AN ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON OF THREE METHODS

PUBLISHED FOR SAXOPHONE IN 1846:

KASTNER, COKKEN, & HARTMANN

National Association for College Wind & Percussion Instructors

University of Montevallo

D R . GA IL B. L EVI N SKY
S U S Q U E H A N N A U N I V E RS I T Y
©2017
 WHY ?

“No definitive history of any instrument can be written

without the frequent recourse to the instructional works.”
- Maurice Riley, Journal of Research in Music Education, 1958.
Jean-Georges Kastner
1810 - 1867
The instrument is destined to take an important place in our orchestras and in our Military
Bands…largely because of the nobility and beauty of its timbre.
Cours d’instrumentation considérée spis ;es rapports poétique et philosophiques de l’art, 1844.
 Jean-Georges Kastner & Adolphe Sax

In order for our method to have real value and incontestable usefulness it requires certain information that include
the use of the best sources. What better man than Mr. Adolphe Sax himself could remove our doubts, and remove
any uncertainty could in a word direct our efforts in accomplishing a task of this nature? Not only as the inventor
did we consult Mr. Ad. Sax, he is more than an artist; he plays his instrument and consequently knows everything
about its properties. His ideas are clear and were of great help for this work.
Méthode complete et raisonnée de saxophone, Part I
• Fundamentals of music notation and understanding.
• 21-pages in length.
Méthode complete et raisonnée de saxophone, Part II
• About the Saxophone
• Fingering Chart
• Holding the instrument
• Fingering
• Assembling the instrument
• Embouchure
• Trills
• Intensity, ornaments, and style
• Maintenance of the saxophone
• Exercises, scales, etc. • Brilliant & Easy Variations on an Original
• Chromatic scale Theme for E-flat Alto Saxophone
• Piece for learning “staccato”
• Piece for learning “legato” • Sextet for two Soprano Saxophones, Alto
• Piece for leaning to use piano, Saxophone, two Bass, and one Contra-Basse
forte, etc Saxophone
• Piece for learning to trill
• Selection of easy pieces by
varied composers
 Saxophone Tone Quality
“The sound has no analogy to other timbres; all that can be said is that the sound is full
of roundness, strength, charm, luster and expression. The instrument possesses a
great range and perfect trueness and equality.
– Jean-Georges Kastner
'You can not imagine the beauty of sound and the quality of the notes in the lower
octaves”
– Leon Escudier, La France musicale

''The saxophone is, in my mind, the most beautiful low voice known to this day."
– Hector Berlioz, Journal de Débates
 Performance Practice
Mechanics
- Use of the Baritone
Saxophone
- Clunky fingerings
- Evidence that the
bass/baritone
saxophone was first
showcased and
smaller instruments
came later.
 Performance Practice
Embouchure, Tonguing, Breathing/Air, and Posture

Embouchure:
• Place of the mouthpiece should be approximately half way point between
the lips.
• Similar to clarinet or the bassoon?
• KASTNER: Double lip; SAX Top teeth on the mouthpiece.
• No puffing cheeks.
 Performance Practice
Embouchure, Tonguing, Breathing/Air, and Posture.
Tonguing/Tongue Position:

• Start of the sound is initiated by the tongue.

• The sound is produced by a slight impulsion at the tip of the tongue as in the
syllable tu.
 Performance Practice
Embouchure, Tonguing, Breathing/Air, and Posture.
Breathing:

• Air must flow evenly from mouth providing a consistent stream in order to
produce an even sound.

• Performer must not push from the chest.

 Performance Practice
Embouchure, Tonguing, Breathing/Air, and Posture
Posture:
• To find a natural position which is either stiff or too loose.
• Head is stable and upright
• Straight body
• Use of neck strap or harness for the larger instruments, adjusting the neck strap to the lips and
position the instrument in front or to the right side of the body. (Larger saxophone (tenor – basse)
• Regardless of marching, “normal,” and seated position. Always finding a natural and comfortable
stance.
• Right hand “supports” the instrument.
 Performance Practice
”Extended” Techniques
Extended Techniques:

• Altissimo – performed but no instruction.

• Additional evidence that the “bass in ophicleide form” included a third vent for the “altissimo” range.
(Howe, Vol 29 Journal of the American Music Instrument Society)

• Multi-tonguing.
The double tongue is a sort of very fast staccato appoggiatura which obtained on the saxophone by
twice articulating, as fast as possible, the syllable "tu." Several virtuosi triple the syllable "tu' and
obtain in the same way, what is called triple tongue.
 Performance Practice

Musicianship

A good artist must be trained to all the effects which have been
indicated and he must be able to execute them without the least
difficulty in whatever circumstance they present themselves.
But, it is not enough to have conquered the difficult technical
aspects of the instrument nor thoroughly mastered the
mechanism in order to merit the tide musician. He still has to
play his instrument with style. Style, in other words, is the
touchstone of the true artist.
 Music

Exercises, Etudes, & Original Music:

• Scales, arpeggios, duets, and other lessons

• Choix de Morceaux Facuiles de Divers Auteurs

• Original music composed by Kastner for the saxophone

Solo:
Ensemble
“On ne saurait prévoir ou s’arrêteront les succés de ce magnifique instrument.”

“It is impossible to predict or stop the success of this magnificent instrument.”

– Jean-George Kastner
Jean-François-Barthélémy Cokken
(1801-1875)
What do we know about Cokken?
- Bassoonist
- Teacher
- Composer of works for bassoon, most of which were
for the Conservatoire Concours. No compositions for
saxophone.
- Position at Gymnase musical militaire lasted 18 months
until GMM closed.
 Performance Practice
Mechanics
Existing information:
- Saxophone described as being made of brass with 20 holes covered by keys, six of which are
arranged to received first, second, and third fingers of each hand.

New information:
- Fingering chart now identifies the principle keys 1,2,3,4,5,and 6,
- Traditional use of open & closed dots for a key to be depressed or not
- Mouthpiece can be made of metal or wood.
- Specific commentary on reed placement and reed strength
Fingering Chart, Cokken, 1846
 Performance Practice
Embouchure, Tonguing, Breathing/Air, and Posture

Embouchure:
• Use of double-lipped
• Top teeth off the mouthpiece.
• Doing anything else would be “Harmful to the sound.”

Tongue Position:
• Start of the sound is initiated by the tongue. "Thinking of clearing a
little substance from the mouth with the tip of the tongue."
 Performance Practice
Breathing/Air, and Posture
Breathing:
New information: the importance of being efficient with one’s air stream and controlled in direction & intensity.

Posture:
New information:
• Body must be stable.
• Movement of the elbows effect sound.
• Place the music at the height of the eyes.
• Offers specific information on the neck strap and the importance of the weight of the instrument on
the neck strap.
• Hands should be curved and relaxed.
• RH thumb also supports the instrument.
• Press the keys rather then striking the keys.

Concerning information:
• Fingers should be lifted away from the instrument as far away as possible.
 Performance Practice

Musicianship

Existing information:
- Stressed the importance of balancing the technical and expressive elements of music.

New information:
- Performer must use the knowledge of speech and thus, relate it to music.
- Provided basic rules in applying expressiveness to a phrase:
1. When passage ascends follow the movement of the notes and crescendo.
2. When passage descends follow the movement of the notes and decrescendo.
3. Refrain from slowing down the motion at the end of a phrase or cadence.
4. Avoid shortening the phrases or motion of the phrase when meeting a succession of modulations
difficult to execute.
5. When repeating the same notes or passage-do something different!
6. It is by observing the nature of rhythm that one succeeds in acquiring a style.
 Music

Exercises, Etudes, & Original Music:

• Scales and interval training in major and minor keys (4 –sharps/flats), chromatic scales, and
diminished 7th arpeggios resolving to tonic arpeggios.

• Interpretative development. (Cokken often includes wrong and correct way to play.)

• Specific skills addresses syncopation, grace notes, trills, turns, mordents

• Majority of the exercises and interpretative etudes are duets.

• Final section includes 15 duets by varied composers

• No original music included.

Musical Examples
 Earliest reference to slow practice?

Il faut d'abord étudier lentement, puis au fur et à

mesure augmenter la vitesse.

It is necessary to study slowly and then gradually

increase the speed.
Hartmann, (Ainé)
 What do we know about Hartmann?
Very little!
• Title page indicates “author of methods for Sax’s instruments”
• An earlier published method, “Méthode de L’ophicleide (1843) identifies
Hartmann as “Professor au Conservatoire de Cravovie”
• “Hartmann” = “Smith” and maybe a penned name for the publisher
• Catalogue de la bibliothèque du Conservatoire royal de musique de Bruxelles
...Méthode de Bugle ou Trompett à clefs…(Th.) Hartmann
• A recent publication identified Hartmann as a “clarinetist” from this period.
 Performance Practice
Mechanics

Known information:
- Fingering chart is identical to Kastner method
- The saxophone is made of brass, a reed, and 20 keys.
- There are 6 keys for the right hand and 9 for the left.

New information:
- There is a bocal similar to the Bass Clarinet.
- Identification of specific responsibilities for each finger of the hands.
 Performance Practice
Mechanics

Left Hand: Right Hand:

Thumb –keys 16 -20 Thumb –support
1st finger – 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 1st finger – 7, 8, and 11
2nd finger – 12 and 14 2nd finger – 6 and 8
3rd finger – 10 and 14 3rd finger – 5 and 8
Pinky – 1, 2, and 9 Pinky – 3 and 4
 Performance Practice
Embouchure, Tongue Position, and Breathing
Embouchure:
Known information:
- Avoids precise language regarding the top teeth. “the upper lip is place about the mouthpiece
and the teeth are used to hold it.”

- No puffing cheeks.
New information:
- Unusual technique described in relaxing and tensing the embouchure to achieve higher or lower
registers.

- Importance of a good reed, both in quality and reed strength.

Breathing:
- No new information.

Tongue Position:
- No new information.
 Performance Practice
Posture and Musical Expression
Posture:
New information:
- The saxophone is held like the bassoon and attached with a cord around on of the buttons
of his uniform. The strings length is adjusted such that the mouthpiece is at the level of
player’s lips.

- The body and head must be correctly held without stiffness.

- The instrument is supported with both hands.

Musical Expression:
No new information
 Music

Preparatory exercises, scales, etudes, and duets

• Preparatory exercises focus on articulation with explanations of slur, staccato, detaché, and louré.
• 16 varied articulations in duple and triplets
• Scales cover both major & minor tonalities (2 flats, 2 sharps, chromatic)
• Scales and interval studies are first addressed.
• Melodies and duets rely heavily operatic melodies of Auber, Donizetti, and Verdi
 Conclusions
• Each method reflects the level and objectives of the student it sought to reach.

• The Kastner method is systematic and relies heavily on Adolphe Sax.

• Cokken’s method offered a thorough and balanced technical and musical text.

• Hartmann’s Elementary Method was published for the uninformed student with little to know musical experience,
and one of many texts most likely published on behalf of Sax. The “Rubank” of 1846.

• Although a broad range of instruments were perceived by Sax, it was likely the baritone & bass saxophones were the
featured instruments of the day.

• Sax’s original instrument was mechanically challenging in comparison to modern technology.

• Kastner & Cokken methods is balanced in developing the technical and expressive musician.

• A coherent set of exercises and music was used, and relied heavily on operatic themes and duets.
 Conclusions
PEDAGOGY:
• Double-lipped embouchure used. However, Sax was clear in preferring the single lip. No
puffing cheeks or unwarranted pressure on the embouchure or reed.

• Importance of being balanced (posture), use of air, and tongue position (tu or te).

• The weight of the instrument is carried by the neck strap, the use of the hands are often referred
to as supporting the instrument.

• Specifics on rhythm are not discussed.

• Limited focus on playing in all keys

• Breathing and the quality of one’s sound is aligned. A good reed helps too!

• The concept of “extended” techniques was limited to double/triple tonguing.

Future of Saxophone Methodology:
The Next 100 Years
THANK YOU!