soprillo

[Paul Cohen]

Originally Posted by saxtek

Ravel probably took his saxophone information from the Berlioz Treatise on Instrumentation, later revised by Richard Strauss. The range of the soprano and sopranino saxes in these reference books is listed as low B to high D. If this range were in fact the actual range of the soprano and sopranino saxes in Ravel's time, it would have been necessary to use the sopranino.

We both agree that Ravel scored for a saxophone that did not exist, and he probably should have known better. (I am reminded that Schonberg scored for a C bass in his opera at around the same time.) But I believe Ravel did want to score for the sopranino, as it is the piccolo counterpart to the saxophone family as the Eb clarinet solo is to the clarinet family in the early part of the piece.
Ravel wrote Bolero in the late 1920s, and there is no doubt that he had experience with the saxophone in both listening to it in France and his own scoring in Pictures. By then, (from the turn of the century) the minimal range of the soprano was B to Eb, with most going to low Bb, and many to high F. I believe it was not the range consideration that forced him into the sopranino, but his interest in distinct orchestral color. Having performed the part at times on sopranino and at times on soprano, I can attest to the color difference, even where the sopranino is part of the orchestral texture.
Paul Cohen

[guitarbob]

I'm listening to the recordings on the site. Very funny, Turbax and Soprillo duet. One sounds like fart and the other sounds like little squeeks.

[shmuelyosef]

Originally Posted by Dave Dolson

but for the life of me, I cannot understand the legality of a horn higher than a sopranino. You'd think PETA would be all over their case for that evil little device, let alone a soprillo.

I question the need for anything higher than a tenor or lower than a baritone in the sax family, although on occasion I'm forced to play alto or soprano.

I'm tempted to save up for a soprillo just as a conversation piece on my piano!! It's too small to make a lamp out of...maybe make a laser pointer out of one

[fluteypiccolosax]

theres actually one on ebay now