Editing Saxophone (section)

===Early twentieth-century growth and development===

While the saxophone remained marginal, used mainly as a novelty instrument in the classical world, many new musical niches were established for it during the early decades of the twentieth century. Its early use in [[vaudeville]] and [[ragtime]] bands around the turn of the century laid the groundwork for its use in dance orchestras and eventually jazz. As the market for saxophones grew in the US, the manufacturing industry grew. The [[Martin Band Instrument Company]] started producing saxophones between 1905 and 1912, and the Cleveland Band Instrument Company started producing saxophones under contract to the [[H. N. White Company]] in 1916. The saxophone was promoted for the casual market with introduction of the [[C soprano saxophone|C soprano]] (slightly higher than the regular soprano) and [[C melody saxophone|C melody]] (between alto and tenor) saxophones, both pitched in C to enable them to play from piano music. Production of such instruments stopped during the [[Great Depression]]. During the 1920s the saxophone came into use as a jazz instrument, fostered by the influences of the [[Fletcher Henderson]] Orchestra and the [[Duke Ellington Orchestra]]. Starting in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the modern era of classical saxophone was launched largely through the efforts of [[Marcel Mule]] and [[Sigurd Raschèr]], and the classical repertoire for the instrument expanded rapidly.

The use of the saxophone for more dynamic and more technically demanding styles of playing added incentive for improvements in keywork and acoustic design. Early saxophones had two separate [[octave key]]s operated by the left thumb to control the two octave vents required on alto or larger saxophones. Around the turn of the century, mechanisms were developed to operate both octave vents with a single key using the left thumb. [[Ergonomic]] design of keywork evolved rapidly during the 1920s and 1930s. The front F mechanism supporting alternate fingerings for high E and F, and a stack-linked G{{music|#}} key action, became standard during the 1920s, followed by improvements to the left hand table key mechanisms controlling G{{music|#}} and the bell keys. New bore designs during the 1920s and 1930s resulted from the quest for improved [[Intonation (music)|intonation]], dynamic response and tonal qualities. The 1920s were also an era of design experiments like the Buescher straight altos and tenors, the King ''Saxello'' soprano, the C. G. Conn ''mezzo-soprano'' saxophone keyed in F, and the ''Conn-O-Sax'' saxophone–English horn hybrid.

French saxophonist and educator [[Jean-Marie Londeix]] greatly expanded the saxophone repertoire and available techniques in the second half of the 20th century, commissioning a great deal of new saxophone works with extended techniques, including those by [[Edison Denisov|Denisov]], [[Christian Lauba|Lauba]], Rossé, and Rolin.<ref>{{Cite thesis |title=The saxophone music of Thierry Escaich |url=https://iro.uiowa.edu/esploro/outputs/doctoral/9983777116402771 |publisher=University of Iowa |date=2018 |degree=Doctor of Musical Arts |doi=10.17077/etd.0nyo-qdwy |language=en |first=John |last=Cummins}}</ref>