Klarinet Archive - Posting 000256.txt from 1998/09

From: Grant Green <gdgreen@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] C-straight soprano sax
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 14:12:53 -0400

At 08:45 PM 9/7/98 -0400, you wrote:
>At 01:02 PM 9/7/98 -0500, Ed Lacy wrote:
>>I read this question on the sax list, but did not reply because I found
>>something about the question to be confusing. Is it a C melody sax or a C
>>soprano sax? The one I have always heard referred to as a C melody sax is
>>pitched a major second higher than the tenor sax. On the other hand, if
>>it is a soprano in C, it will be pitched a major second higher than the
>>standard soprano in Bb. I suppose it must be a soprano, because it would
>>be impractical if not impossible to build a straight C melody sax. I have
>>heard of a straight alto in Eb, but have never seen one. The largest
>>straight sax I have personally seen is an alto in F, and even that was
>>pretty hard to manage from the standpoint of the weight of the instrument.
>>
>L.A. Sax currently makes both straight altos AND straight TENORS! Buescher
>also used to make them back in the 1920's. I've seen pictures. WHY they
>did it is another matter entirely. I can't imagine how they could be at
>all practical.

They're much more practical than the straight bari ;-). Seriously, there
was a (one) straight bari made once, for a novelty number. As for the
length, it should be about the same length as a heckelphone or bass oboe:
they all have about the same range. I haven't heard the straight altos and
tenors, but I suspect they have a slightly different timbre as compared
with the normal curved varieties. There is a noticeable difference in
timbre on my Bb soprano sax depending on whether I use the straight neck or
the slightly curved neck.

The soprano in C hasn't been made for years, but was originally intended by
A. Sax as one of the "orchestral" saxophones (along with the F sopranino, F
alto, C tenor, etc.). I think Ravel's Bolero actually calls for F
sopranino, C soprano, and C tenor saxes (although these days the parts are
all played on the modern Eb and Bb counterparts).

Grant

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Grant D. Green gdgreen@-----.com
www.contrabass.com Just filling in on sarrusophone
Contrabass email list: list@-----.com
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