w16004
| Title | Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano |
| Contributors |
Julian Wagstaff (composer) |
| Composition date | 2005 |
| Duration (mins) | 12 |
| Category | chamber duo |
| Instrumentation | A-Sax Pf |
| Commissioned by | |
| Key signature | |
| First line | |
| First performed | 25 05 2005 Johanne McMullan; Andrew Johnston Reid Concert Hall, Edinburgh |
| Notes | This work was written for the saxophonist Johanne McMullan (now Jefferson) for her final performance recital in the context of her BMus degree at Edinburgh University. |
| Programme Note | My Saxophone Sonata was composed in late 2004 for the saxophonist Johanne McMullan, then a final year student at Edinburgh University, for her degree recital. It is in many ways a continuation of my exploration of the interface between the "serious" and the "popular" in music, the first manifestation of which was my 2002 Piano Quintet. The first movement (Prelude) is driven by a harmonic logic which is essentially quartal, and a melodic one based around the whole-tone scale. The Chorale and Passacaglia is derived entirely from three distinct twelve-note rows, and is an attempt to re-discover Schoenberg's early twelve-tone discoveries through a jazz-inflected aesthetic. The rondo finale is an up-tempo chromatic work-out, the tonal centre of which is continually shifting. The piece covers the entire register of the alto saxophone, thus comprehensively demonstrating the technical capabilities of the instrument. In addition, the characteristic melodies contained within the piece ably demonstrate the lyrical capacity of the alto sax. © Julian Wagstaff, April 2005 |
This work is associated with the following collection items:
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