Two options are presented in that case, you can either write an orchestral piece that has a prominent saxophone part and add an optional part to play instead in case there are no saxophones, or write for wind ensemble/concert band. As a saxophonist, I typically write for wind ensemble/concert band whenever I write music for large groups.
There are plenty other instruments that use vibrato. The sound CAN have a biting "timbre" in the high register, if your not a decent player. And the tone is the same, there are sax players that have beautiful tones. The sound is created from a hard rubber mouthpiece (mostly) and a piece of cane, and a ligature. The type of metal used can change the tone, but in no way dictates if a good or bad tone is projected. That is the mouthpiece, ligature, and reed. And of course the player playing it.
@theothercanadian There are a number of pieces that use the saxophone, but most people aren't aware that the saxophone is there BECAUSE it blends so well and doesn't stick out. Ravel, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Strauss, Milhaud, Bizet are a few of the bigger names from the Romantic period on that have used it well. Listen to Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet and see if you can find all the places where the tenor is playing (it is scored throughout most of the work).
The first time I heard this masterpiece was by a Sax ensemble. When I heard that intro I closed my eyes and started to imagine myself flying freely into space while I could see all those epic battles between majestic fleets of star cruisers and lasers. Best musical experience I've ever had so far...
Saxophone is the most amazing classical instrument. It can take on so many roles. It can sound like an oboe, English horn, french horn, cello, violin... There is nothing better than a good classical player. So beautiful.
@TheHimom263 Not quite. The saxophone was originally intended for orchestra. Bb and Eb horns were mainly meant for military bands while C and F were for orchestral use. Bb and Eb horns were most definitely made on purpose.
One of the most difficult things to achieve in an ensemble is for everyone to feel the very same musical pulse. It is hard enough to have a quartet all feeling the beat exactly the same. This is amazing!
@stealthswimmer Several composers were incredibly supportive of Sax, primarily Berlioz, but also Rossini. But something that many people don't know is that the first sax was the bass sax. It was originally meant to complement the tubas and basses, not be an agile middle voice. Those middle saxes came later. It's very possible that the addition of a new bass instrument was not wanted and so the saxophone was never adopted permanently.
@facemash yeah thats the hardest part haha. my sax choir played this once, and it sounded pretty awesome, i played second sop and there were a couple issues-mostly on the high held notes. but we played it pretty good, but not this perfectly, this is amazing
They mimic the sounds of the strings and woodwinds phenomenally! This literally just sounds like the original orchestral score minus the trumpets and low brass, in my opinion. :]
I have actually played that piece.. last year in fact.. And that does not necessarily mean bad. The saxophone has many different tone qualities, being good or bad. I think we will just agree to disagree, we are both biased here, so I don't think either of us will be breaking any time soon. You are obviously a sophisticated person in some aspects. It was good to argue with you!
Beautiful work! I wish the whole piece was posted, especially the minor seventh chord with the forte-piano toward the end (my favorite moment). However, I appreciate what you shared with us. Keep these coming!
I know I'm late in this, but major orchestral pieces that include and/or FEATURE a saxophone are Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition" and Maurice/Ravel 's "Bolero" just to name a few. There are also NUMEROUS saxophone concerto's written for orchestral accompaniment. Composed by great composers, such as Milhaud, Glazounov, Ibert, Creston, Dahl, Tomassi, Maurice, and many more. And they all sound fantastic with orchestra. You obviously don't know anything about classical music.
@sakonhon There are actually quite a few other orchestral players that don't like the sound of a sax. You can hear an instrument blend. Sometimes that means to hear the instrument in the colour, and other times it does indeed mean to not hear it at all. I've heard a few other orchestral pieces that include sax, but I really felt the sax playing style or sound would always stick out like a sore thumb. I've also played in a high level wind orchestra, and I've heard enough good saxes there.
BRIAM BOWMAN, TORU MIURA, Robert and David Childs, SIMONE MANTIA, LEONARD FALCONE, ARTHUR LEHMAN, HAROLD BRASCH, and ROGER BEHREND. I cannot talk about the euphounium without mentioning RICH MATTESON, a jazz euphonist. These are just to name a few.
I once played for marvelous composer named Johan De Meij. We played his first symphony titled "The Lord of the Rings". When we asked him why he opted to feature the soprano sax in the third movement titled Gollum, he said "only the saxophone could depict a creature so vile and wretched."
it was written for piano, but everyone know's ravel's transcription is the most popular and widely used one across the world, it just sounds better. What exactly is there not to like? Is there anything specific?
@sakonhon I don't find the statements contradictory at all. Just because the players are good doesn't mean I have to like the sound. The reason I say they don't sound "like a bunch of saxes" is because they are mature enough to try to imitate the tone and colour of the original instrumentation. Being an oboist, we have a LOT of exposed parts and solos, but we do often have to sit back and not be noticed. I assumed the sax parts would be similar.
Saxophones were made to feel in the balance of the woodwinds and brass.The Sax to ear is nothing but the modified version of an Oboe or Bassoon.But they are the middle of the orchestra.They are not the loudest the flute/piccolo is the loudest so called woodwind.
@archlordXd0 The saxes I've heard were good saxes players. I saw a group live that apparently is the only full range sax ensemble in the world with the only contrabass sax in Canada. They were great musicians, but I still hated the sound of the instrument. I have not studied any kind of music in depth yet, but I have also yet to hear saxes blend in an orchestra. I recently saw some Copland that had a few saxes, that's all I know of saxes in the classical world.
@theothercanadian I'm not sure jaw vibrato necessarily has to sound bright .I think the type of saxophone and especially mouthpiece that the player has counts a lot in that.
This group is really good, but they are playing on modernized horns that have a completely different type of sound from what Adolph Sax designed. You should listen to some recording of the Rascher sax quartet or Tetraphonics sax quartet. What Euphonium players are you listening to? The euphonium can produce a beautiful rich tone when played well. Hence the name euphonium, which is derived from the Greek "euphonia" meaning "well-sounding". I suggest you go listen to recordings of Brian Bowman,
@mexsax1597 and yet they weren't traditionally included in orchestras. I wonder why that was. Was it cus the old saxophones just weren't capable of sounding like they fit in an orchestra or was it cus the instruments were so new that people had to figure out how to play with a good sound or something? Anyone can have an intention but results often differ. I'm curious as to why that was.
@stealthswimmer: We're to good for orchestra unless we are soloing with them behind us :) and Mr. Sax tried to make orchestra saxes (hence the non-transposing C sax line and the easily transposing F sax line). Eb and Bb saxes where accidently keyed so. Sax was one of the best people to walk this marble but he messed up when he made the sax. Notice Bb and Eb are both half steps away from there orchestral counterparts. lol but Eb is amazing c: I think saxes should always make choirs :]
@theothercanadian I'm in university for music, so I'd think the sax players here are good. I also played a wind orchestra arrangement of The Planets with some in Carnegie Hall so...
I thought Adolphe Sax designed the Saxophone to replace other single reeds in Military bands. He wasn't focused on making an orchestral instrument and the "unpopularity" of the C and F pitched saxophones he designed for said purpose is a testament to that. That being said, I agree that Saxophones do belong in the Orchestral setting.
The standard instrumentation for your typical orchestra was already set (heavily by Beethoven, but expanded later) well before the Saxophone was invented.
So, if this is your first time reading the comments under the video like myself, you will see a huge thread of at least twenty plus comments. My reaction: WHAT DID I JUST READ?
@sakonhon but now we agree on the first paragraph lol I've heard great sax players, including a sax quartet with the only contrabass in Canada. I've just never liked certain things about sax playing, such as jaw vibrato. It always sounds too bright, and not sinusoidal.
As a Saxophonist I will say this, The Saxophone is great at blending with itself; if that makes sense. There are players that sound just like Violins, Violas, Cellos depending which sax they are playing which is why solo sax is great. However, I personally don't think saxophone has a place in the symphony orchestra. Unless it's a specific solo, its kind of redundant. Mainly because the tone Classical Sax players go for is that of strings. As for the sax tone hate, look up "Fantasia Kenneth Tse"
@facemash There was a sort of resurgence of saxophones in the orchestra after Marcel Mule and Sigurd Rascher became know and showed that the sax could be taken seriously and used to great effect; however, it didn't last and saxophone use in orchestras is once again dwindling.
@mexsax1597 jsut because it was intended as an orchestral instrument doesn't mean itll sound good in an orchestra im sorry, i have a prejudice against saxes.
saxophone as far as I know was made to look like a brass, actually be a wood wind, and when played by decent players it will sound like a string :D, that doesn't mean it has to lol
You've got it all wrong, NickBoi1486!! Sorry, but the flutes, piccolos or any high wind, brass, string or percussion instruments. All low winds, brass, percussion, and strings are the loudest because they are the loudest sounding instruments. It is because they all have a bigger body, bell, bore or sound hole. That's a given fact because any bigger instrument will be louder overall whether they are drowned out by lower instruments. So technically speaking, any higher musical instrument will be..
Well this is a very subjective thing but I'll try to be as objective as I can. Vibrato is too wide and uneven. Not round and sinusoidal, tone colour also changes because the vibrato is so wide. Also because it is a single reed instrument with a wide conical bore the sound has biting timbre in the high register, and an overall raspiness and edge. The fact that it is made of thin metal only amplifies this.
@sakonhon Well then there ya go. I think we just went back to my original statement lol. I originally said something about "they don't sound like a bunch of saxes", and you just said many sax players are limited to just a "good sax sound" When I listen to saxophones, I always find the tone repulsive. It's just a personal thing. I also find the same thing with French oboists and Euphoniums. When I listen to something like that I listen for the music, not tone.
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Saxophones are the most universal instrument hands down. In the way that they can blend to sound like a different instrument. Saxophones rule!!!!
Wowwww that sounds like a whole ensemble! Oh my god! And they are all so in tune!
damn crazy seeing you here
Two options are presented in that case, you can either write an orchestral piece that has a prominent saxophone part and add an optional part to play instead in case there are no saxophones, or write for wind ensemble/concert band. As a saxophonist, I typically write for wind ensemble/concert band whenever I write music for large groups.
Finest Sax ensemble on the planet. Superb rhythm, intonation, phrasing, sound.
Ridiculously good. Those sopranos are perfectly in tune.
their tone. Blows my mind. My sax always has that certain.. 'reediness' that is totally absent here. Blows my mind how good they all are
There are plenty other instruments that use vibrato. The sound CAN have a biting "timbre" in the high register, if your not a decent player. And the tone is the same, there are sax players that have beautiful tones. The sound is created from a hard rubber mouthpiece (mostly) and a piece of cane, and a ligature. The type of metal used can change the tone, but in no way dictates if a good or bad tone is projected. That is the mouthpiece, ligature, and reed. And of course the player playing it.
Love it, wish they posted it in it's entirety.
I studied classical saxophone for three years in college and this is the best saxophone ensemble sound I have ever heard. hands-down.
@theothercanadian
There are a number of pieces that use the saxophone, but most people aren't aware that the saxophone is there BECAUSE it blends so well and doesn't stick out. Ravel, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Strauss, Milhaud, Bizet are a few of the bigger names from the Romantic period on that have used it well. Listen to Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet and see if you can find all the places where the tenor is playing (it is scored throughout most of the work).
The first time I heard this masterpiece was by a Sax ensemble. When I heard that intro I closed my eyes and started to imagine myself flying freely into space while I could see all those epic battles between majestic fleets of star cruisers and lasers.
Best musical experience I've ever had so far...
Saxophone is the most amazing classical instrument. It can take on so many roles. It can sound like an oboe, English horn, french horn, cello, violin... There is nothing better than a good classical player. So beautiful.
Very balanced and who needs a full orchestra when you have a saxaphone or two, thank you very much enjoyed this.
@TheHimom263 Not quite. The saxophone was originally intended for orchestra. Bb and Eb horns were mainly meant for military bands while C and F were for orchestral use. Bb and Eb horns were most definitely made on purpose.
WOW........no other words can describe
absolutely amazing!
FABULOUS!!!! they would CERTAINLY get more cheers from these parts!
Amazing ensemble playing. Congratulations!
The first few seconds of this blew me away. Incredible playing.
One of the most difficult things to achieve in an ensemble is for everyone to feel the very same musical pulse. It is hard enough to have a quartet all feeling the beat exactly the same. This is amazing!
@stealthswimmer Several composers were incredibly supportive of Sax, primarily Berlioz, but also Rossini. But something that many people don't know is that the first sax was the bass sax. It was originally meant to complement the tubas and basses, not be an agile middle voice. Those middle saxes came later. It's very possible that the addition of a new bass instrument was not wanted and so the saxophone was never adopted permanently.
Absolutely STUNNING. Ten stars!
Absolutely a fantastic performance and an outstanding orchestration!
Um tema como este tocado por um grupo de saxofones com esta qualidade, estou impressionado, os meus parabéns...
@facemash yeah thats the hardest part haha. my sax choir played this once, and it sounded pretty awesome, i played second sop and there were a couple issues-mostly on the high held notes. but we played it pretty good, but not this perfectly, this is amazing
@facemash Im saxophonist and I think the same thing, great tune, great technique!
What a fantastic orchestra-- impressive! The videography & editing is nice too--
Wonderful performance!
Simply great!!! too beautiful!!!
Awesome! I wish this included Mars!!!
+itstoriayo De acuerdo
beeindruckend, wunderschön!!!
They're soooooooooooo in tune it's insane.
stunning! brilliant playing all round. thanks for sharing.
They mimic the sounds of the strings and woodwinds phenomenally! This literally just sounds like the original orchestral score minus the trumpets and low brass, in my opinion. :]
I have actually played that piece.. last year in fact.. And that does not necessarily mean bad. The saxophone has many different tone qualities, being good or bad.
I think we will just agree to disagree, we are both biased here, so I don't think either of us will be breaking any time soon. You are obviously a sophisticated person in some aspects. It was good to argue with you!
A revelation!!! Wunderbar!
Wow that is sooo amazing!!!!
Beautiful work! I wish the whole piece was posted, especially the minor seventh chord with the forte-piano toward the end (my favorite moment). However, I appreciate what you shared with us. Keep these coming!
This is fantastic!!!
awesome!
Really neat.
That wasn't until much later once the sax had caught on with dance bands. But you're absolutely right.
Fantastic!!!
oh wow.....
OHHHHHH WOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW
amazing!
They were all stunned into silence this time.
It is the only video i know on youtube without any dislike .....
WHY DID IT CUT OUT?!? NUUUUU!!! it was wonderful to listen to!!!
I disagree. I've heard baritone sax players that you could easily mistake for a cellist if you close your eyes.
Fantástico!
Bass saxophone then dominated the gramophone record industry, because the recording horn picked it up even better than tuba.
I know I'm late in this, but major orchestral pieces that include and/or FEATURE a saxophone are Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition" and Maurice/Ravel 's "Bolero" just to name a few. There are also NUMEROUS saxophone concerto's written for orchestral accompaniment. Composed by great composers, such as Milhaud, Glazounov, Ibert, Creston, Dahl, Tomassi, Maurice, and many more. And they all sound fantastic with orchestra. You obviously don't know anything about classical music.
@sakonhon There are actually quite a few other orchestral players that don't like the sound of a sax.
You can hear an instrument blend. Sometimes that means to hear the instrument in the colour, and other times it does indeed mean to not hear it at all.
I've heard a few other orchestral pieces that include sax, but I really felt the sax playing style or sound would always stick out like a sore thumb.
I've also played in a high level wind orchestra, and I've heard enough good saxes there.
BRIAM BOWMAN, TORU MIURA, Robert and David Childs, SIMONE MANTIA, LEONARD FALCONE, ARTHUR LEHMAN, HAROLD BRASCH, and ROGER BEHREND. I cannot talk about the euphounium without mentioning RICH MATTESON, a jazz euphonist. These are just to name a few.
I once played for marvelous composer named Johan De Meij. We played his first symphony titled "The Lord of the Rings". When we asked him why he opted to feature the soprano sax in the third movement titled Gollum, he said "only the saxophone could depict a creature so vile and wretched."
This is AMAZING :D
Que fliapadaa ! Quee guaaay !
it was written for piano, but everyone know's ravel's transcription is the most popular and widely used one across the world, it just sounds better. What exactly is there not to like? Is there anything specific?
That bass sax doe
Love the Bari.
geniales !!!
So good. An in tune Soprano Sax section!?
@sakonhon I don't find the statements contradictory at all. Just because the players are good doesn't mean I have to like the sound. The reason I say they don't sound "like a bunch of saxes" is because they are mature enough to try to imitate the tone and colour of the original instrumentation.
Being an oboist, we have a LOT of exposed parts and solos, but we do often have to sit back and not be noticed. I assumed the sax parts would be similar.
OMW!!! thats good! i wish it had played the parts it cut out :c
Lol imagine how long they took to choose the each person's setup. Each is meant to sound like an orchestral instrument. The colours are perfect.
Saxophones were made to feel in the balance of the woodwinds and brass.The Sax to ear is nothing but the modified version of an Oboe or Bassoon.But they are the middle of the orchestra.They are not the loudest the flute/piccolo is the loudest so called woodwind.
@archlordXd0 The saxes I've heard were good saxes players. I saw a group live that apparently is the only full range sax ensemble in the world with the only contrabass sax in Canada. They were great musicians, but I still hated the sound of the instrument.
I have not studied any kind of music in depth yet, but I have also yet to hear saxes blend in an orchestra. I recently saw some Copland that had a few saxes, that's all I know of saxes in the classical world.
@theothercanadian
I'm not sure jaw vibrato necessarily has to sound bright .I think the type of saxophone and especially mouthpiece that the player has counts a lot in that.
This group is really good, but they are playing on modernized horns that have a completely different type of sound from what Adolph Sax designed. You should listen to some recording of the Rascher sax quartet or Tetraphonics sax quartet.
What Euphonium players are you listening to? The euphonium can produce a beautiful rich tone when played well. Hence the name euphonium, which is derived from the Greek "euphonia" meaning "well-sounding". I suggest you go listen to recordings of Brian Bowman,
@mexsax1597
and yet they weren't traditionally included in orchestras. I wonder why that was. Was it cus the old saxophones just weren't capable of sounding like they fit in an orchestra or was it cus the instruments were so new that people had to figure out how to play with a good sound or something? Anyone can have an intention but results often differ. I'm curious as to why that was.
@mexsax1597
yeah, i wish that weren't the case. :(
Oh well, this vid showcases some absolutely beautiful music
So gas
@stealthswimmer: We're to good for orchestra unless we are soloing with them behind us :)
and Mr. Sax tried to make orchestra saxes (hence the non-transposing C sax line and the easily transposing F sax line). Eb and Bb saxes where accidently keyed so. Sax was one of the best people to walk this marble but he messed up when he made the sax. Notice Bb and Eb are both half steps away from there orchestral counterparts. lol but Eb is amazing c:
I think saxes should always make choirs :]
I think the reason this is so good is because they don't sound like a bunch of saxeas.
@theothercanadian I'm in university for music, so I'd think the sax players here are good. I also played a wind orchestra arrangement of The Planets with some in Carnegie Hall so...
I thought Adolphe Sax designed the Saxophone to replace other single reeds in Military bands. He wasn't focused on making an orchestral instrument and the "unpopularity" of the C and F pitched saxophones he designed for said purpose is a testament to that. That being said, I agree that Saxophones do belong in the Orchestral setting.
Actually, the sax was made for marching bands to replace clarinets, but they ended up as a whole new thing.
The standard instrumentation for your typical orchestra was already set (heavily by Beethoven, but expanded later) well before the Saxophone was invented.
So, if this is your first time reading the comments under the video like myself, you will see a huge thread of at least twenty plus comments.
My reaction: WHAT DID I JUST READ?
@sakonhon but now we agree on the first paragraph lol
I've heard great sax players, including a sax quartet with the only contrabass in Canada. I've just never liked certain things about sax playing, such as jaw vibrato. It always sounds too bright, and not sinusoidal.
where can I get this arrangement
did you find out where this arrangement came from?
As a Saxophonist I will say this, The Saxophone is great at blending with itself; if that makes sense. There are players that sound just like Violins, Violas, Cellos depending which sax they are playing which is why solo sax is great. However, I personally don't think saxophone has a place in the symphony orchestra. Unless it's a specific solo, its kind of redundant. Mainly because the tone Classical Sax players go for is that of strings. As for the sax tone hate, look up "Fantasia Kenneth Tse"
They're very good! Those beautiful girls are awesome! This is best place to find a girlfriend right? Lol , I'm sure they can s... Good too!
this is unreal , it makes me wanna sell my alto , or send back to yamaha lmao
@facemash There was a sort of resurgence of saxophones in the orchestra after Marcel Mule and Sigurd Rascher became know and showed that the sax could be taken seriously and used to great effect; however, it didn't last and saxophone use in orchestras is once again dwindling.
The only thing I don't like about this is that we don't get to see the whole performance. Jupiter is one of my favorite orchestral pieces.
Where can I obtain this arrangement?
You guys need to add a contrabass!
Yea, he first created the bass sax to be fit in with the bassoon/contrabassoon or the recently invented bass clarinet.
If i couldnt see the bari and bass sax i would think they were a bass and cello
@mexsax1597 jsut because it was intended as an orchestral instrument doesn't mean itll sound good in an orchestra
im sorry, i have a prejudice against saxes.
beautiful...Only asians could pull something off like this
saxophone as far as I know was made to look like a brass, actually be a wood wind, and when played by decent players it will sound like a string :D, that doesn't mean it has to lol
You've got it all wrong, NickBoi1486!! Sorry, but the flutes, piccolos or any high wind, brass, string or percussion instruments. All low winds, brass, percussion, and strings are the loudest because they are the loudest sounding instruments. It is because they all have a bigger body, bell, bore or sound hole. That's a given fact because any bigger instrument will be louder overall whether they are drowned out by lower instruments. So technically speaking, any higher musical instrument will be..
Well this is a very subjective thing but I'll try to be as objective as I can.
Vibrato is too wide and uneven. Not round and sinusoidal, tone colour also changes because the vibrato is so wide.
Also because it is a single reed instrument with a wide conical bore the sound has biting timbre in the high register, and an overall raspiness and edge. The fact that it is made of thin metal only amplifies this.
it's because the current woodwind part in orchestras together with the metals sound better than if they were replaced with saxophones...
I envy you, naturally I've listened to this many times now and the effect has worn off...
@sakonhon Well then there ya go. I think we just went back to my original statement lol. I originally said something about "they don't sound like a bunch of saxes", and you just said many sax players are limited to just a "good sax sound"
When I listen to saxophones, I always find the tone repulsive. It's just a personal thing. I also find the same thing with French oboists and Euphoniums. When I listen to something like that I listen for the music, not tone.
Some of those sopranos almost sounded like violins