This is a small-pipe EEb Contrabass Sarrusophone.

The contrabass sarrusophone was the only sarrusophone that was ever mass produced. It was made by companies such as Gautrot, Couesnon, Romeo Orsi, Rampone (and Cazzani), Buffet and Crampton (Evette and Schaeffer), and C.G. Conn. It is now nothing more than a novelty, or a collection item. It comes in three sizes; EEb; CC; and BBb. Image File history File links ContrabassSarrusophone. ... An EEb contrabass sarrusophone. ...

Tone

The EEb sarrusophone has the tone of a reedy contrabass saxophone, due partially to the fact that it's played with a double reed. The reedy tone is also caused by the narrower bore. The CC sarrusophone sounds a lot like the contrabassoon, and can makes a good substitute. The BBb sarrusophone used to be the lowest pitched wind instrument. That was until the invention of the EEEb octocontralto and the BBBb octocontrabass clarinets, and the BBb Subcontrabass Tubax, which was recently invented by Benedikt Eppelsheim. They come in two bore widths; big pipes, which sound mellower and softer, but are still reedy; and the small pipes, which are extremely reedy. All contrabass sarrusophones, except for the CC contrabass, are transposing instruments; their pitch is different from their written range. These instruments were used in France instead of the contrabassoon; this was because, at the time it was invented (which was in 1856), the contrabassoon still had really poor intonation and a weak sound, due to several reasons, three of them being its bore, which was thinner than it is now, it's smaller reed at the time, and finally, because of its one fold [1], whereas the modern-day contra has four folds. An EEb contrabass saxophone The contrabass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family (the largest being the triple B-flat subcontrabass tubax, although the tubax is not technically a member of the saxophone family due to its narrower bore). ... Drawing of a Contrabassoon The contrabassoon or double bassoon is a larger version of the bassoon sounding an octave lower. ... A B-flat subcontrabass tubax (right). ... Drawing of a Contrabassoon The contrabassoon or double bassoon is a larger version of the bassoon sounding an octave lower. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Reed

Contrabass Sarrusophones take enormous double-reeds, even larger than contrabassoon reeds! This leads to most people either making their own reeds, or buying great bass sordune reeds, which are about the same size as a tenor sax reed. There are some websites that sell sarrusophone reeds, but there are few of them. Sarrusophones usually use a double reed, but Conn sold them with a single reed mouthpiece, similar to that of an alto sax. Drawing of a Contrabassoon The contrabassoon or double bassoon is a larger version of the bassoon sounding an octave lower. ... A Yanagisawa tenor sax. ... Alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a family of woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. ...

Size

Contrabass sarrusophones are extremely light for contrabass instruments, weighing only about as much as a baritone sax, and being abot 4 feet tall, abut the same height as a bass saxophone. This makes them more convenient to carry around, fitting into cars more easily, and putting less strain on one's muscles while carrying or playing it. Conn made contrabass sarrusophones, instead of contrabass saxophones, because the sarrusophones were easier to ship across seas, and to send through the mail, due to their lightness. Baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone, one of the larger members of the saxophone family, was invented by Adolphe Sax. ... The bass saxophone (or bass sax for short) is the second largest existing member of the saxophone family (or third largest, if the subcontrabass tubax is counted). ... An EEb contrabass saxophone The contrabass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family (the largest being the triple B-flat subcontrabass tubax, although the tubax is not technically a member of the saxophone family due to its narrower bore). ...

Use in Music

Classical

The sarrusophone is rarely called for in classical music, let alone any music at all, but there are a few examples. They chose to write for the sarrusophone instead of the contrabassoon because of the contrabassoon's overall poor quality. Pieces written for it include Percy Grainger's Over the Hills and Far Away, Paderewski's Symphony in B Minor (Polonia), which called for three EEb contrabass sarrusophone players, Maurice Ravel's L'huere espagnol, and Arrigo Buito's Nerone. Paul Dukas also used it in his song The Sorcerer's Apprentice. And, last but not least, Sir Thomas Beecham preformed Josef Holbrooke's Apollo and the Seaman with contrabass sarrusophone players, which they had to ship in from France. Igor Stravinsky's serialist work "Threni," a symphonic chorale setting of passages from the Latin Vulgate of the book of Lamentations, also is scored for sarussophones. Robert Craft recorded the piece. Percy Aldridge Grainger (8 July 1882 – 20 February 1961) was an Australian-born pianist, composer, and champion of the saxophone. ... Joseph-Maurice Ravel (March 7, 1875 – December 28, 1937) was a French composer and pianist, known especially for the subtlety, richness, and poignancy of his music and generally considered to be one of the major composers of the 20th century. ... Paul Dukas (October 1, 1865 – May 17, 1935) was a French composer of classical music. ... The Sorcerers Apprentice is the English name of both an 1897 symphonic poem by Paul Dukas (Lapprenti sorcier in French), and of a 1797 ballad by Goethe (Der Zauberlehrling in German), which inspired the musical work. ... Thomas Beecham (April 29, 1879 - March 8, 1961) was a British conductor. ...

Jazz

An unusual example of jazz that uses the contrabass sarrusophone is the famous song Mandy, Make Up Your Mind, with Sidney Bechet on, what is believed to be, a Conn EEb Contrabass Sarrusophone with a single reed mouthpiece, considering he wasn't a trained double-reed player, Louis Armstrong on cornet, Charlie Irvis on trombone, Clarence Williams on piano, and Buddy Christian on banjo. Gerald Oshita also performed avant-garde jazz on a Conn EEb contrabass sarrusophone. Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was a Jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Louis Daniel Armstrong (usually pronounced Louee in the French pronunciation with a silent s) (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971) (also known by the nicknames Satchmo and Pops) was an American jazz musician. ... Bb cornet The cornet is a brass instrument that closely resembles the trumpet. ... A lip-reed aerophone with a predominantly cylindrical bore, the trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. ... Clarence Williams ( November 8, 1893 - November 6, 1965) was a Jazz pianist, composer, promoter, vocalist, and publisher. ... A grand piano A piano is a keyboard instrument, widely used in western music for solo performance, chamber music, and accompaniment, and also as a convenient aid to composing and rehearsal. ... Old 6-string zither banjo 4-string banjos The banjo is a stringed instrument of African-American origin, early or original examples sometimes being called the gourd banjo. Its name is commonly thought to be derived from the Kimbundu term mbanza. ... Gerald Oshita (1942 – 1992) was an American musician, composer, and sound recordist. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

External Links

• The Sarrusophone