Nouveau saxhorn basse, nominal pitch: C / B♭
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InstrumentBass saxhorn |
Instrument FamilyWind |
MakerAdolphe Sax |
Place MadeWestern Europe ; Paris ; Europe ; France |
Date Made1870 |
Description6 valve independent. Technical description: Brass; final section of bell flare fitted to bell-pipe with flanged joint and secured with four small screws with cross-cut heads, the bell mouth can to rotated to point in any desired direction. The windway runs mouthpipe - m.t.s. - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - bell; operating any valve returns the windway to that valve via a short loop with a valve tuning-slide and cuts out all further valves from the windway. For use in B♭, the instrument would require a main tuning-slide extension piece or an alternative tuning-slide. Valve type: 6 Périnet-type independent piston valves, in usual two groups of three. Bottom-sprung; alignment by key on piston. Bottom caps have no vent hole; instead each valve has an air release passage running from bottom to top on the outside of the casing. Overall size: 868; bell 186. Sounding length: minimum 2551. Bore: mouthpipe at c 25mm from mouthpiece receiver (minimum bore) 11.8; m.t.s. at c 228mm and at c 347mm from mouthpiece receiver, tuning slide bore 15.1; 1st v.t.s. at c 757mm from mouthpiece receiver, tuning slide bore 15.1; 1st v.t.s. at c 785mm from mouthpiece receiver, tuning slide bore 16.7; (similar expansion in tuning slides of valves 2,3,4,5,6) 1276mm from bell end, c 24.6; c 926mm from bell end, 34.8. B = 0.48. Dia of mouthpiece receiver: m.r.t. 12.6 to 12.3 in first 6mm only. Performance characteristics: The instrument is very heavy compared with a 3-valve euphonium which would have the same compass. Usable pitch: Plays at A = 435Hz ( Diapason Normal). Inscribed on bell "No 35012 / Nouveau Saxorn" (sic) "Basse a 6 pistons / en Ut & Sib / Adolphe Sax Fteur Brevete / de la Mson Milre de l'Empereur / 50 rue St Georges a Paris / SEUL / GRAND PRIX / 1867" with monogram AS PARIS. Possible original tuning slide extension piece or an alternative tuning slide for Bb missing. One of the valve pistons is a replacement (1991). Illustration references: Brass Bulletin No 85, 1/1994, p.15; Bevan 2000, p.260; World Wide Web picture at http://www.music.ed.ac.uk/euchmi/ Specific usage history: ex- Paris Opera (?) |
Other InformationSpecific usage history: ex- Paris Opera (?). |
NotesR. Parks, 1993; A. Myers, bore 25.10.97. |
Measurements868; bell 186. |
Provenanceon loan to the Collection. |
CollectionMIMEd |
Accession Number3115 |