Villa Lobos - Fantasia for Soprano Saxophone
The heraldic opening of the Animato is so memorable and striking, it's the perfect beginning to this flagship piece for classical soprano saxophone. The colours and shades of the floating melodies and listing arpeggios are a perfect foil to the opening and are immensely satisfying to hear. The first movement ends with cascades of gorgeous notes before a firm and definite stop. The second movement is more languid, more nuanced. Here is a beautiful strangeness, a subterranean cave of the unknown. The exploration of the melody is cautious, yet inquisitive. It is as though the performer repeatedly asks, "is anyone there"? The concluding Tres Anime combines the first movement's energy and the second movement's oddities. The scale and scope of the music expands in the final moments, ever building to a spectacular conclusion.