Saxophone Concerto

Commissioned by the Israel Camerata, premiered by Alabama Symphony with saxophonist Joshua Redman, conducted by Justin Brown
PUBLISHER G Schirmer Inc
DURATION 14 min
ORCHESTRATION 1112/2000/dmkit/str
SOLOISTS Soprano Saxophone

The Saxophone Concerto, inspired in part by the music of saxophonist John Coltrane, incorporates vocabulary from jazz through the use of short motives. These ideas, presented early in the piece, each carry a particular set of musical characteristics, and much of the music of the work derives from some manipulation of these motivic elements. While the saxophone soloist attempts to lead the group to play aggressive, jazz-inspired music, the orchestra resists, steering the material away from the modern and toward more traditional styles. Ultimately, the orchestra refuses to follow the soloist’s lead, and the saxophonist retires, frustrated.