[Guest]

Just a quick update to answer to OP again: in Strasbourg, most definitely "Yes" !!
http://www.saxopen.com/en
http://www.saxopen.com/en/project

Unfortunately, I missed the event because of holiday absence, but I did make some prior and very modest contributions ...

 

[Tedski]

With 4:04 in mind (below), it's an emphatic yes.

I only regret that this BB only has a "Like" button, but no "Really Really Like" button.

 

[Pawelec]

I have a feeling Mozart would like saxophones. Saxes do the same thing to oboe sound that basset horns do to clarinet's.

 

[WhoseLineFan]

Yes.

I love it when females play it.

 

[Chopiniana93]

I love saxophone, it has a beautiful tone that matches good with most of the instruments!

 

[Didnasker]

While I enjoy the sound of the Saxophone in any suitable composition (to include Jazz), I can easily see it as grating if improperly voiced for the genre... BTW... my bride, who enjoys music every bit as much as I do, tells me that the Sax is like 'fingernails on a chalkboard..." A matter of personal taste for sure...

 

[Ralphus]

I'm a classical saxophonist by training and profession, so I say, "Yes."

I've performed lots of Gershwin, Ravel "Bolero", Prokofiev "Lieutenant Kije Suite" with the Sydney Symphony many years ago. Rachmaninov "Symphonic Dances", and Bizet "L'Arlessienne Suites" with the Malaysian Philharmonic. I've also performed Milhaud "Creation of the World", Britten "Sinfonia da Requiem", and Bernstein "West Side Story Symphonic Dances" with amateur orchestras.

There are a few things to consider. Firstly, the standard of classical saxophone playing has improved greatly over the last decade or two. This is partly thanks to Dutch and French players as well as improvements in instruction and instrument design (Selmer Serie III, Yanagisawa, mouthpieces). Also, as more and more composers write for it, familiarity and expectations are heightened. The best of the current Dutch players can stand alongside any other woodwind professional. Things are better everywhere else in the world, too (esp. UK, USA, Australia, Italy, East Asia). In the past, you could hear lots of recordings with quite poor saxophone playing. I recall a Virgin recording of the Lausanne Ch Orc. doing the Milhaud in which the sax player makes lots of mistakes, including false entries. Some of the Dutoit Montreal Prokofiev recordings include some hesitant tenor sax playing. These days, players like Arno Bornkamp, Niels Bijl, Claude Delngle and others play with major orchestras all over the world.

I bumped into Louis Andriessen outside the Donemus office in Amsterdam many years ago and he said that he wanted to replace flutes and clarinets with a quartet of saxophones in his orchestral writing. I haven't checked whether he did or not.

It is true that there is a dearth of really great pieces by really great composers, but it's also true that there are more than most people may think. Highlights in my opinion: Villa-Lobos Fantasia, Glazunov Concerto, Martin Ballade, Creston Sonata, Caplet Legende, Yoshimatsu Fuzzy-Bird Sonata, Decruck Sonata, Larsson Concerto, Maurice Tableaux de Provence, Schmitt Legende, Glass Quartet (Concerto), Nyman Where the Bee Dances, Nyman Songs for Tony, Thompson Quartet no.2...probably others I can't think of.

 

[Manxfeeder]

I'm a classical saxophonist by training and profession, so I say, "Yes."

Thanks for your input. I studied classical saxophone briefly back in the day with a clinic by Harvey Pittell and took lessons from one of his students, but there wasn't much going back then in the classical field to inspire me to pursue it further; there was much more happening in jazz. I'm glad the genre is gaining more enthusiasm. I'm impressed with the classical saxophonists I have heard recently.

 

[Pat Fairlea]

Mrs Pat's sister is a sax player, so I get to hear this family of instruments in assorted combinations. Personally, I really appreciate the timbre and versatility of the baritone, tenor and alto sax, but find the soprano and sopranino just a bit too shrill and squeaky. One of her ensembles uses a bass sax. You don't so much hear it as sense a disquieting resonance in the bowels.

 

[Manxfeeder]

One of her ensembles uses a bass sax.

Once I had the opportunity to borrow one to play at a concert in Pomona College's Bridges Hall with its resonant acoustic. I loved playing in the range of the bass trombones and tubas. It does have a visceral effect, especially when you can hear it bouncing off the walls.

 

[Gordontrek]

Admittedly, but without much regret, my least favorite instrument of the wind ensemble. They can sound quite nice on their own, but a whole section? Ehhh.

 

[Pugg]

Yes, positive feelings specially in jazz.

 

[ArtMusic]

Yes, it is a vibrant instrument great for melodious music. It would be wonderful if there is more concertos for sax and orchestra based on tonal harmonics.

 

[Hfrank83]

Hello everyone! I just entered this forum and I find the topic really interesting. I am jazz saxophonist but I was classically trained. While I voted yes for me it really depends. While I love great " classical" works and not necessarily with saxophone, I believe the classical sax has a LONG way to go. The difference between classical and jazz sax tone approach has very little to do with set up( mouthpiece, reed...) but yes it helps. The amount of overtones present in the popular sax in general don't come from a baffle. Actually most straight ahead jazz players hate baffles. I comes from a relaxed embouchure a really personal clear idea of how you want to sound. Baffles are used mostly in Rock where you have to altered the frequency of your sound to be heard. Theoretically speaking the saxophone wasn't born as a jazz instrument and I have had the pleasure to be able to play an original Adolph sax prototype with the original wooden mouthpiece and that instrument is a complete different beast from the saxophone we know now a days. The modern saxophone(no matter the brand) has more to do with the jazz sound. I used to do some research for Selmer and Trust me on this one, in order to make the modern sax more in-line with the classical ideal tone you have to hugely reshape most of the physical characteristics of the horn, reshape even the angle the mouthpiece beak and chamber are now. Of course they will never tell you the truth at Selmer or any other company since they only want to sell and since the instrument is flexible enough it's possible to make it sound in a classical way anyway. The explanation is so long and complex that I would't know how to start. The main idea is this one. In every single instrument there are different frequency of harmonics coming out some of those you can hear them and some don't. The tricky part here is that the ONLY difference between a saxophone sound, a flute or whatever else is the actual amount of harmonics. Scientifically speaking if it wasn't because the of the natural harmonic frequency between instruments they would ALL sound the same to the human ear. In reality although you need an amazing control over the horn to master the classical approach this is only actually dampening the harmonic resonance of the actual modern saxophone. Again it can be used in classical and I hope I will hear it more often in the realm since there are amazing works of contemporary composers but I think the way to make it popular in classical as it's in jazz and popular music is to approach it as a new voice not playing parts of intruments with centuries of experience before sax was born.

 

[Hfrank83]

By the way the soprano doesn't sound harsh if you don't try to make it sound like a metal oboe or wind violin

. Sexy sound of tenor and alto doesn't necessarily mean cheesy. Anyway there a lot of cheesy players in every single instrument. Have a nice day everyone and this is really nice forum. The world really needs more quality music. Some people call it jazz, others call it classical and so on, but for there are only two types of music Good and the other thing...

 

[Hfrank83]

One last thing to make more sense about the harmonic thing. Forgetting the kind of music for a second just think of a violin, trumpet, clarinet, piano, even electric violin... in Pop, rock, jazz, classical, bossa nova, latin.. you name it. Wouldn't the average listener be able to recognize any of those no matter what they play?? I think so. The reason behind everything is that although they have different approaches depending on the style, they never dampen the harmonics(overtones) they only altered them at will to suit the style they want to play. Why does the saxophone has to get rid of it for classical?? There was a comment about classical sax sounding like a clarinet. Well not really I know they really don't try to imitate any other instrument but since they they dampen the overtones it's really possible to hear a "different intrument-like sound" since harmonics are the ONLY thing giving you the real instrument character. OH!! This is so deep to explain that unless you go and work as an acoustic physicist and you through tests and graphics there we will be always a gap in the explanation. Even the conical vs cylindrical shape of a wind instrument is a fool time career.

 

[Hfrank83]

Sorry I meant full time career. I hate auto correction

 

[LarryShone]

The saxophone does not require a poll. You play a sax you are automatically cooler than anyone around you!

 

[philoctetes]

If you answered YES and like modern

I enjoy this much more than the Adams sax CD.

Do sax haters also hate bassoons?

 

[Larkenfield]

I love the alto sax and have played it many years professionally. One can have a beautifully expressive sound with great variety and flexibility. In jazz, it's indispensable because there have been so many great players of such great individuality, such as Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, Charlie Parker and Paul Desmond. Too many to name. In the classics, the players generally have a more refined but warm and beautiful sound. For some listeners, it takes some getting used to as a solo or instrument in an orchestra. But it has color and can be a bridge between the woodwinds and the brass as Adolph Sax had in mind from the beginning. The French probably write more for it than anybody, but it's really become an international instrument.