The saxophone is an aerophone (wind) instrument with a simple reed mouthpiece like the clarinet, invented in 1840 by the Belgian Adolphe Sax, whose name takes its name. The reason why it was created, was to fill the void that there was in the military bands between the clarinets and metals. Although its sound links it with wooden wind instruments, the saxophone is made of copper with a conical tube.
Once in Paris, Sax was able to perfect several saxophone models, some of which were adopted with some speed and success. In principle it could be seen in the infantry regiments bands of the nineteenth century due to its sound power, while in academic music was present in the opera and symphony orchestras with works by Berlioz, Bizet and Debussy. There are approximately 14 types of saxophone, but the most used in that century was the contralto.
In the 20th century, composers such as Hindemith and Glazunov appeared and created works to highlight the melodic virtues of the instrument. However, its most significant projection was jazz in the 1920s in the United States. This was evident from New Orleans where he took his first steps, but it was from the Chicago style when his presence as a soloist was notorious through the dance orchestras and ensembles that were heard in the nightspots. From this moment on he was the symbol of Afro-American music due to his timbric qualities and agility.
From modern jazz the saxophone was linked to prominent personalities such as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, among others.
In this painting by the German painter Otto Dix (style of expressionism and new objectivity), entitled The Great City (1927-1928), in its central panel we can appreciate the following details:
Some of the musicians of the jazz group have the faces of friends of the painter: the violinist has the face of the painter Gert Wolheim, while the tenor saxophonist (central part) is the doctor Alfred Schulze.
In the foreground, leading the orchestra, you can see a baritone saxophone. It is located exactly in front of a violinist and a tenor saxophonist. Then you can see the wide pavilion of a bass tuba and then a long trumpet with mute. They also appear a pianist and a drummer.
You can appreciate the impact that the rhythm of jazz had on the Berlin capital, accompanied by the shimmy and the Charleston, whose sounds came from the United States and more specifically Chicago. This contrasts with the 1920s, in which the vestiges of the horror of the First World War were still present in Germany, where you could still see disabled soldiers, beggars and victims of war.The painting represents a summary of the years in which Dix lived in Berlin. As a curious fact, the high society evoked in this and other pictures of the painter inspired director Bob Fosse for certain scenes of the movie Cabaret.
In this other pictorial work of the American painter Jean-Michel Basquiat (neo-expressionism and primitivism style), entitled Between Racks (1986), the following details can be appreciated:
In this painting you can see the tenor saxophonist Lester Young, an emblematic figure of jazz, who influenced several generations of saxophonists.
The Reno Club is one of the black locals in the black neighborhood of Kansas City during the 1930s.
An anecdote about the Reno Club is that in this place played Young and the Count Basie Orchestra. As a child, Charlie Parker, could not enter this club, so he stayed in the backyard of the place, the meeting place of the musicians during breaks. This led him to earn the nickname of Yarbird (bird of the yard). Then, as an adult and once moved to New York, was abbreviated as Bird.
Music has always been linked to other arts, so in future installments I will continue to explore with you this intimate relationship between the art of sound and painting.
We read in a next installment of The Curious Note!
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