English Composers
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Selmer high pitched alto saxophone? Possible answers to why this exists…
I’ve been researching possible explanations to why Selmer made a handful of high pitched saxophones in 1932. For background on the saxophone, check out the initial post here, and the response. Just to reiterate, Selmer has no history of manufacturing high pitched woodwinds, based on the information about this saxophone Selmer only manufactured 10 high…
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Joseph Holbrooke and the saxophone in his opera trilogy
In the early 20th century, the saxophone fell out of favor in opera and ballet. In the database, there are only a small handful of operas that premiered before WWI. Out of that small number, two operas are by English composer Joseph Holbrooke (1878-1958). Who is Holbrooke and how did the saxophone end up in…
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The Saxophone and Thor- Discover Frederic Hymen Cowen’s opera, Thorgrim
The English have a long tradition of the saxophone in opera, longer than you might imagine. Before finding Thorgrim, the first English opera I have in my database is Joseph Holbrooke’s The Children of Don, written in 1912. But it turns out the saxophone was heard in the opera house long before 1912. The English…
the Operatic Saxophone 