[kymarto]

Just wanted to start a discussion on this lovely instrument. I recently picked up an old Hungarian tarogato and I have fallen in love with it. Similar to the soprano sax, but much different in subtle and important ways. In one sense it makes you realize the genius of Adolphe Sax, for so beautifully solving the intonational problems that beset this poor cousin, but on the other, there is something satisfying about overcoming the challenge of the beast--sorta like playing the bassoon with all its quirks and weird fingerings.

I'm really enjoying this new baby.

Toby

 

[warp x]

I love playing my Stowasser.

 

[Taragot]

Dear Toby,
well said!
I love it,too! Sounds softer than my soprano, the possibility of gliding over the toneholes is nice. Great for modal improvisation, hard for playing in a context, where exact intonation is needed or in weird keys. A new mouthpiece from zinner made playing a lot easyer and the sound much better. Do you prefer clarinet- or soprano reeds? Mine is a romanian, which isn't highly regarded - but it works

 

[Tharruff]

I have one but not in playing condition...made by Adler - Markneukirchen, Germany...in the key of 'C'. One of these days I will put some pads in it. There is one broken key that I will have to get resoldered...and I lost one of the pieces so I will have to have a small 'lever' kind of a part made by someone.

 

[kymarto]

I have a mpc made by Janos Gruber from Budapest. It takes clarinet reeds, but then so does my vintage Berg Larsen sop mpc. Mine was way too closed when I got it, so I have refaced it to where it's plays well for me with a 2.5 reed, more or less. I also added a bit of lower baffle to make it a bit brighter--makes the high register easier as well. I am seriously considering buying a Stowasser...

 

[jicaino]

I have a full albert stowasser. I also refaced the piece... it was close as hell.

 

[saxmusicguy]

Just wanted to start a discussion on this lovely instrument.

There's some additional information in these threads:
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?116330-Tarogato
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?63659-Tarogato

 

[marton]

The inimitable Peter Brotzman plays one in this vid

Definitely for me, the Taragoto has a great sound.

 

[ernie tollar]

not a tarogato - but a keyless soprano sax

 

[kymarto]

Sop and tárogató are very similar. Both are single-reed conical woodwinds with similar bore profiles. Different keying, different tone hole sizes and placements. I find a wooden instrument such as yours without keys closer to a tárogató structurally than to a sax. FWIW.

 

[kymarto]

BTW, I did buy a lovely four ring Stowasser...

 

[warp x]

BTW, I did buy a lovely four ring Stowasser...

Ah, congratulations!

 

[TarogatoMan]

Hello,

I have played the tarogato professionally for 32 years, and have had many new works (tonal) written for me. I love the instrument as it is very interesting to play, and seems to have a real soul. I also love Hungarian music which sounds fantastic on it as well as the newer repertoire. I play as part of a duo which I formed in 2005 when I came back from the International Tarogato Congress at Vaja, Hungary.

It is a shame that no company has yet been able to produce a reasonably priced student tarogato as this is what is really needed to give young players the opportunity to play it and to secure the future of the instrument. One company has produced a basic "student" model for 800 euros which is still expensive.

The main reason for the cost is that the new instruments are all hand made and take time to be produced (usually to special order).

TM

 

[rhysonsax]

Welcome TM.

I would be interested in a student Tarogato - I wonder if one has ever been made in plastic. Presumably the Chinese could do this fir a decent price if someone thought there was a market for such instruments.

I have a picture of a wooden soprano from late 19th Century. I scanned it from a flyer for a book "The Buffet Crampon Collection: The story of the saxophones and the woodwinds preserved in a musical instrument factory through the period from 1850 to the present day" by William McBride, Prestige Books ISBN 2-905252-01-4.



Rhys

 

[milandro]

actually making a plastic tarogato would be rather expensive despite the materials used because it couldn’t be injection moulded ( high cost of the moulds which can only be absorbed by an output which the tarogato as an instrument will never rach due to its very limited popularity).

So the only chance is to make it from a (not cheap) bar of hard rubber with a lathe or a CNC machine, and that is what would be necessarily a small and expensive production.

As an example of these production problems see the prices that the Vibratosax (injection moulded polycarbonate ) has reached despite the intention to build a cheap saxophone. It is not cheap, despite being built in Thailand where wages are not higher than in China.

Besides, Chinese factories are not all that flexible when it comes to building an instrument that would be built in not more than 500 pieces a year and that after a few years ( 3, 4) would have saturated the plastic tarogato market (unless you will buy a tarogato every so often, which I doubt) assuming that there is one.

I think 800€ is a bargain for a decent instrument!

 

[kymarto]

Today I saw a Chinese Eb clarinet for $100. The Bb model is $70. They looked totally decent. Indeed, a tarogato could be even cheaper, since the keywork is much simpler. The problem, as Milandro points out, is that with a very limited market, it is very hard to recoup toolling costs, and if they can't make money, the Chinese aren't interested...

 

[Rackety Sax]

... if they can't make money, the Chinese aren't interested...

Unlike the rest of humanity, who eagerly produce things for free...

 

[CaneMutiny]

I've had dreams of playing a wooden alto sax.
I'm involved in a melodica project, the research and design phase now, but would love to get the specs of a taragoto, especially the bore.
I sent some taragoto performances to my best friend. Some were sweet and some made the music of Ornette seem pleasant.
Was thinking of maybe a Taragoto day at "the cell A Twenty First Century Salon" in the heart of Chelsea, NYC. Before I suggest it to her any accomplished players have any thoughts? As my name suggests, I like to take it out....but always keep it in. Balls in your court ladies and gentlemen.

 

[milandro]

Well, beside our own Warp X ( Maarten Ornstein)........

Joe Lovano

Nicolas Simion

Peter Brötzmann

Dino Soldo

 

[CaneMutiny]

Sorry for my bad spelling. Tarogato not tara - go - to. Go to where ...went Tara? That did come up when I googled tarogato looking for bore specs.