| Bass sarrusophone | |
| Image Capt: | Bass sarrusophone in B♭, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
| Background: | woodwind |
| Hornbostel Sachs: | 422.112 |
| Hornbostel Sachs Desc: | Double reed aerophone with keys |
| Developed: | Mid 19th century |
| Range: | Bass sarrusophone in B♭ sounds two octaves and a major second lower than written.[1] |
| Builders: | Orsi (on request)----Historical: |
| Articles: | Sarrusophones: |
The bass sarrusophone is the bass member of the sarrusophone family of metal double reed conical bore wind instruments. Pitched in the key of B♭, it has a range almost identical to the bass saxophone, and can cover the bassoon range up to F.
Historically it was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries principally by its inventor and his successor, as well as Evette & Schaeffer and Orsi of Milan. It is currently only available by custom order from Orsi.[2]
There is very little repertoire specifically for bass sarrusophone; Roupen Shakarian has written a piece for it called Sarruso Rex.