L'oiseau dans l'espace
Concerto for alto saxophone and percussion ensemble
RecordingsLive Recording - Zachary Shemon, saxophone and Paul Vaillancourt, conductor (excerpts)Live Recording - Jeff Siegfried, saxophone and Paul Vaillancourt, conductor
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Performance MaterialsAvailable through Murphy Music Press
Cost: $60 plus shipping (Purchase price includes unlimited performance rights) Bound score and solo part with PDF files for percussion ensemble commissioned by the International Saxophone Symposium and Competition
Score: Full Score (printing disabled) Program Notes: “L’oiseau dans l’espace” or “Bird in Space” by Romanian artist Constantin Brâncuși is among the most famous and important examples of modern sculpture. It appealed to me for its purity of form and directness of expression; two things that I always strive for in my compositions. The work, in my estimation, is comprised of two unbroken curved shapes. I used this framework as the structure for two movements in my concerto for saxophone and percussion ensemble. Curves are explored throughout in melodic, coloristic, rhythmic, and harmonic shapes. In the first movement, the saxophone’s ability to sustain long beautiful sounds is contrasted against the constant decay of percussive sound sources. However, occasionally this relationship is reversed where friction-based percussion is used to create sustained sounds and a warbling microtonal saxophone accompanies. The forceful yet playful second movement expresses the kinetic qualities of the sculpture and concludes with a final explosive cadenza for drums and extreme altissimo saxophone playing. |