# Octavin

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Woodwind instrument

Octavin Woodwind instrument Classification Aerophone Hornbostel–Sachs classification 422.212 (Single reed instrument with irregular bore) Inventor Julius Jehring Developed 19th century

The **octavin** (also spelled **oktavin**)[1] is a 19th century [woodwind instrument](/source/Woodwind_instrument) with a conical bore and a single reed.[2]

## Design

The octavin resembles a [saxophone](/source/Saxophone): its range is similar to that of a soprano saxophone. However, the octavin differs in three respects: first, its [conical bore](/source/Conical_bore) has a smaller taper than that of a saxophone; second, its body is made of wood, rather than metal; third, its usual shape is more similar to that of a [bassoon](/source/Bassoon), having two parallel straight sections joined at the bottom, with the mouthpiece attached to the top of one section and a metal bell to the top of the other. A few straight octavins exist, having a wooden bell; in this configuration it resembles a [tarogato](/source/Tarogato) but has a smaller taper.[3] The instrument was produced in B♭, C and F.[4][1] One writer (Altenberg) mentions a bass octavin but no such instrument is known to have been produced. The (written) range of the octavin is from G♯3 to G6.[3]

## Production

The octavin was invented in 1881 by Julius Jehring, a bassoon maker.[3] It was later patented in 1893 by Oskar Adler and Hermann Jordan of [Markneukirchen](/source/Markneukirchen), Germany.[5]

## Legacy

The octavin was a commercial failure and is now extremely rare, being considered a curiosity by collectors.[3][6] However, the octavin is memorialized by the organ stop bearing its name.[7] Repertoire for the instrument is scarce: one of the only pieces for the octavin is a [sonatina](/source/Sonatina) composed by [Jeff Britting](/source/Jeff_Britting) (b. 1957).[3]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) *The New Grove dictionary of musical instruments*. Stanley Sadie. London: Macmillan Press. 1984. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-943818-05-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-943818-05-2). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [10754317](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/10754317).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: others ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_others))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** (Corp), Dorling Kindersley (2022). *Music : the definitive visual history*. London. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-241-55902-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-241-55902-4). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [1314382566](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1314382566).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location_missing_publisher))

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:1_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:1_3-4) Hartenberger, Aurelia (2021-10-28). ["Octavin-Bb: 'Adler & Co.'"](https://wmic.net/octavin-bb-adler-co/). *Hartenberger World Musical Instrument Collection*. Retrieved 2023-01-07.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Search Results"](https://collections.ed.ac.uk/mimed/search/*:*/Instrument:%22octavin+%7C%7C%7C+Octavin%22). *collections.ed.ac.uk*. Retrieved 2023-01-07.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Octavin"](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/504155). *www.metmuseum.org*. Retrieved 2023-01-07.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["422.212"](https://www.horniman.ac.uk/object/14.5.47/261/). *Horniman Museum and Gardens*. Retrieved 2023-01-07.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Scholes, Percy A. (1964). *The concise Oxford dictionary of music*. John Owen Ward (2d ed.). London: Oxford University Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-19-311307-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-19-311307-4). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [509554](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/509554). {{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date))

- Carse, Adam (1939). *Musical Wind Instruments*. London: MacMillan.

- ["Movie Music UK -- Composer Gallery A-B"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060925220729/http://www.moviemusicuk.us/gallery-ab.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.moviemusicuk.us/gallery-ab.htm) on 2006-09-25. Retrieved 2006-09-26.

v t e Single reed instruments Modern Clarinet Heckel-clarina Heckelphone-clarinet Octavin Saxophone Tárogató Venova Xaphoon European Alboka Birbynė Chalumeau Diplica Ganurags Hornpipe Launeddas Mock trumpet Pibgorn Pilili Pku Reclam de xeremies Sipsi Stock-and-horn Zhaleika Middle Eastern Arghul Double clarinet Dozaleh Mijwiz Sipsi Central Asian Bülban Dili tuiduk South Asian Pepa Pungi Southeast Asian Pey pok Sarune Etek Toleat

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Octavin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavin) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavin?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.