Saxophone History Timeline
Saxophone History Timeline
Saxophone History Timeline
Fantaisie (bari.)
1861 - Wagner, in lieu of 12 French Horns, uses saxophones and
saxhorns in the orchestra pit at the Paris premiere of his opera
Tannhauser
1862 - Jules Demerssemann (b. Belgium 1833, d. Paris 1866)-Fantaisie sur un Theme Originale (ded. to Henri Wuille, alto)
1866 - Sax patent expires--Millereau Co. patents Saxophone-Millereau,
which features a forked F# key
1867 - Nazaire Beeckman becomes Professor of Saxophone at Brussels
Conservatory
1868 - Gautrot, Pierre Louis & Co.--devises screw-in pad system and
mechanism inside pad cup to keep outside of pad flat
1870 Adolphe Sax class in the Conservatoire de Paris is closed (the
military students are mobilized for the war). Will reopen in 1942 with
Marcel Mule.
1871 - Gustav Poncelet becomes Professor of Saxophone at Brussels
Conservatory after Beeckman
1875 - Goumas--patented saxophone with fingering system similar to
Boehm system clarinet
1877 - Hyacinthe Klose--Methode Complete de Saxophone ; Klose-Methode Elementaire (alto/tenor)
1879 - Klose--Methode Elementaire (baritone) Georges Bizet-L'Arlesienne Suites No. 1&2
1881 - Klose--Methode Elementaire (sop.)
1881 - Jules Massenet--Herodiade
1881 - Sax extends his original patent--lengthens bell to include low
Bb and A; also extends upward range to F# and G with use of fourth
octave key
1885 - First saxophone built in U.S. from Sax patent by Gus Buescher
1886 - L'Association Des Ouvriers--devise right hand C trill key, and a
half-tone system for first fingers of left and right hands
1887 - L'Association Des Ouvriers--invent tuning ring, and precursor of
articulated G#
1887 - Evette and Schaeffer--improve on articulated G# so that G#
key can be held down while any finger of the right hand is being used,
improved forked F#, invented "bis" key, added low Bb
1888 - Lecomte--invents single octave key, rollers for low Eb-C
1892 - Jules MassenetWerther
1893 Rudy Weidoeft born in Detroit, MI on January 3rd
1894 - Sax dies
1896 - Eugene Coffin plays on earliest Columbia saxophone recordings
1897 - Creation of Storyville
1901 - 29 January, Charles Loeffler's Divertisment espanol is
premiered by Elise Hall in Boston's Copley Hall (first work
commissioned by E. Hall)
1901 - Elise Hall commissions Claude Debussy to write saxophone
work
1901 Marcel Mule born in Aube (Orne, France) on June 24th
1903 - Symphonia Domestica by Richard Strauss. Score includes
saxophones keyed in F & C: sopr., alto (mezzo), bari., bass. *Part now
exists as obbligato section for instruments keyed in Bb and Eb.
1903 - Elise Hall commissions Choral Varie by Vincent d'Indy
1904 - 4 January, premiere of Choral Varie by E. Hall in Copley Hall,
Boston
1904 - 21 March, World Premiere of Richard Strauss' Symphonia
Domestica in Carnegie Hall, New York City
1956 - Laura Hunter is born June 13 (student of Donald Sinta and J.M.
Londeix)
1957 - Saxophone Colossus released by jazz tenor man Sonny Rollins
1958 - John Coltrane is jazz tenor saxophonist and quartet leader on
the album, Giant Steps
1958 - Erland von Koch composes Concerto for alto saxophone and
orchestra for Sigurd Rascher
1959 - "Take Five" a Paul Desmond composition is released on the
album featuring the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out
1959 - Paule Maurice composes Tableaux de Provence
1959 - Jazz tenor legend Lester Young dies in New York on March 15
1960 - Joseph Lulloff, prof of sax at Michigan State University, is born
1961 - Percy Grainger dies, February 2
1961 - Walter Hartley's Petite Suite written for Fred Hemke
1961 Giacinto Scelsi composes Tre Pezzi
1961 - Karel Husa composes Elegie et Rondeau
1962 John David Lamb composes Six Barefoot Dances
1962 - Eugene Rousseau studies with Marcel Mule
1963 - The Art of Saxophone Playing is published by Larry Teal
1963 - Fred Hemke is appointed to Northwestern Univ. staff
1964 - John Coltrane's A Love Supreme issued
1964 Alfred Desenclos composes Quatuor for saxophones
1967 - Coltrane dies, July 17
1967 Steve Reich composes Reed Phase