Birtwistle - Panic
"Panic: A Dithyramb for alto saxophone, jazz drummer, wind, brass and percussion"
solo alto saxophone, jazz drum kit, 3 flutes (nos. 2 & 3 doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (no. 3 doubling cor anglais), 2 clarinets in B♭ (no. 2 doubling clarinet in E♭), bass clarinet, 3 bassoons (no. 3 doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 4 trumpets (no. 1 doubling piccolo trumpet), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani and percussion.
Premiered by
BBCSO - Andrew Davies w/John Harle (1995)
This notorious concertante for alto saxophone and kit is really a fight with the ensemble. Pugilistic lines fire out from the saxophone, the ensemble counters with vicious combinations. A clinch, broken up and suddenly more blows follow. A second round is more defensive, with dodging, ducking, as the saxophone tries to escape in the honky, growly mess. Round three provides a brief moment of repose but the chaos soon returns, draws you in, then spits you out again. French classical saxophone this is not. The bulges and surges are full of aggressive energy and the brass interact with the saxophone in delayed mirroring. A dithyramb was a wild and ecstatic pagan hymn, with a detailed narrative, accompanied by the aulos (double flute/bagpipe) in phrygian mode. The saxophone personifies Pan in all his exuberance and audacity. The piece has been recorded by John Harle, Marcus Weiss and Ties Mellema.
solo alto saxophone, jazz drum kit, 3 flutes (nos. 2 & 3 doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (no. 3 doubling cor anglais), 2 clarinets in B♭ (no. 2 doubling clarinet in E♭), bass clarinet, 3 bassoons (no. 3 doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 4 trumpets (no. 1 doubling piccolo trumpet), 3 trombones, tuba, timpani and percussion.
Premiered by
BBCSO - Andrew Davies w/John Harle (1995)
This notorious concertante for alto saxophone and kit is really a fight with the ensemble. Pugilistic lines fire out from the saxophone, the ensemble counters with vicious combinations. A clinch, broken up and suddenly more blows follow. A second round is more defensive, with dodging, ducking, as the saxophone tries to escape in the honky, growly mess. Round three provides a brief moment of repose but the chaos soon returns, draws you in, then spits you out again. French classical saxophone this is not. The bulges and surges are full of aggressive energy and the brass interact with the saxophone in delayed mirroring. A dithyramb was a wild and ecstatic pagan hymn, with a detailed narrative, accompanied by the aulos (double flute/bagpipe) in phrygian mode. The saxophone personifies Pan in all his exuberance and audacity. The piece has been recorded by John Harle, Marcus Weiss and Ties Mellema.