There is a new instrument amidst the woodwinds. Its creator is Belgian instrument maker Francois Louis, and the instrument is called an "aulochrome," from the Greek, aulos (an ancient Greek instrument) and chrome (many colours). It was designed recently, and made its debut in 2002, with a performance by saxophonist Fabrizio Cassol.
It kind of looks like two soprano saxophones smushed together. From listening to demonstrations on You Tube, I think it kind of sounds like soprano saxophones smushed together, too. There is a slight mis-tuning between the components, done intentionally, that creates beats. The player can manipulate the beats to create rhythms. Looking at the key diagrams of this new beast is a bit mind-boggling. From what I can tell, the right and left hand mechanisms are split between the two bodies. There are two mouthpieces, and, I'm assuming, two reeds.
Joe Lovano has done a lot to help promote the new horn, giving demonstrations and concerts.
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