saxhorn

baritone saxhorn, brass, three valve, tubing coiled in an elliptical shape with the bell pointing upright

1 baritone saxhorn in Bb

Gautrot Ainé, Paris, France, circa 1875

brass, three Périnet valves, overall length 680 mm

stamped ‘Gautrot Breveté / A PARIS / G(anchor)A’

1998.60.117 Castle 182 (presented George 1960)

The family of saxhorns, patented by Adolphe Sax (1814 - 1894) in the 1840s, ranged in size from a soprano in E flat through to contrabass. Many members of the family still form the basis of the modern brass band. The baritone saxhorn is the same pitch as the modern euphonium, but with its smaller bore has a lighter quality of sound than the larger euphonium.