Sonata for Saxophone and Piano

I feel connected to the saxophone in many ways, as I think it has some of the same questions about its place in the classical tradition that I do. It is an instrument associated with many styles of music, with a relatively short history compared to other instruments in the orchestra. Because of the instrument’s relatively late invention (Adolphe Sax patented the saxophone in 1846) few of the great 19th century composers wrote saxophone works.

When Connor and Novus New Music commissioned me to write a major work in 2017, I began thinking about the connections between my feelings about being a classical composer in the 21st century and the saxophone tradition. I wanted to write a piece that considered the roots of instrumental music, and how I feel the structures and forms of the Baroque and Classical periods can inform my writing. It can be considered old-fashioned to write old forms like the symphony, minuet, or scherzo, but I felt that this commission and this instrument were asking for just that.

 In my Sonata, I used three baroque instrumental forms to inspire my musical ideas. The first, “Overture”, is based on French Overture form, which is characterized by rapid upward scales, quick dotted rhythms, and stately, punctuated hits. The second movement is a “Sarabande”, which was a baroque dance in triple meter with emphasis on the second beat. In Sarabandes, it was common practice to improvise on the melody during the repeat sections, so in my Sarabande, the instruments fade into expressive, improvised jazz solos based on the melody. The final movement is a “Toccata”, which was a virtuosic piece intended to showcase the performers’ technique and agility. My Toccata begins with a slow, upward chromatic figure, which slowly develops into virtuosic passagework. I want to say a big thank you to Connor and Novus New Music for commissioning the work, it has been an honor working on it with Connor throughout the writing and performing process.