Albright, William - Sonata
Trio Part Invention
This troubled and intricate work is one of several pieces for saxophone by American composer William Albright. Fragmentary and focusing then refocusing on individual notes, intervals and short motifs, the opening movement weaves a sinister tapestry of menace. Piano and saxophone employ pitch to a wide range in order to set the mood.
Lo Follia Nuovo
A more traditional opening sets this movement in motion. 'The new folly'? or the new collection. Strangeness returns in a more subtle form with middle pedal notes mimicking pizzicato. The resonances and the saxophone's unusual accompanying role again create a sense of the unsettled and a dangerous sadness. The minor tonality persistently breaks down into more dissonant and worrying harmony. The harrowing soft, even silent passages uncompromisingly exert menace.
Scherzo
A joke, but a dark, twisted and criminal one. One is put in mind of The Joker. There is a good deal of mocking and face pulling in the material, and just as clowns often frighten young children, this slightly evil interlude feels like some sick prank.
Recitative and Dance
The plot of the Sonata is elaborated upon here with a good deal of information. The dance is both infernal and jarring. The minor 3rd and jazz inflections are important features, but are only vehicles for the complex musical narrative that Albright presents.
A dark and serious addition to the saxophone repertoire, this difficult piece ought to have as wide an exposure as the more traditional saxophone sonatas. Albright hasn't held back in any sense with his music here.
This troubled and intricate work is one of several pieces for saxophone by American composer William Albright. Fragmentary and focusing then refocusing on individual notes, intervals and short motifs, the opening movement weaves a sinister tapestry of menace. Piano and saxophone employ pitch to a wide range in order to set the mood.
Lo Follia Nuovo
A more traditional opening sets this movement in motion. 'The new folly'? or the new collection. Strangeness returns in a more subtle form with middle pedal notes mimicking pizzicato. The resonances and the saxophone's unusual accompanying role again create a sense of the unsettled and a dangerous sadness. The minor tonality persistently breaks down into more dissonant and worrying harmony. The harrowing soft, even silent passages uncompromisingly exert menace.
Scherzo
A joke, but a dark, twisted and criminal one. One is put in mind of The Joker. There is a good deal of mocking and face pulling in the material, and just as clowns often frighten young children, this slightly evil interlude feels like some sick prank.
Recitative and Dance
The plot of the Sonata is elaborated upon here with a good deal of information. The dance is both infernal and jarring. The minor 3rd and jazz inflections are important features, but are only vehicles for the complex musical narrative that Albright presents.
A dark and serious addition to the saxophone repertoire, this difficult piece ought to have as wide an exposure as the more traditional saxophone sonatas. Albright hasn't held back in any sense with his music here.