Piano Reduction including solo part. Par DENISOV EDISON. The catalogue of Edison Denisov's works includes 16 concertos. It was a genre to which he returned time and again throughout his life, from the Concerto for Cello and Orchestra of 1972 to the Double Concerto for Flute, Clarinet and Orchestra of 1996. In Denisov's music the role of the soloist, or rather the protagonist, is extraordinarily important, not so much for its virtuosity as for its confessional character. The solo part is a monologue distinguished by poetic diction and a very personal message from the composer. The dramaturgical conception of the Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra, a reworking of the Viola Concerto of 1986, draws on traditional sonata form, thereby reaffirming the ubiquitous classicism in Denisov's thought. In this late work, we find all the typical features of his style: sinuous melodic lines layered into dense contrapuntal textures, and an interplay of orchestral colours, with pure sonorities contrasting with complex mixtures of sounds. It is a perfect dramaturgy that governs the evolution of the music to the very end. The first movement assumes the role of a sonata-allegro, with the standard formal sections of exposition, development, recapitulation and coda. The second movement is an Adagio for strings. The third takes the form of a little contrasting intermezzo that introduces both new thematic material and a new range of colours. Here tunefulness gives way to pointillism enriched with sonic effects. The only movement with a virtuosic solo part, its nervousness and inner tension set it worlds apart from the second and fourth movements that surround it. The fourth movement assumes the traditional form of a final set of variations. It is the dramaturgical and semantic heart of the concerto. The theme of the variations is Franz Schubert's Impromptu in B-flat major, op. 142, which in this case is 'born' from the celesta as the product of a dodecaphonic string cluster. This finale represents Denisov's homage to his great mentor, Schubert's music being for him a symbol of eternal and universal beauty. 'The attentive listener', Denisov stressed, 'will recognise that the Impromptu theme is already suggested very slowly in the course of the three preceding movements, not only thematically, but also psychologically. That's what makes the appearance of the Schubert theme sound so natural.' The variations relate to the variation genre less in their form than in their spiritual and conceptual metamorphoses. It is, one might say, 'music round about Schubert'. (Ekaterina Kouprovskaia-Denisova)/ Répertoire / Saxophone Alto et Piano

Imagine someone who has worked as an international saxophonist, an educator, a technician, a consultant, and as a designer, and you can imagine Peter Ponzol. For the first time, Peter offers details from his famous Saxophone Workshops. Learn about: ? Maintenance ? Reeds ? Mouthpieces ? Ligatures ? Sound ? Flexibility This exciting and informational pocket book will be a much needed addition to your musical library! Convenient pocket-sized book - 3.5 x 5.5 - perfect to toss in your gig bag! 64 pages. Peter has been around saxophones for decades, doing it all from manufacturing horns to reeds to mouthpieces. As well, he is a seasoned player. What he discusses in this book is coming from one of the sources-read carefully! - David Liebman, Sax artist/ author/ clinician. Read this review from Sax On The Web: The information in this book is right up SOTW?s alley, with answers regarding reeds, necks, mouthpieces, saxes, maintenance, and the like. I would assume that the number of redundant threads started could be reduced almost in half simply with a reading of this book and those owning it could refer back to it at their leisure, as needed. And there is enough info in this book which contradicts some of our SOTW urban legends to make an episode of MythBusters. If you catch the right posts at the right time, much of the info in this book is already posted here on SOTW. But you have to see it and if hunting for it, you have to find it. OTOH it?s all conveniently gathered and organized here in this primer - plus more. There are suggestions such as replacing the neck cork once or twice a year, which I would, if posting a response, say is not necessary. But here?s the difference. Many of us on the forum are experienced musicians but few have the experience and depth that Ponzol has. We can write with credibility - Ponzol writes with authority. And this is based on decades not only as a top-echelon player, but as a successful and innovative sax, neck and mpc designer. The book is a 61 page pocket reference booklet which, in addition to topics mentioned above, include thoughts on ligatures, sound and flexibility. It is based on items of interest asked by attendees at workshops he has given over the years, hence the title. He begins by pointing out that at these workshops one of the first things he does is look at the condition of attendees' equipment with the observation that at least 90% of them need some kind of work and adjustments. What follows in the book?s 61 pages are recommendations generated by this observation. Included are interesting comments such as: aging store-bought reeds by letting them sit for several years is fairly useless since the aging process stops once the bark has been cut away from the reed; not earth-shattering but interesting and certainly myth debunking. Again something that fits right in with many of the conversations on this forum. Interesting thoughts follow regarding the future of natural cane reeds, or how to select and get the most from your reeds - things I wouldn?t think of like sanding the heel of your reed. SOTWers might also get a kick out of, and relate to, the title of his section on mouthpieces, ?Now the Fun Begins?. There are also interesting side comments we don?t often hear like: in the 70s so many young players like Ponzol were trying to get Trane?s recorded sound by working on metal Links because that?s what they saw in photos and yet, Trane often recorded with hard rubber mpcs because, in Trane's opinion, it didn?t have as much spit in the sound for him. It?s interesting how some things come around back to you. There are two exercises I recommend to my students and have recommended on the forum regarding volume and embouchure control and flexibility. I?ve never heard anyone else recommend these exercises and yet here they are in Peter?s book. Then it hit me. The only other one I know who uses them is a former teacher of mine and I remembered that years ago he said he had had some lessons with Ponzol. So ?the circle is unbroken? LOL. I would highly recommend it for beginners and intermediates, as well as for more advanced players to recommend to their students. It has made me re-think even some of my most basic assumptions regarding equipment and maintenance, which has made the read well worth it. I wish every SOTW newbie would start out their Forum time with this booklet at their disposal.