Brass Saxophone English
Orchestral Saxophone English
Saxophon German?
Saxophone English

The best imitation of the orchestral Saxophone has been achieved by Haskell using labial (flue) pipes; labial Saxophones are described under Cor Glorieux. Reed saxophone stops are large-scale Clarinets, found at 16' or 8' pitch; most sources describe them as being rather less than completely successful. Free reeds have also been used; see Contra Saxophone. Regarding the Brass Saxophone, Strony writes:

This is one of the most sought after voices in modern day theatre organs. Original Brass Saxophone pipes are made of spun brass, and look like small brass trumpets. Unfortunately, many examples did indeed sound like small trumpets.
Maclean describes Wurlitzer's brass Saxophone as having half-length resonators, and a “somewhat raucous” tone “bearing but little resemblance to that of the actual band instrument”. He also describes another interesting example:
There is an interesting reed Saxophone by Anton Gottfried in the C.B.C. studio organ, Toronto [Ontario, Canada]. The resonators are mainly cylindrical, with a narrow, flared bell at the top. The same builder also experimented with the productionof Oboe and Saxophone tones from what he called “Flat-Front” open metal pipes, in which about one third of the circumference was flat, and parallel to the mouth.
Other attempts to imitate the saxophone have employed compound stops. Bonavia-Hunt says “it is perhaps best imitated on the organ by using a fairly powerful clarinet and violoncello.” Audsley suggests combining the Corno di Bassetto and Viol.

Variants

Contra Saxophone
Solo Saxophone
Major Saxophone

Examples

Of the two dozen examples in Osiris, nine are from Wurlitzer theatre organs.

Saxaphone [sic] 4', choir; St John the Evangelist RC Church, Schenectady, New York, USA; Hutchings-Votey 1904. This is the earliest known example of a reed Saxophone.

Orch. Saxophone 8', Great-Solo; Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA; Midmer-Losh. (The same division also contains an independent Saxophone 8'.)

Saxophone 8', Choir; Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City, New York, USA; Skinner 1910.

Saxophone 8', Gallery Ethereal; First Congregational Church, Los Angeles, California, USA; Skinner, Schlicker, David 1932-1995.

Saxophon 8', Evangelienorgel; Cathedral, Passau, Bavaria, Germany; Steinmeyer 1924.

Saxophon 8', Hornwerk; Saxophon 4, Schwellwerk; Luitpoldhalle, Nürnberg, Germany; Walcker 1936 (destroyed).

Saxophone 16', 8', Choir; Saxophone 8', Orchestral; John Wanamaker Store, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Saxophone 8'; Paramount Theater (now Long Island University), Brooklyn, New York, USA; Wurlitzer 1928.

Brass Saxophone; Emery Theatre, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Wurlitzer.

Brass Saxophone 8'; Fisher Theatre, Detroit, Michigan, USA; Wurlitzer 1928.

Brass Saxophone 8'; Regent Theatre, Melbourne, Austrialia; Wurlitzer 1921. Originally installed in the Granada Theatre, San Francisco, California, USA

Sound Clips

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Bibliography

Audsley[1]: Physharmonika; Saxophone. Audsley[2]: II.XXXVIII Saxophone. Bonavia-Hunt[1]: Saxophone. Irwin[1]: Saxophone. Maclean[1]: Saxophone. Skinner[1]: XII Saxophone. Strony[1]: Brass Saxophone. Sumner[1]: Saxophone. Wedgwood[1]: Saxophone.
 
Copyright © 1999 Edward L. Stauff, all rights reserved.
Saxophone.html - Last updated 14 December 2001.
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