Alto Saxophone - Image 2

The fingered range of this Adolphe Sax alto saxophone is low B-natural to high F. Sax was working in Paris in 1841, where the Romantic composer Berlioz first learned about the instrument, leading to the publication of an article that he wrote about the ophicleide for the 13 March 1842, edition of 'Revue et gazette musicale,' in which he tells of Sax replacing the ophicleide mouthpiece with that of a clarinet, noting that 'the ophicléide a bec' (i.e., with a beak) 'will most likely come into general use in a few year's time.' Three months later, Berlioz again wrote about the saxophone, this time referring to it by name.