sarrusophone

sarrusophone (sərŭsˈəfōn) [key], brass keyed wind instrument, played with a double reed, thus a member of the oboe family. Invented in 1856 by Sarrus, a French bandmaster, it is made in several sizes and was once much used in French bands to replace the weaker-toned oboes and bassoons. Only the contrabass was very successful, replacing the contrabassoon in French orchestras for a time.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

• • Cite
  • Print