Sax Appeal - 99% Invisible

"The man behind the saxophone was a brash inventor named Adolphe Sax. Adolphe Sax was born in Dinant, Belgium in 1814. He had a tragicomic childhood that nearly killed him before he was able to invent anything. As a child he fell down three flights of stairs, drank sulfuric acid mistaking it for milk, survived multiple burns, and once fell asleep in a room full of freshly varnished furniture. His mother said, "He's a child condemned to misfortune; he won't live.""

"Against all odds, Adolphe survived and joined his father's instrument-making business. Though he was a virtuoso on flute and clarinet with a promising performance career ahead, he ultimately thought he had a better chance of striking it rich with the right invention. Working in the family workshop, Adolphe Sax experimented with the bass clarinet, using acoustics to precisely place tone holes rather than eyeballing it. When he showcased his redesigned bass clarinet in 1835, aficionados loved it."

Western Europe in the 19th century saw musical instrument innovation and opportunities to profit by improving or inventing instruments. The saxophone emerged as a successful hybrid brass-woodwind that secured a place in the musical canon and influenced American music. Adolphe Sax, born in Dinant, Belgium in 1814, survived multiple childhood accidents and joined his father's instrument-making business. He excelled on flute and clarinet but pursued instrument invention for greater reward. In the family workshop he redesigned the bass clarinet using acoustics to place tone holes precisely, winning praise in 1835. He later moved to Paris and in 1843 developed horn families such as saxhorns and saxotrombas, refining existing designs.

Read at 99% Invisible