At 09:59 PM 6/12/2002 +0000, you wrote:
> > I have personally been thinking, out of pure spite, to write a
> > piece for a symphony orchestra with a part for "reed contrabass",
> > with a footnote that this part should be realized primarily by the
> > contrabass sarrusophone, if none is available, by the bass
> > saxophone,

There is actually another instrument called the "reed contrabass" (or
contrabasse a anche), which looks similar to the sarrusophone, but has a
wider bore and completely different fingering. The pads are so large that
a single pad is sufficient to vent the corresponding note. So, the keywork
is arranged so that each key opens only one pad, and you need only open
that single pad to play any note, e.g., press (only) the C key to play C,
press (only) the Bb key to play Bb, etc. It is apparently still used in
Italian military and town bands. See
http://www.contrabass.com/pages/anche.html.

Enjoy!

Grant


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Grant Green contrabass.com
Sarrusophones & other Contrabass Winds
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