Sigurd Rascher:Plays Recitative and Abracadabra - Claire Leonard

[ENsaxist]

I did hear Kenneth Tse play this at the NASA conference last year, and he ended on an A (C concert). Keep in mind, recordings like this might not necessarily adhere to the A-440 standard. Or might simply be sped up/slowed down! Thanks for sharing the vid though, Phil! Are you planning on going to NASA in March?

[chuspita2009]

I did not know you can get so high with an alto!!!!!!

[Zenkai251]

What altissimo note was that at the end?

[saxophoney]

@Zenkai251 Don't know. Homework assignment: get your sax out, figure out what tone it is and report back.

[DocOfTones]

@saxophoney Bb, 4th octave..

[stenzi517]

@Zenkai251 Bb i believe.

[mwidzinski]

Please support the Rascher Audio Collection Preservation Project! Look up our Facebook page, named: Sigurd M. Rascher Collection at Reed Library, SUNY Fredonia. Help fund the project by voting in the Pepsi Refresh Everything Grant Program for the month of November 2010.

[mwidzinski]

Please support the Rascher Audio Collection Preservation Project! Look up our Facebook page, named, Sigurd M. Rascher Collection at Reed Library, SUNY Fredonia. Help fund the project by voting in the Pepsi Refresh Everything Grant Program for the month of November 2010.

[twilliams1755]

@Nickleback/saxophoney: I just went out and bought a Rascher, currently still in trial, but with some embouchure adjustments, it plays soooo beautifully on my newer yamaha. Going to hopefully pair it with a different horn later. Have a friend with a lady godiva. We'll see.

[cameron935]

Dang! this dude is beast! :)

[NickleBackIsAwful]

The tone of classical saxophone is so much more astounding than that of the modern Saxophone, the next thing I buy will be a Rascher mouthpiece.

[saxophoney]

Cool. If found you need to be careful with the "Rascher" type mouthpiece though. I bought a vintage Buescher which is the Rascher mouthpiece and it really didn't play well with my modern alto (very stuffy in the upper register, though it play well at the bottom). From what I understand, you need to match a Buescher-Rascher type mouthpiece with a vintage type horn, rather than just sticking it on a modern horn. Maybe some Rascher authorities out there can offer advice on that.

[martzthomas]

@saxophoney actually the problem is that since the raschers are handmade they are not made consistently. it needs to be adjusted before it is played on. i use a modified rascher on my selmer paris reference 54 and it sounds fine

[Jacourie1]

@saxophoney a vintage buescher is not a rascher mouthpiece. the rascher mouthpieces actually have his signature on them and come with a letter signed by him. he might have endorsed their saxes but they are not the same company

[panjasax]

@saxophoney I play on a rather modern horn and am extremely satisfied with the results. I wish i had an old vintage horn to see if it really does make a difference!

[panjasax]

@NickleBackIsAwful I play bari sax and just purchased my Rascher mouthpiece and bass sax ligature and am SO pleased with the improvement on my tone and the increase in the dynamic range. I'm not sure about the tenor or alto mouthpieces because i have heard some horror stories of intonation issues, but if you play bari sax the rascher is a great investment, just note that you will most likely have to push in ALL the way.

[FvNeRaL]

omg this is authentic violin, but even more dramatic and sensible... melancolic

[Raimis17]

Amazing!

[extremesushirolling]

Incredible. I think that in some places the altissimo might be a bit much. but none the less an amazing performance!

[RK00002]

@extremesushirolling well, rascher does love his altissimo..........

[morkus26]

@extremesushirolling How arrogant of you to criticise. Stereotype.

[dorotheafayne]

Wow! Amazing! My parrrot is dancing to the music... Amadea:)

[saxophoney]

: )

[MyLinkedinPowerForum]

INCREDIBLE! Of the hundreds upon hundreds of items I've enjoyed on YouTube, this is by FAR the MOST MEANINGFUL! (I started collecting classical saxophone recordings in the late 1960's but, unfortunately, lost the entire collection. Had some of Rascher and Marcel Mule's earliest recordings + Donald Sinta, Fred Hemke, Dr. Eugene Rousseau, Vincent Abate, etc.)

Cannot possibly tell you how much this is making me smile and reflect! :-)

Thanks!

Vincent Wright

[saxophoney]

Great to hear you enjoyed it! I've recently made it a mini mission to collect what classical sax LPs I can find, spurred by the unavailability of Rascher's music on CD. I have a couple of Rascher, Mule, and Rousseau LPs, plus a Sinta, and four Londeix, all displayed in frames as art objects on a family room wall. If you have time, I do have a second Rascher video posted if you'd care to hear "Carnival of Venice". Cheers!

[DesertFox101]

Thank you so much for posting this. I have a question though regarding one of the pictures here. What's the story behind the saxophone on the left without keys at 1:38?

[saxophoney]

Rascher's had Buescher specially make that horn to demonstrate the over tone series achievable on the saxophone. UsaSax posted some great promotional videos of Rascher teacher saxophone technique. He play "Revely" with that horn. You'll find them to the right in "Relate Videos" or Search Youtube for Rascher and you'll find these great films.

[DesertFox101]

Thank you very much.

[coultrane]

Beautiful music. Thanks!

[customkey]

My first time hearing Rascher. I'm impressed by the warmth of his sound, and the feeling in his playing. His altissimo range is sweet, not forced sounding.

Selmer has the very first Adolph Sax saxophones on display at their offices in Paris, you can see how far the horn has come in 159 years or so. Thanks for posting.

[saxophoney]

You're welcome. Glad you listened.

[dwshell]

This is one of the most inspirational recordings of any saxophonist I have ever heard. Thank you for posting this!

[saxophoney]

Such a nice sentiment. Glad you liked it and happy to have done something to share the music of this important artist.

[saxophoney]

Thanks for commenting. Pretty cool stuff for 1953, eh? I wish that more Rascher was available for saxophonists to appreciate and study, but for now the planet earth will have to make due with two youtube videos. Cheers!