Adolphe Sax alto c. 1860

Playing my newly acquired Adolphe Sax alto saxophone (c. 1860) with an original (cloned) mouthpiece is nothing short of thrilling. It is a revelation of sound and historical insight that brings into sharp focus the world of Adolphe Sax and his intention with the invention of the saxophone. This alto has a range from low B to high F, and of course is awkward to play compared to our ergonomically friendly modern saxes. There are very few keys (no bis Bb!) and a double octave key, (the second octave key depressed for notes A and above) which takes more than a week of playing to consistently control. (read: nightmare!)
As you heard with the Adolphe Sax baritone demonstration a few weeks ago, the tone is very different from what we hear today. It’s singing, delicate, transparent sound relates well to the orchestral wind playing of the mid 19th century and clarifies the intent of many of the early orchestra and operatic saxophone parts. There is much to be learned (and applied) with our modern instruments and setups to achieve this level of orchestral and stylistic parity, nuance and grace.
Of course, the mouthpiece has a tremendous impact on the tonal quality. The instrument came with a state-of -the-art clone of an original Adolphe Sax mouthpiece from the same period as the instrument (c. 1860). In a project spearheaded by Dr. Robert Howe and originating at the University of Connecticut, the original mouthpiece was scanned using micro computed tomography (Micro-CT), a process used in the medical field. The detail of this advanced technology extends down to the micron, allowing complete accuracy in the measurement of all dimensions. Once the digital image of the original mouthpiece was completed, a stereolithography file was created to allow 3-D CAD [Computer Aided Design] modeling. It was printed on a 3-D printer.
In this brief video, I’m showing details of the saxophone, plus views of the mouthpiece. The sound that you hear is a symbiotic relationship between both mouthpiece and saxophone.
The first excerpt is a semi improvisation demonstrating the range, from low C to high F.
The second excerpt is one of the saxophone solos from Bizet’s “L’Arlesienne Suite” from 1872, close to the era of this saxophone, and consistent with what composers knew of the saxophone sound.

[@neonx6568]

Will these replica mouthpieces ever be sold?

[@SkylerinAmarillo]

Wow, that was quite a surprise. I expected terrible intonation. On reflection, I shouldn’t have. Thanks for sharing this with the world.

[@paulcohen2556]

The design of these early saxes are impeccable, even if the manufacturing seems antiquated. With the instrument properly regulated, appropriate mouthpiece used, and players who understand tone production, these horns can tune to professional standards.