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Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano is a reflection on time spent at Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota in the Summer of 2020. Itasca State Park is Minnesota's first state park, established in 1891, and is well-known around the world because it contains the source of the mighty Mississippi River.
I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty of the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca. This served as the inspiration for this piece. The first movement "Veritas Caput," are the Latin words meaining "true head." This is how Itasca got its name (verITAS CAput). The opening section is set to represent the calmness of the lake with the piano and saxophone exchanging ideas. The tempo picks up with a rippling echo in the piano. This portrays the moment where the waters of the lake begin to flow their 2,320 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. The saxophone then enters again to start an exciting musical journey to take the listener along the winding path of the Mississippi River.
The second movement is a quirky, playful "Underwater Dance" in concert A Minor. I imagined what kind of music the fish and other creatures underneath the rivers' waters would want to listen to. This uneven dance rides the current of the river through many unexpected twists and turns. The final movement "Pine Forests" begins with a saxophone cadenza. This cadenza is filled with extended techniques to evoke images of past conflicts with logging companies at the Mississippi Headwaters.
In the Spring of 1903, Mary Gibbs, a park superintendent, confronted a group of armed loggers that were destroying the old-growth pine forests. Itasca State Park is well-known for its old-growth pine forests with trees that have stood for over 250 years. Thanks to the efforts of Mary Gibbs these old-growth pine forests are still a place we can all visit today. This movement pays tribute to the relentless courage of Mary Gibbs and for protecting our natural environment.
Thank you to Zachary Arthur and the consortium of saxophonists that commissioned this piece: Joel Ferst, Ryan Gamberino, Mia Gazley, Chinley Hinacay, Andrew Hosler, Andrew Kovaleski, Matthew Robinson, and Jose Romero
Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano is a reflection on time spent at Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota in the Summer of 2020. Itasca State Park is Minnesota's first state park, established in 1891, and is well-known around the world because it contains the source of the mighty Mississippi River.
I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty of the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca. This served as the inspiration for this piece. The first movement "Veritas Caput," are the Latin words meaining "true head." This is how Itasca got its name (verITAS CAput). The opening section is set to represent the calmness of the lake with the piano and saxophone exchanging ideas. The tempo picks up with a rippling echo in the piano. This portrays the moment where the waters of the lake begin to flow their 2,320 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. The saxophone then enters again to start an exciting musical journey to take the listener along the winding path of the Mississippi River.
The second movement is a quirky, playful "Underwater Dance" in concert A Minor. I imagined what kind of music the fish and other creatures underneath the rivers' waters would want to listen to. This uneven dance rides the current of the river through many unexpected twists and turns. The final movement "Pine Forests" begins with a saxophone cadenza. This cadenza is filled with extended techniques to evoke images of past conflicts with logging companies at the Mississippi Headwaters.
In the Spring of 1903, Mary Gibbs, a park superintendent, confronted a group of armed loggers that were destroying the old-growth pine forests. Itasca State Park is well-known for its old-growth pine forests with trees that have stood for over 250 years. Thanks to the efforts of Mary Gibbs these old-growth pine forests are still a place we can all visit today. This movement pays tribute to the relentless courage of Mary Gibbs and for protecting our natural environment.
Thank you to Zachary Arthur and the consortium of saxophonists that commissioned this piece: Joel Ferst, Ryan Gamberino, Mia Gazley, Chinley Hinacay, Andrew Hosler, Andrew Kovaleski, Matthew Robinson, and Jose Romero