Sopranino saxophone
 Orsi curved sopranino saxophone (c. 2000) | |
| Woodwind instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Single-reed |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 422.212-71 (Single-reed aerophone with keys) |
| Inventor(s) | Adolphe Sax |
| Developed | 1840s |
| Playing range | |
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| Related instruments | |
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Sizes:
Orchestral saxophones: Specialty saxophones: | |
| Musicians | |
| See list of saxophonists | |
| Builders | |
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The sopranino saxophone is the second-smallest member of the saxophone family. It is tuned in the key of E♭, and sounds an octave higher than the alto saxophone. A sopranino in F was also described in Adolphe Sax's patent, an octave above an F alto (mezzo-soprano), but there are no known built instruments.[1]
The sopranino saxophone has a sweet sound and although it is one of the least common of the saxophones in regular use today, it is still being produced by saxophone manufacturers Orsi and Rampone & Cazzani in Italy, Henri Selmer Paris, and Yanagisawa of Japan.[2] Due to their small size, sopraninos are usually built straight like a clarinet, although Orsi make both straight and curved sopraninos, with the appearance of a miniature alto.[3]
The original patented saxophone family, as developed by Adolphe Sax, included E♭ and B♭ saxophones in the voices of sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass, and subcontrabass instruments, and the same seven in the keys of C and F, though only the soprano, alto, and tenor were ever made.[1] Since the late 1990s the soprillo, an even smaller piccolo saxophone tuned in B♭ a fifth above the sopranino, was developed by the German instrument maker Benedikt Eppelsheim.[4][5]
The sopranino saxophone is a transposing instrument, with the same written range as any saxophone, from B♭3 to at least F6. Sounding a minor third higher than written, like an E♭ clarinet or soprano cornet, this range corresponds to D♭4 to A♭6 in concert pitch.
Repertoire
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (May 2014) |
In classical music, the most notable use of the sopranino saxophone is in French composer Maurice Ravel's orchestral work Boléro. Ravel's score calls for a "soprano saxophone in F", but it is likely no such instrument has ever been built; the part is usually performed on E♭ sopranino or B♭ soprano.[6]
In recent years, rock band
References
- ^ ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ "Super Action 80 Series II sopranino saxophone". Paris: Henri Selmer Paris. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
"R1 Jazz Sopranino" (in Italian). Quarna Sotto: Rampone & Cazzani. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
"Sopranino". Tokyo: Yanagisawa Saxophones. Retrieved 9 October 2023. - ^ "ORSI Saxophone Catalogue". Milan: Romeo Orsi. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009.
- ISSN 0276-4768.
- ^ "Soprillo". Munich: Benedikt Eppelsheim Wind Instruments. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
B♭-Piccolo-Saxophon
- ^ Cottrell 2012, p. 233.
- ^ Violent Femmes (2019). "Hotel Last Resort: Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ^ Ackermann, Karl (1 September 2015). "Jon Irabagon: Inaction is An Action album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
Bibliography
- Cottrell, Stephen (2012). The Saxophone. Yale Musical Instrument Series. New Haven: Wikidata Q113952716.
