GMG Classical Music Forum

Piece for 2014-15. I want opinions!

alto, all the way!  :)

Soprano saxophone and marimba, because the alto is too ubiquitous.

Oh yes, and be sure to have the saxophone player shake her cowbell now and then!  0:)

And a helicopter should not be used!  ;)

The saxes are neck and neck (wocka wocka!)

Definitely no aircraft!

Tenor sax! With either Coleman Hawkins or John Coltrane attached.  8)

In my dreams.  The choice though is driven by performers known to my publisher.

Soprano!  8)

Alto (or better yet, tenor or baritone)! 8)

Alto for me. The sound of the soprano sax reminds me too much of 'smooth man' Kenny G. Although commercially that might not be a bad thing. ;)

Soprano is taking a beating in the poll.  $:)

New suggestion: Baritone Sax & Glockenspiel

Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on October 15, 2013, 01:08:27 PM
Alto for me. The sound of the soprano sax reminds me too much of 'smooth man' Kenny G. Although commercially that might not be a bad thing. ;)

That's part of the point!  Karl's work would be an exorcism of that blonde Beelzebub!   >:D

I adore the bass clarinet.....runs and hides....

Alto or baritone sax would fit lovely, I think, with the marimba.

I like the soprano more in combinations, but it's less... saxophoney. Baritone would be the way to go if it were an option.

It could go either way.  Soprano would contrast more with the marimba; alto would blend more...

(For a moment I thought you might be talking Selmer, Conn or Yamaha! :laugh: )

Quote from: karlhenning on October 15, 2013, 12:06:53 PM
In my dreams.  The choice though is driven by performers known to my publisher.

Hi Karl - I love all of the 'family' of saxophones but my hearing experience is mainly jazz oriented and I have favs w/ each - voted for an alto sax w/ a marimba, just seemed to blend better, but if contrast is needed then the soprano would be great (BTW, can you get Sidney Bechet for the part? ;)) - BUT, good luck w/ the composition regardless of your choice - I'm sure that you will do well w/ either sax - Dave :)

Quote from: Cato on October 15, 2013, 04:49:51 PM
That's part of the point!  Karl's work would be an exorcism of that blonde Beelzebub!   >:D

HA!

True. If it works, a new paradigm!

It really just depends on what kind of piece and sound you want to create. The alto can create lower sounds and can provide more range in certain ways (texture and notes). The soprano can provide more highs and can be more differentiating. It really just depends what you have in mind. The mirimba itself has a wider range, so what you plan for that can be the catalyst for which saxophone to choose. My suggestion would be to go to youtube, enter 'marimba and saxophone', and just listen to the sound of the instruments. You may find this helpful. Both will do whatever you want to do in a satisfactory way.

I understand that the soprano sax is fiendishly difficult to play in tune, maybe partly the result of its being a 'double' instrument much more often than a mainstay.  (Is this true?)  Also the larger body of literature and specialists for the alto.
Of course, all this could decide in favor of the soprano for yr piece.

I believe you'll get more tonal color with the alto/marimba.  of course, you might really be looking for that Kenny G sound!   hmmm...Concerto in G for Kenny?

I think one could write for soprano saxophone without "looking for that Kenny G sound" about as readily as writing for tenor saxophone without "looking for that Clarence Clemmons sound."  No instrument is limited by any famous practitioner. Not for a proper composer, anyway.

I would also go with the soprano saxophone.

Quote from: Wanderer on October 16, 2013, 03:02:21 AM
I would also go with the soprano saxophone.

Yes!  To paraphrase cartoon character Eric Cartman  :o "Booo, alto sax!  Booo!"   0:)

Quote from: mc ukrneal on October 15, 2013, 09:20:00 PM
It really just depends on what kind of piece and sound you want to create. The alto can create lower sounds and can provide more range in certain ways (texture and notes). The soprano can provide more highs and can be more differentiating. It really just depends what you have in mind. The mirimba itself has a wider range, so what you plan for that can be the catalyst for which saxophone to choose. My suggestion would be to go to youtube, enter 'marimba and saxophone', and just listen to the sound of the instruments. You may find this helpful. Both will do whatever you want to do in a satisfactory way.

I suspect our friend Karl is intimately familiar with both the sound and playing of all saxophones and marimba! :)

Quote from: Octave on October 15, 2013, 09:38:29 PM
I understand that the soprano sax is fiendishly difficult to play in tune, maybe partly the result of its being a 'double' instrument much more often than a mainstay.  (Is this true?)...

It is difficult, but not for that reason.  The smaller wind instruments are just that much more difficult to make good sounds on.  It's all about the pressure needed to play: the smaller the horn, the harder you have to blow (and the less air you use).  Although I've never played the soprano, I have played alto, tenor and baritone, which were easy for me to play relatively well.  (That's one advantage of specializing on the oboe: Everything else is easy by comparison! :o ;D)  But if a player starts on alto or tenor sax, s/he needs to work harder to make the soprano sound good.