Marcel Mule

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Marcel Mule (June 24, 1901 - December 19, 2001) was a French classical saxophonist.

Born in Aube, Normandy, Mule was known by his nickname "Le Patron." He was known worldwide as one of the great classical saxophonists, and many pieces were written for him, premiered by him, and arranged by him. Many of these pieces have become staples in the classical saxophone repertoire.

"Mule studied and examined clarinet and saxophone with his father as a child. When he was twenty-two years old, he became a member of France's most illustrative wind, brass, and percussion ensemble, the band of the Garde Republicaine. He served as a member of this ensemble for thirteen years. It was here that he formed his outstanding Quatuor de Saxophones de Paris and gained renown as a soloist and ensemble performer." --Frederick Hemke^[1]

Along with his father, Mule studied saxophone with Francois Combelle.

Marcel Mule died in his sleep on December 19, 2001 at age 100.

[edit] Posts

In 1942 the Paris Conservatoire National de Musique et de Declamation reinstated its dormant saxophone program, and Mule, by then an esteemed saxophonist and teacher, was selected to head it. Mule remained Professor of Saxophone at the Conservatoire until he retired in 1968. He was succeeded in this post by Daniel Deffayet, a former student of Mule's.

In his position at the Conservatoire, he taught over 300 serious students, many of whom went on to become famous saxophone performers and teachers in their own right.

He organized, and played soprano saxophone in, the Quatuor de Saxophones de Paris which was one of the premier saxophone ensembles of its time.

[edit] Recordings

Mule made many recordings over the course of his career, mostly on 78RPM and 33RPM records. Notables ones include:

His LP numbered CCOO13, which aroused world wide interest in the art of classical saxophone.
His rendition of Jacques Ibert's Concertino da Camera, recorded in 1947.

Books about Marcel Mule :

Eugene Rousseau, Marcel Mule : sa vie et le saxophone (his life and the saxophone), Etoile Music (United States), 1982
Jean-Pierre Thiollet, Sax, Mule & Co, H & D, Paris, 2004 ISBN 2-914266-03-0