The Hichwa-Rachor database contains sixteen original bassoons of Jean Nicolas Savary dit jeune (1786-1853). (Savary jeune dates according to research by Agnès Unterberger and David Rachor.) He flourished in Paris from c.1816/17 to his death in 1853 (dates according to Waterhouse). He is the son of Jean Baptiste Savary dit père and was not only an instrument maker but also a talented bassoonist; in 1808, he was awarded the first prize in bassoon at the Paris Conservatoire and was a bassoonist in the Théâtre des Italiens. Unlike most 19th-century bassoon makers, Savary jeune dated his instruments. He was called the “Stradivari of the bassoon,” his bassoons were played in France and England into the early 20th Century.
Jean Nicolas Savary jeune Literature
[Revised 16 February 2025]
Haine, Malou. Les facteurs d’instruments de musique à Paris au 19e siècle. Université de Bruxelles, 1984.
Hofer, Achim, et al. Lexikon der Holzblasinstrumente, 637-639. Laaber: Laaber-Verlag.
Jansen, Will. The Bassoon: Its History, Construction, Makers, Players and Music, Vol. 1, 470, 471. Buren: Frits. Knuf, 1978.
Kopp, James B. ““The Stradivari of the Bassoon”: Zur Rezeption der Instrumente Savary jeunes in England.” In Innovation und Tradition im Holzblasinstrumentenbau des 19. Jahrhunderts, edited by Sebastian Werr, [199-212]. Wissner-Verlag, 2012.
Kopp, James B. “Frédéric Berr and the Savary Bassoon of 1836.” In Le Basson Savary: Bericht des Symposiums »Exakte Kopie« in Bern 2012, edited by Sebastian Werr, Lyndon Watts, and Daniel Allenbach [153-167]. Musikforschung der Hochschule der Künste Bern, Band 8. Schliengen: Edition Argus, 2017.
Kopp, James B. “Small Bassoons by The Savarys: Context and Style.” In Fagottini and Tenoroons: Small-Sized Bassoons from the 18th and 19th Centuries, edited by Donna Agrell, Thomas Drescher, and Martin Kirnbauer, [67-86]. Basler Beiträge zur Historischen Musikpraxis 43. Basel: Schwabe Verlag, 2024.
Langeveld, Erik. Tentoonstelling van fagotten, prenten, boeken, en manuscripten uit de collectie van Henk de Wit, 15. Amsterdam: De IJsbreker, 1992.
Myers, Arnold. Historic Musical Instruments in the Edinburgh University Collection, Vol. 2, Part E, Fascicle ii: Bassoons, 13. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, 1993.
Pierre, Constant. Les Facteurs d’Instruments de Musique: Les Luthiers et la Facture Instrumentale, 148, 299. Paris: Ed. Sagot, 1893.
Rice, Albert. Four Centuries of Musical Instruments: The Marlowe A. Sigal Collection, 204. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2015.
Tiffou, Augustin. Le basson en France au XIXᵉ siècle: Facture, théorie et répertoire, 47-49. Paris: L’Harmattan, 2010.
Waterhouse, William. The New Langwill Index. London: Tony Bingham, 1993.
Waterhouse, William. The Proud Bassoon. Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, 1982, p. 11.
Young, Phillip. 4900 Historical Woodwind Instruments. London: Tony Bingham, 1993.
Young, Phillip. Loan Exhibition of Historic Double Reed Instruments, 73-76. Victoria, Canada: University of Victoria, August 1988.
Savary jeune Bassoon Comparison
Savaryjeune Comparison, Bassoon Data Spreadsheets
Savary jeune, 8 key bassoon; Savaryjeune1-O-PrivateCollection
Savaryjeune1-O-PrivateCollection General Information
Savaryjeune1-O-PrivateCollection Wg1, Wg2 Data Spreadsheet
Savaryjeune1-O-PrivateCollection Photos
Savary jeune, 18 key bassoon; Savaryjeune2-O-Cronin
Savaryjeune2-O-Cronin General Information
Savaryjeune2-O-Cronin Data Spreadsheet
Savary jeune, 11 key bassoon; Savaryjeune3-O-Peebles
Savaryjeune3-O-Peebles General Information
Savaryjeune3-O-Peebles Data Spreadsheet
Savary jeune, 11 key bassoon; Savaryjeune4-O-NMM2418
Savaryjeune4-O-NMM2418 General Information
Savaryjeune4-O-NMM2418-Wg1 & Wg2 Short Format Data Spreadsheet
Savary jeune, 10 key bassoon; Savaryjeune5-O-PhoenixMIM2020.42.5.1
Savaryjeune5-O-PhoenixMIM2020.42.5.1 General information
Savaryjeune5-O-PhoenixMIM2020.42.5.1 Short Format Data Spreadsheet
Savaryjeune5-O-PhoenixMIM2020.42.5.1 Photos
Savary jeune, 10 key bassoon; Savaryjeune6-O-Sigal2002.92
Savaryjeune6-O-Sigal2002.92 General Information
Savaryjeune6-O-Sigal2002.92 Data Spreadsheet
Savaryjeune6-O-Sigal2002.92 Photos
Savary jeune, 12 key bassoon; Savaryjeune7-O-Kopp
Savaryjeune7-O-Kopp General Information
Savaryjeune7-O-Kopp Data Spreadsheet
Savary jeune, 6 key bassoon; Savaryjeune8-O-Kopp
Savaryjeune8-O-Kopp General Information
Savaryjeune8-O-Kopp Data Spreadsheet
Savary jeune, 7 key bassoon; Savaryjeune9-O-Watel232
Savaryjeune9-O-Watel232 General Information
Savaryjeune9-O-Watel232 Data Spreadsheet
Savaryjeune9-O-Watel232 Photos
Savary jeune, 10 key bassoon; Savaryjeune10-O-BrusMIM3406
Savaryjeune10-O-BrusMIM3406 General Information
Savaryjeune10-O-BrusMIM3406 Data Spreadsheet
Savaryjeune10-O-BrusMIM3406 Photos
Savary jeune, 18 key bassoon; Savaryjeune11-O-BrusMIM3316
Savaryjeune11-O-BrusMIM3316 General Information
Savaryjeune11-O-BrusMIM3316 Data Spreadsheet
Savaryjeune11-O-BrusMIM3316 Photos
Savary jeune, 14 key bassoon; Savaryjeune12-O-BrusMIM3565
Savaryjeune12-O-BrusMIM3565 General Information
Savaryjeune12-O-BrusMIM3565 Data Spreadsheet
Savaryjeune12-O-BrusMIM3565 Photos
Savary jeune, 12 key bassoon; Savaryjeune13-O-BrusMIM4351
Savaryjeune13-O-BrusMIM4351 General Information
Savaryjeune13-O-BrusMIM4351 Data Spreadsheet
Savaryjeune13-O-BrusMIM4351 Photos
Savaryjeune, 9 key bassoon; Savaryjeune14-O-Edinburgh153
Savaryjeune14-O-Edinburgh153 General Information
Savaryjeune14-O-Edinburgh153 Data Spreadsheet
Savaryjeune14-O-Edinburgh153 Photos
Savary jeune, 8 key bassoon; Savaryjeune15-O-Vleeshuis1967.001.0518
Savaryjeune15-O-Vleeshuis1967.001.051 General Information
Savaryjeune15-O-Vleeshuis1967.001.051 Data Spreadsheet
Savaryjeune15-O-Vleeshuis1967.001.051 Photos
Savary jeune, 9 key bassoon; Savaryjeune16-O-Kampmann1136
Savaryjeune16-O-Kampmann1136 General Information
Savaryjeune16-O-Kampmann1136 Data Spreadsheet
Savaryjeune16-O-Kampmann1136 Photos