John Mackey (United States | b.1973)
Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Wind Ensemble (2007)
II. Felt
Movement two is “Felt.” This movement is a study of the keys of the instrument, so it includes lots of runs (requiring quick fingers), lots of pitch bending (to show what different pitches the sax can produce with minimal movement of the fingers), and a bit of alternate fingering. On the saxophone, the player can play the same pitch by using different combinations of keys, and each fingering combination results in a slightly different color. In this movement, you’ll hear repeated notes that are accomplished with changing fingerings, so the color will shift from note to note, even as the pitch stays the same.
The other question – besides “what is a sax made of” – that I wanted to consider when writing the concerto was, “what can a sax do?” Movement 2, “Felt,” answers that question with, “well, the sax can play some weird sounds.” With that pitch bending and crazy fingering, it’s a peculiar five minutes.
Banda de Conciertos de San José, Costa Rica
Rafael Rodríguez | Guest Conductor
Ricardo José Chaves Cordero | Soprano Saxophone
Friday July 29th 6:30 p.m.
Iglesia La Soledad, San José
Costa Rica
#sax #saxofon #saxophone #musicianlife #mackey #concerto #wind #ensemble #costarica🇨🇷
