The most expensive saxophone in the world today is valued at almost 150,000 dollars, and it owes its existence to a man who invented the saxophone 170 years ago. Adolphe Sax, the sax itself, and the sax through history are all important in understanding this unique instrument. The evolution of musical instruments is quite a long process involving tons of different instrument makers, each building on the advancements of the last ones. The story of the saxophone differs from the usual pattern of instrument building as its creation lacks all these different steps and is due to one man, Adolphe Sax. Of all his experiments, the saxophone is his best work. Early on, Adolphe Sax apprenticed in the instrument manufacturing business under his father, Charles-Joseph Sax (1791 - 1865). Charles- Joseph Sax was
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Some people say Sax was discouraged because the Belgian National Exposition did not recommend any of his entries for an award. Sax biographers think that the instrument maker may have been a victim of age discrimination. Nestled in his Paris workshop, Sax manufactured standard instruments, gradually introducing improvements along the way. In 1845, Sax patented a family of brass instruments he called saxhorns, and in 1846, the saxophone family made its first appearance ranging from bass to sopranino. 1846 is often given as the year of the invention of the saxophone, but Berlioz knew of it in 1842, and wrote praises about it in Journal des Debats. The Berlioz article made Sax's reputation soar overnight, and landed him a teaching position at the Paris Conservatory. But Sax had attracted a number of malcontents wishing to tarnish his reputation or to bring him down completely. The detractors consisted mainly of disgruntled instrument workers resistant to change and with a penchant to place blame. Rumors got started saying that Sax stole the rotary valve design from the
Some people say Sax was discouraged because the Belgian National Exposition did not recommend any of his entries for an award. Sax biographers think that the instrument maker may have been a victim of age discrimination. Nestled in his Paris workshop, Sax manufactured standard instruments, gradually introducing improvements along the way. In 1845, Sax patented a family of brass instruments he called saxhorns, and in 1846, the saxophone family made its first appearance ranging from bass to sopranino. 1846 is often given as the year of the invention of the saxophone, but Berlioz knew of it in 1842, and wrote praises about it in Journal des Debats. The Berlioz article made Sax's reputation soar overnight, and landed him a teaching position at the Paris Conservatory. But Sax had attracted a number of malcontents wishing to tarnish his reputation or to bring him down completely. The detractors consisted mainly of disgruntled instrument workers resistant to change and with a penchant to place blame. Rumors got started saying that Sax stole the rotary valve design from the