Sax, Adolphe Bassoons

The Hichwa-Rachor database contains three original bassoons of Adolphe Sax (Dinant 1814 – Paris 1894). Adolphe Sax is the son of the important Belgian instrument maker Charles-Joseph Sax (1790-1865). Adolphe Sax is known as the inventor of two families of instruments, the saxophone and the saxhorn. Sax made very few bassoons and woodwinds in general, including saxophones. According to the Sax inventory of 950 instruments ready for distribution in 1852 (See Adrian von Steiger, “Sax figures”, p. 140.), only 31 instruments are saxophones and 24 are clarinets. The three Adolphe Sax bassoons listed below might be the only bassoons he made after moving to Paris in 1842.

Adolphe Sax Literature [Revised 31 January 2025]

Haine, Malou. Adolphe Sax: Sa vie, son œuvre, ses instruments de musique. Université de Bruxelles, 1980.

Haine, Malou, and Meeùs, Nicolas. Dictionnaire des facteurs d’instruments de musique en Wallonie et à Bruxelles du 9e siècle à nos jours. Bruxelles: Pierre Mardaga, 1986.

Haine, Malou. Les facteurs d’instruments de musique à Paris au 19e siècle. Université de Bruxelles, 1984.

Jansen, Will. The Bassoon: Its History, Construction, Makers, Players and Music, Vol. 1, 472, 473. Buren: Frits Knuf, 1978.

Kendall, Bryan. In Search of the Saxophone: Its Origins & Functions. Hutchins, Texas: Kendallhouse Publishing, 2022.

Keyser, Ignace, and Malou Haine. “Le musée instrumental d’un artiste inventeur: la collection privée d’Adolphe Sax.” Revue Belge de Musicologie 70 (2016): 154. In Adolphe Sax, His Influence and Legacy: A Bicentenary Conference.

Londeix, Jean-Marie. Pour une historie du saxophone et des saxophonistes, Livre 1 (1814 à 1899) Adolphe Sax. Delatour France, 2017.

Lunte, Frank, and Müller-Elschner. Saxophone: Un instrument et son inventeur. Berlin: Nicolai, 2014.

Pierre, Constant. Les Facteurs d’Instruments de Musique: Les Luthiers et la Facture Instrumentale. Paris: Ed. Sagot, 1893.

Rice, Albert. Four Centuries of Musical Instruments: The Marlowe A. Sigal Collection, 203. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2015.

Rorive, Jean-Pierre. Adolphe Sax: Inventeur de Génie. Éditions Racine, 2004.

Steiger, Adrian. “Sax Figures: Can We Deduce Details of Adolphe Sax’s Instrument Production from the Sources?” Revue Belge de Musicologie 70 (2016): 61-82. In Adolphe Sax, His Influence and Legacy: A Bicentenary Conference.

Tiffou, Augustin. Le basson en France au XIXᵉ siècle: Facture, théorie et répertoire. Paris: L’Harmattan, 2010.

Waterhouse, William. The New Langwill Index. London: Tony Bingham, 1993.