Sax in Opera
Tue, Feb 14 2012, 5:30PM
Just turned on R3 to hear an alto sax accompanying Salome in the last act of Massenet's 'Herodiade'; got me thinking - is that the first time [1881] a saxophone was used in an opera? I know Bizet used one in 'L'Arlesienne' but that's incidental music to a play. Other than that, can't think of anything else off the top of my head - any suggestions?!
Tue, Feb 14 2012, 10:26PM
#2
RE: Sax in Opera
Certainly Britten used it in Billy Budd - Act 1 after the novice has been flogged.
Flogging the novice in a Britten Opera probably does count as Sax in Opera. A bit like pressing an over ripe strawberry to your lips and tasting the juice as it gushes out and thrills your taste buds .... Death in Venice.
Tue, Feb 14 2012, 11:38PM
#3
RE: Sax in Opera
Also some Tippett. But I think the OP only wanted to know if there was anything earlier than the example he found.
Ted
Wed, Feb 15 2012, 8:18AM
#4
RE: Sax in Opera
Mon, Feb 20 2012, 9:10PM
#5
RE: Sax in Opera
I was looking for the earliest use in an opera; don't suppose Berlioz did - tho it's the sort of thing I would expect him to be trying out!
Mon, Feb 20 2012, 10:20PM
#6
RE: Sax in Opera
If you care about the first time the Saxophone was used, as part of the orchestration, in an Opera (or any orchestral work), it's a quite a difficult task. You have to examine quite a few scores of the period of the invention of the instrument.
However, if you are interested in where the saxophone has a more prominent role in the orchestration, then, as far I can tell, there is a quite limited number of works, most of them already mentioned.
Parla
Tue, Feb 21 2012, 11:56PM
#7
RE: Sax in Opera
I was looking for the earliest use in an opera; don't suppose Berlioz did - tho it's the sort of thing I would expect him to be trying out!
He did. There's a soprano sax in Les Troyens.
Thu, Feb 23 2012, 3:00PM
#8
RE: Sax in Opera
Thomas used one in 'Hamlet.'
Damn, I misread the title. Thought this was going to be a really fun thread.
Without trolling through my whole collection, I would have thought fertile ground for investigation would be the operas of Ravel, Magnard and Shostakovich. VW was partial to a bit of sax but I just checked Pilgrim's Progress and there isn't one there. Certainly Britten used it in Billy Budd - Act 1 after the novice has been flogged.