Concerto for Saxophone and Percussion Orchestra
General Info
Publisher: HoneyRock Publishing
Difficulty: Advanced
Cost: $75.00
Instrumentation
Solo
Percussion Ensemble
Player 1: Crotales & Snare Drum & Gong & Crash Cymbal & Guiro & Flat Gong & Chimes
Player 2: Suspended Cymbal & Chimes & Glockenspiel & Crash Cymbal & Gong (Large) & Gong (Flat) & Triangle
Player 3: Vibraphone 1
Player 4: Vibraphone 2
Player 5: Marimba 1
Player 6: Marimba 2
Player 7: Marimba 3
Player 8: Marimba 4
Player 9: Bass Marimba
Player 10: Concert Tom Toms & Wind Chimes & Roto Toms & Temple Blocks & Suspended Cymbal
Player 11: Bass Drum & Timbales & 5 Brake Drums
Player 12: Timpani
Description
Constructed in three movements, this is an outstanding concerto that features a saxophone soloist with accompaniment by 12 percussionists and piano. Very active mallet parts, as well as 4 multi-percussion set-ups and one timpanist in conjunction with piano, weave wonderful textures under busy sax melodies.
In the first movement, the main theme is introduced by the marimbas and builds in intensity to a powerful entrance of the solo saxophone. The saxophone takes a variation of this theme over a repetitive figure in the marimbas, influenced by the music of Steve Reich. This theme is brought back again, this time in a complex meter of 7/8 and 5/8. After a short percussion break the music of the introduction returns to end the movement.
Movement two begins and ends as a freely played duet between the vibraphone and saxophone. The simple chord progression used in this movement is a wonderful vehicle for the solo saxophone to play expressive melodies.
The third movement is a blazing, high energy finale which unleashes the full potential of the saxophone's technical and expressive powers. Influenced by combinations of Spanish modes and heavy-metal rock-n-roll, the movement is brought to a huge climax with the saxophone screaming over the percussion ensemble's powerful explosions. The Coda continues to gain momentum, driving the Concerto to an exhilarating culmination.
Works for Percussion by this Composer
Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Percussion Orchestra - Percussion Ensemble (12); Saxophone; Piano
Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra (Peterson) - Timpani; Orchestra
Sonata for Alto Saxophone and 4 Marimbas - Percussion Quartet; Marimba Quartet; Saxophone
The Life of King David: Concerto for Marimba and Band - Marimba; Band