David Bruce Composer | Why is there no Saxophone in the Orchestra? @DBruce | Uploaded March 2018 | Updated October 2024, 2 hours ago.
The saxophone is one of the most popular instruments, so why is it not a regular in the orchestra? Contrary to what some people say, it's not because the sax "doesn't blend" - in fact, it was designed with blending in mind, and blends fantastically well with almost any instrument. The real reasons are largely historical to do with the cartel-like world of Parisian instrument manufacturers in the 19th Century, and the effect this had on the instrument's perception over the next 100 years.

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Research
I'm particularly indebted to this fantastic research paper:
The Missing Saxophone: Why the Saxophone Is Not a Permanent Member of the Orchestra
Author Info
Ferraro, Mathew C
https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/send_file/send?accession=ysu1341342139&disposition=inline


latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-saxophone17-2009may17-story.html

time.com/4101405/adolphe-sax-saxophone-history
bandestration.com/2014/12/20/saxophone-sections-in-the-orchestra-part-2
theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2014/nov/05/the-joy-of-sax-the-10-best-orchestral-saxophones

Music:
Rachmaninoff's 1941 Symphonic Dances. youtube.com/watch?v=otJmf3pyb1E
Prokofiev's 1934 suite from "Lieutenant Kije";
youtube.com/watch?v=YbaY7p5ahZo
Glass (Violin Concerto arr. for Saxophone)
youtube.com/watch?v=ZdUWPA_AX6o