Klarinet Archive - Posting 000024.txt from 2002/09

From: "Tim Roberts" <timr@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Re: Paris!
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 12:37:37 -0400

On Tue, 3 Sep 2002 11:08:47 -0500, "Lacy Schroeder" <LacyS@-----.org> wrote:
>
>At my alma mater, they have in their instrument collection called a
>"sarrusophone." It's really bizarre looking, it has keywork like a huge
>saxophone and is made out of brass, but it's shaped somewhat like a
>contrabassoon and has a bocal and double reed. I was told that Sousa
>invented it for his band, the specifics of why he did I have no idea.
>Maybe someone else

The sarrusophone was "invented" by a Mr. Sarrus (hence the name), whose first
name has apparently been lost. It was created to provide a marching
replacement for the oboes and bassoons, whose tone is too delicate for such
use. The sarrusophone's tone is the diametric opposite of "delicate"...

It was patented in 1856, while John Philip Sousa was a toddler.

The fingering and keywork are almost exactly like a saxophone, a fact which did
not escape the notice of Mr. Sax. He sued Sarrus, but lost in court.

Sarrus originally envisioned a complete line of horns including 9 instruments,
from contrabass through sopranino.

The original sarrusophones used a double reed, but many companies (including
Conn) produced an adapter for a soprano sax mouthpiece that worked just as
well.

--
- Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

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