Concerto for Soprano Saxophone


Begun on July 30, 2000 as a submission for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Competition for Young Composers, and completed on October 30, 2000, this work is dedicated to my Grade 8 music teacher and life-long mentor: Dr. Tony Gallo (PhD, Ethnomusicology). He is the dearest friend in the world to me and I have never properly thanked him for all that he taught me and all that he did for me.

The work is composed of three movements:
I: Allegro
II: Adagietto
III: Finale - Rondo: Allegro vivo e ritmico

The first movement is centered around two themes, exposed right at the beginning. It then develops through a type of sonata-variations form, changing key, style, time signature, and feel. In one of the earlier variations, I had to strongly resist quoting Dave Brubeck's jazz classic "Blue Rondo ą la Turk".


The second movement is a delightful ternary form. The first theme is original but the second theme is derived from the Gregorian Chant used by Medięval composer Guillaume de Machaut in his "Messe De Notre-Dame".


The finale is a delightful rondo whose theme is reminiscent of the Badinerie from J.S. Bach's "Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor". The martial section in the middle was originally intended for another work that I was writing, but I decided that it didn't really fit in the other work very well because it would lead to great fatigue for one of the musicians. It fits much more pleasantly here.

INFORMATION
Title: Concerto for Soprano Saxophone
Duration: 12:30
Orchestration: 1 1 1 1 , 1 1 0 0 , timp , vn, va, vc, cb, soprano sax


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