Favorite saxophone works

[DavidW]

I was listening to the radio and there was a concerto for saxophone playing, well the piece was rubbish but I remembered how much I love the sound of the instrument.

So what are your favorite chamber and orchestral works that feature the saxophone prominently?

[Brahmsian]

None.  Can't stand the sound of the saxomophone.

[Josquin des Prez]

I was listening to the radio and there was a concerto for saxophone playing, well the piece was rubbish but I remembered how much I love the sound of the instrument.

So what are your favorite chamber and orchestral works that feature the saxophone prominently?

The Saxophone is possibly my favored Jazz instrument, but i'm not particularly keen to it when it comes to classical music. You can try Kapustin's concerto for Alto-Saxophone if you want, which can be found here, along with most of his recordings:

http://pinkysmusic.toypark.in/cdartist/kapustin.php

Other then that, i'm essentially at a loss.

[Josquin des Prez]

None.  Can't stand the sound of the saxomophone.

Heresy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j_TDoOPnIA

[some guy]

Where to start??

The saxophone has been as ubiquitous in the new music I favor as the electric guitar and turntable.

Easier to name soloists and ensembles.

Kelvin Pittman
Urs Leimgruber
Ulrich Krieger
Daniel Kientzy
Peter Brötzmann
Ornette Coleman

Rova Quartet
Raschèr Quartet

Should be enough to get you started!

[karlhenning]

None.  Can't stand the sound of the saxomophone.

(* Jeevesian cough *) Have you given ear to . . . Out in the Sun?

[springrite]

(* Jeevesian cough *) Have you given ear to . . . Out in the Sun?

Ha! I was going to mention it but can't rememeber the title！ （I was thinking...the Sun... or the Rat Trap... )

[karlhenning]

... or the Rat Trap...

Hah! (I am a Rat, you know.) : )

[Todd]

I dig Erwin Schulhoff's Hot Sonata.

[71 dB]

None.  Can't stand the sound of the saxomophone.

You mean sucksophone?

[DavidW]

(* Jeevesian cough *) Have you given ear to . . . Out in the Sun?

You know I thought you had written a piece with a saxophone but then I thought it probably was just in my head!

[Florestan]

My favorite saxophone works CD:

[Franco]

The French seem to love this instrument with several French composers writing for it, Debussy, Milhaud, and many others - but the preferred sound of the French players is very different from that of Americans and I am not thrilled with it. 

Glazunov's concerto is widely available, but I have not heard it.  I thought Creston had written one, but could not find any, although, I didn't search very hard.  Hindemith must have written one.

[Sergeant Rock]

Pettersson's 16th Symphony could just as well been called a Saxophone Concerto. The work is one of his most upbeat too. The saxophone is used in Vaughan Williams 9th Symphony, providing an atmosphere no other instrument could have given. A brilliant bit of orchestration.

Sarge

[SonicMan46]

Well, Harpo & I love the saxophone in jazz, and I do have a 'small' collection of the sax used in more classical compositions - just a handful below; the Koechlin disc is just wonderful:

Koechlin, Charles - Saxophone Works et al

Marsalis, Branford - Romances for Saxophone

Music for Sax & Orchestral - Many works

Saxology - Many composers (mainly French)

 

 

[Sergeant Rock]

I remembered how much I love the sound of the instrument.

Me too. It was my main instrument (I could also play clarinet). Here's me and my tenor sax in 1967:




Sarge

[jowcol]

Debussy Romance for saxophone.

And naturally "The Old Castle" from the Ravel orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition.

Isn't there also a sax solo in the third mvmt of RVW's 6th symphony?

Jazz saxophone is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.  Some of Duke Ellington's later works (Far East Suite, and AfroEurasian Eclipse) work saxophone playing into an ensemble sound.  (Chinoiserrie from the latter is great).  For a cool tone, Lester Young is hard to beat.  On the far other end of the spectrum would be something like Pharaoh Sanders, who played in really weird resisters that can be pretty abrasive, but the settings are something that a fan of 20th century orchestral works may really appreciate.  (Karma is probably the definitive one..)

[DavidW]

Ah lucky Sarge, I wanted to play sax when I was in band but ended up with the flute.

[karlhenning]

Ah lucky Sarge, I wanted to play sax when I was in band but ended up with the flute.

But, dude! That means you can play Heedless Watermelon! ; )

[karlhenning]

Thread duty:

I love the sax bits in Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet.