Bass sarrusophone

Low-pitched member of the sarrusophone family of wind instruments

Bass sarrusophone
Woodwind instrument
Bass sarrusophone in B♭, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Classification	Wind Aerophone
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	422.112 (Double reed aerophone with keys)
Inventor(s)	Pierre-Auguste Sarrus (concept) Pierre-Louis Gautrot [fr] (patent)
Developed	Mid 19th century
Playing range
${ \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } \clef treble \key c \major ^ \markup "written" \cadenzaOn bes1 \glissando g'''1 \clef bass aes,,1 ^ \markup "sounds" \glissando f'1 }$ Bass sarrusophone in B♭ sounds two octaves and a major second lower than written.^[1]
Related instruments
Bassoon Bass saxophone
Builders
Orsi (on request) Historical: Couesnon & Co. [fr] Evette & Schaeffer Gautrot [fr] Orsi
More articles or information
Sarrusophones: Soprano Alto Tenor Baritone Bass Contrabass

The bass sarrusophone is the bass member of the sarrusophone family of metal double reed conical bore wind instruments. Pitched in the key of B♭, it has a range almost identical to the bass saxophone, and can cover the bassoon range up to F₄.

Historically it was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries principally by its inventor Gautrot [fr] and his successor Couesnon & Co. [fr], as well as Evette & Schaeffer and Orsi of Milan. It is currently only available by custom order from Orsi.^[2]

There is very little repertoire specifically for bass sarrusophone; Roupen Shakarian has written a piece for it called Sarruso Rex.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Blaikley, D. J. (2001). "Sarrusophone". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.24597. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0.
^ "Instruments Made on Request". Milan: Romeo Orsi. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009.