For saxophonists, playing with vibrato is second nature in classical performance. But up until the 1920s, most saxophonists played with an even tone. Vibrato on the saxophone was limited to jazz saxophonists and vaudeville stars. In 1928, Marcel Mule was in rehearsal for Edouard L’Enfant’s ballet, Évolution and he had a breakthrough. What if heContinue reading “How opera is instrumental to the “Évolution” of vibrato”
Category Archives: French composers
The Jazz Problem: the shifting image of the saxophone in the 1920s
A couple of years ago, I picked up an old copy of The Etude from July of 1924. The editorial in that issue promised the next issue would be dedicated to jazz. I was one month too early. Luckily, the August 1924 issue is archived online. This issue is a great resource for jazz andContinue reading “The Jazz Problem: the shifting image of the saxophone in the 1920s”
One of the first Operas with the saxophone, Meyerbeer’s 1849 Le Prophète
When I started this project, I was researching all Romantic operas that were orchestrated for the saxophone. 800+ works of operas and ballets later, I am still finding early Romantic operas, including Giacomo Meyerbeer’s (1791-1864) 1849 grand opera, Le Prophète, which makes it the second oldest opera in the database after George Kastner’s 1844 opera,Continue reading “One of the first Operas with the saxophone, Meyerbeer’s 1849 Le Prophète”
Hamlet: Streaming on Met on Demand, 5/5-5/6
One of the first operas to feature the alto saxophone, Ambroise Thomas’s 1868 opera, Hamlet is streaming tonight on Met on Demand. You can watch it here until Thursday, May 6th: https://www.metopera.org/season/on-demand/opera/?upc=811357013625 Here is the Metropolitan Opera’s description of this 2010 production. “After over a century out of the Met’s repertoire, audiences were thrilled toContinue reading “Hamlet: Streaming on Met on Demand, 5/5-5/6”
The Saxophone and Ondes Martenot at the 1937 World Exposition
The World’s Exposition in Paris in 1937, initially intended to recreate the successful Expositions of the past (i.e. the Eiffel Tower’s construction for the 1889 Exposition to demonstrate the power of steel), ended up as prelude to war. Each nation built pavilions along the River Seine, but rather than showcasing technological achievement, these pavilions becameContinue reading “The Saxophone and Ondes Martenot at the 1937 World Exposition”
the Operatic Saxophone 