models.

Conn used the surplus stock of mezzo-sopranos to teach instrument repair in Conn's Elkhart workshops. Typically, a Conn instructor would deliberately damage the mezzo-sopranos (e.g. dropping them onto a concrete floor) and the students would then be tasked with repairing them. The repeated wear and tear of these actions eventually destroyed the saxophones.

The mezzo-soprano is the only saxophone pitched in F, apart from a few prototypes of an F baritone saxophone. Although Maurice Ravel's 1928 orchestral work Boléro calls for a sopranino saxophone in F, it is unlikely that such an instrument ever existed.

Notable players of the mezzo-soprano saxophone include Anthony Braxton, James Carter, and Jay Easton.

In classical music

It was asked for by Richard Strauss in his Sinfonia Domestica written in 1903-1904, where included in the music are parts for four saxophones including an alto saxophone in F.

References

1. ^ "June 28, 1846: Parisian Inventor Patents Saxophone". Wired.com. http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/06/0628saxophone-patent. Retrieved 14 February 2011. 

External links

• Jay C. Easton - modern & unusual woodwinds Jay Easton's alto and mezzo-soprano page, with photographs and sound clips.

This article relating to woodwind instruments is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Saxophones F instruments Woodwind instrument stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую Notre Dame College (New Hampshire) Michel Bergeron Trophy Look at other dictionaries: Saxophone mezzo-soprano — Comme le saxophone ténor en ut (ou C melody), le saxophone mezzo soprano ou alto en fa avait été conçu par Adolphe Sax pour faire partie des orchestres symphoniques, alors que la famille . Sax a d ailleurs lui même construit un certain nombre de… …   Wikipédia en Français Soprano saxophone — Infobox Instrument color1=#FFD700 color2=#FFEC8B name=Soprano saxophone image capt= classification= *Wind *Woodwind *Aerophone range= related=Military band family: *Sopranino saxophone *Soprano saxophone *Alto saxophone *Tenor saxophone *Baritone …   Wikipedia Saxophone — An alto saxophone in E♭ Classification Wind Woodwind Aerophone Hornbostel–Sachs classification …   Wikipedia SOPRANO — SOPRA Terme musical qui désigne la voix aiguë chantée par les femmes et les enfants ou bien la partie supérieure d’une composition instrumentale (ainsi, les violons ou les flûtes sonnent souvent au soprano). Suivant le caractère, on distingue, eu …   Encyclopédie Universelle Soprano lyrique léger — Soprano Pour les articles homonymes, voir Soprano (homonymie). Dans la musique occidentale, au sein de la classique, le terme soprano désigne avant tout le pupitre …   Wikipédia en Français Saxophone — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Saxophone (homonymie). Saxophone un saxophone alto moderne …   Wikipédia en Français Soprano — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Soprano (homonymie). Dans la musique occidentale, au sein de la classique, le terme soprano désigne avant tout le pupitre dont la tessiture …   Wikipédia en Français Soprano — This article is about the voice type. For other uses, see Soprano (disambiguation). Voice type Female voices Soprano Mezzo soprano Contralto Male voices Countertenor Tenor Baritone Bass A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range (using… …   Wikipedia soprano — /seuh pran oh, prah noh/, n., pl. sopranos, adj. Music. n. 1. the uppermost part or voice. 2. the highest singing voice in women and boys. 3. a part for such a voice. 4. a singer with such a voice. adj. 5. of or pertaining to a soprano; having… …   Universalium Contrabass saxophone — Anthony Braxton performing on a contrabass saxophone. Classification Wind Woodwind Aerophone Hornbostel–Sachs classification …   Wikipedia 18+ © Academic, 2000-2025 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”