The sopranissimo, a.k.a. soprillo, saxophone is about as tiny as a saxophone can get. Still true to the design of a saxophone, the sopranissimo is a saxophone that Adolphe Sax never imagined. Higher than even the tiny sopranino, it takes considerable skill to get the rare soprillo saxophone to make a sound.
The soprillo saxophone is made by only one maker, Benedikt Eppelsheim. They are also the makers of a modern bass and contrabass saxophone, as well as the sax-ish tubax and the bassoon-ish contraforte. Dedication to musical innovation seems to be the name of the game here. They have altered and/or improved many time honored designs for improved playability, increased range, or modern ergonomics. The sopranissimo, called the soprillo by the company, saxophone is an outgrowth of that innovation.
On his original patent, Adolphe Sax imagined a family stretching from the sopranino to the contrabass. It hadn’t even occurred to him to stretch his patent into the higher or lower ranges. Of course, that is exactly what Benedikt Eppelsheim is doing.
The sopranissimo is one step higher in the family than the sopranino. It is actually an entire octave higher than the soprano, making it extremely high pitched. Since instrument length is proportional to the lowest note, the sopranissimo saxophone is also extremely small. Many find the ergonomics on a sopranino to be tight, and the sopranissimo is positively cramped.
Since the soprillo is only about 13 inches long with the mouthpiece on, some alterations were needed to create such a tiny saxophone. First, the high octave vent had to be located higher on the saxophone than the neck permits. Thus, the vent is actually built into the mouthpiece. Also, it is too small to make room for a high F key, so the keyed range only goes up to a high E flat.
You have to do some adjusting to it as well. The absurdly small size requires an absurdly small embouchure. To play the sopranissimo high notes, the focus is intense. It is so intense actually, that the manufacturer warns players that it may take months for an experienced player to be able to sound the high notes.
On the other hand, you can claim to be playing the highest saxophone produced today. It is so intense that you would likely have to practice for years, but the reward would be a truly unique instrument. It can play (almost) anything written for the tenor or soprano saxophones, though some high notes are missing and controlling the altissimo is extremely difficult if possible at all. Still, doubling a soprano saxophone is quite a feat.
If you love a challenge and aren’t afraid to be high in the saxophone choir, the sopranissimo saxophone may be for you. Unlike most of Benedikt Eppelsheim’s work, it is within a reasonable price range at about $3000, which is expensive for a soprano saxophone but cheap for a baritone. A truly adventurous saxophone player might make his mark with one, since they are currently unexplored ground. If you do take the plunge, you can take comfort in the rarity and beauty of such a small, high saxophone.
Sources:
Benedikt Eppelsheim: Soprillo
Soprillo.com: The Soprillo