# Saxophone in opera



## Herkku (Apr 18, 2010)

I stumbled on a thread "Saxophone in classical music" under Music and musicians, but I would like to introduce it here in the operatic context. The original thread delt mainly with the fact that saxophone is used so little in classical music, being a relatively new invention.

Nobody had mentioned Massenet, who used it in Le Roi de Lahore (sadly unobserved in the performance of La Fenice that I reviewed only recently, but very much in evidence in the Sutherland/Bonynge recording) in a waltz supposed to represent heaven. I can still hum it in my head... I had to investigate a little more, and I learned that he used it also in Werther. Now that I knew it, I knew also where: (at least) in Charlotte's "Va! Laisse couler mes larmes", where it certainly adds to the melancholy feeling. Massenet also used saxophone in his opera Hérodiade, but I have never heard it.

What came as a big surprise was that Puccini requires two alto saxophones onstage in Turandot! I have heard it so many times in so many different versions, but never noticed. Could anyone tell, where they are supposed to appear? And furthermore, can you come up with more operas with saxophone(s)?


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## Edward Elgar (Mar 22, 2006)

Harrison Birtwistle's 'The Minotaur' features an alto saxophone which plays the music to accompany the singer playing the role of Ariadne. Birtwistle played the clarinet in his youth, and his knowledge of its capabilities, and the very similar capabilities of the saxophone are plain to hear in 'The Minotaur' and in most Birtwistle pieces. Both instruments frequently go insane, just listen to 'Panic'!


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