Sonata for Alto Sax and Piano-Paul Creston

Paul Creston was born Guiseppe Guttoveggio on October 10, 1906 in New York City and
died ugust !", 19#$ in %an &iego, Cali'ornia( 'ter playing a c)aracter na*ed +Cress,
in a sc)ool play, )e decided to 'or*ally c)ange )is na*e to Paul Creston( Creston,s
*usic is c)aracteri-ed by spontaneity and is advantageous 'or virtuoso per'or*ance(
.)yt)* is t)e keystone o' Creston,s style( /e acco*plis)es t)is by constantly s)i'ting
subdivisions o' a regular *eter to create )e*iolas and syncopation(
0ost sa1op)onists consider t)e Sonata for Alto Sax and Piano to be one o' t)e *ost
i*portant sa1op)one co*positions( 2)oug) it was co*pleted in 1939, it was not
publis)ed until 19"$( Cecil 4eeson, a 'a*ous sa1op)one per'or*ance teac)er at
Nort)western 5niversity and 6all %tate 5niversity, co**issioned t)e piece( 4eeson
per'or*ed t)e pre*iere o' t)e co*position on 7ebruary 1$, 19"0 wit) t)e co*poser
playing t)e piano(
Creston co*posed t)e 'irst *ove*ent o' t)e %onata to 'ollow a *odi'ied %onata8llegro
'or*( 9t opens wit) an al*ost 'rantic conversation between t)e soloist and t)e piano t)at
*elts into t)e *ain t)e*e( 2)roug)out t)e *ove*ent, t)e *ain t)e*e is repeated,
transposed, and altered( 2)e second *ove*ent is a slower, *ore rela1ed $:" *eter( 7irst
stated by t)e piano, t)e t)e*e is repeated by t)e sa1op)one in *any di''erent keys as t)e
tension builds( 2)e *ove*ent *eets its cli*a1 w)en t)e sa1op)one plays in t)e upper
tessitura( s t)e *ove*ent concludes, t)e tension is resolved into a subtle ending( 2)e
piece c)anges in co*plete contrast in t)e t)ird *ove*ent wit) a ;aunty seven8part rondo
in 6C& 'or*( 2)roug) a c)ange o' te1ture and:or *odulation, t)e co*poser
introduces t)e c)ange in 'or*( 2)e *iddle o' t)e t)ird *ove*ent e1e*pli'ies t)e
co*poser,s ;u1taposition o' a beauti'ul lyrical line, played by t)e soloist, against t)e
r)yt)*ic drive o' t)e piano( 2)e *ove*ent grows and pus)es to t)e end and concludes
wit) a 'louris)(
Suite for Alto Sax and Piano-Paul Bonneau
Paul 6onneau was born %epte*ber 1", 191# and died 0ay 199$ in 7rance( /e studied
*usic at t)e Conservatoire National %up<rieur de Paris and received internationally
recogni-ed pri-es in *usic co*position, suc) as t)e Premier Prix d'Harmonie =193>? in
t)e class o' @ean GallonA t)e Premier Prix de Fugue =19"!? in t)e class o' NoBl GallonA
and t)e Premier Prix de Composition =19"$? in t)e class o' /enri 6usser( 9n 1939, )e
beca*e t)e assistant *anager o' *usic o' t)e 7renc) r*y and in 19"$, band*aster o'
t)e 7renc) .epublican Guard( /e eventually resigned 'ro* t)e r*y to beco*e a
conductor o' lig)t sy*p)onic *usic wit) 7renc) radio(
Improvisation opens t)e suite wit) t)e t)e*e stated by t)e soloist( 2)e piano and soloist
converse t)roug) t)e rest o' t)e *ove*ent wit) several te*po contrasts( 2)e second
*ove*ent, Danse des Dmons, is a )ar*onically adventurous 'ugue between t)e piano
and sa1op)one( 2)e sub;ect is 'irst stated by t)e piano 'ollowed by t)e countersub;ect by
t)e piano in t)e ot)er )and( 2)e tension builds t)roug) t)e *ove*ent and is le't
generally unresolved( 2)e lyrical and e1pressive capabilities o' t)e soloist are
de*onstrated in Plainte w)ile t)e piano accepts a *ore subdued role( 2)e 'ourt)
*ove*ent, Espiglerie, is built on a sneaky t)e*e t)at is )ig)lig)ted by dyna*ic
contrasts and te*po c)anges( 2)e piece closes wit) a *isc)ievous ending(
pitaphe de Jean Harlow- Charles Koechlin
Coec)lin was born in Paris on Nove*ber !>, 1#6> and died &ece*ber 31, 19$0 in Dar(
2)oug) )e was early interested in *usic, )is 'a*ily wanted )i* to beco*e an engineer(
/e entered t)e Ecole Polytec)niFue in 1##> but t)e 'ollowing year )e was diagnosed
wit) tuberculosis and )ad to spend si1 *ont)s recuperating in lgeria( /e )ad to repeat
)is 'irst year at t)e Ecole and graduated wit) only *ediocre grades( 'ter a struggle wit)
)is 'a*ily and private lessons wit) C)arles 4e'ebvre )e entered t)e Paris Conservatoire
in 1#90 w)ere )e studied *usic co*position(
@ean /arlow was an *erican 'il* actress and se1 sy*bol o' t)e 1930s( %)e was known
as t)e GPlatinu* 6londeG and G2)e 6londe 6o*bs)ellG 'or )er 'a*ous platinu* blonde
)air( /arlow starred in several 'il*s, *ainly designed to s)owcase )er *agnetic se1
appeal and strong screen presence( /arlowHs enor*ous popularity and Glaug)ing va*pG
i*age were in distinct contrast to )er personal li'e, w)ic) was *arred by disappoint*ent,
tragedy, and ulti*ately, )er sudden deat) 'ro* kidney 'ailure at !6(
lt)oug) @ean /arlow was a 'a*ous actress, little was known o' )er personal li'e( 2o t)is
day, *any Fuestions re*ain unanswered concerning )er li'e and deat)( 2)is sort o'
intrigue and *ystery inspired Coec)lin to write t)e pitape de !ean Harlo"( Coec)lin
soug)t to capture t)e co*ple1 uncertainties o' /arlow,s li'e t)roug) )is *usic( Coec)lin
clouds t)e t)e*e t)roug) t)e co*ple1ity o' t)e counter *elodic lines, *uc) as /arlow,s
personal li'e was clouded( s t)e work develops, eac) new section brings li'e and a sense
o' re8birt)( 2)e co*position *eets its cli*a1 near t)e end o' t)e selection w)ere t)e 'lute
and alto sa1op)one play in close )ar*ony wit) eac) ot)er( 2)is section *etap)orically
s)ows t)at /arlow,s li'e )ad ;ust begun to blosso* and reac) 'ull potential w)en s)e
died( 2)e piece concludes wit) t)ree subtle c)ords to *ark t)e ending o' a beauti'ul li'e(
Special Thanks
2)e Cirsc) 7a*ily
2)e .ic)ardson 7a*ily
ll o' *y 'riends
&r( C)risty 6anks
@oan llen
%ara) /a**aker
2oday,s 5s)ers and %tage)ands
05 0usic &epart*ent
05 2ec) Ops