Historic Saxophone - Claude and Odile Delangle.

Bis CD -1270 Digital.

TO many, the saxophone would be considered a "new" instrument, and in many ways they would be right.

Invented by Belgian musician Adolphe Sax- who played the clarinet and flute - it was first displayed in 1841 and patented in 1846.

Sax was a brilliant businessman and learned his trade from his father, an instrument maker who researched the horn.

Initially used by the military he searched for a general market for his saxophone.

Not only did he invent the instrument, he actively encouraged composers to provide a repertoire for it, therefore creating a demand.

The composers featured on this melodious and lively CD are part of the coterie that surrounded him. Therefore Jean-Baptiste Singelee, Jules Demersseman, Paul Agril Genin and Jerome Savari, became members of his team.

Claude Delangle is a gifted player and features the soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone on this compilation and is accompanied by his wife

Although the music is in no way similar to the dance music of the 1940s, which featured the saxophone and brought it to popular attention, these compositions, mostly penned in the 1840s, have planted the seeds.

In the 21st Century the saxophone is one of the most popular instruments for young people to learn to play.

The variety of the tones and the emotion that saxophone playing engenders makes this not only an educational listen, but also provides us with an insight into the mind of a clever and gifted entrepreneur of the 19th Century.