ELEVEN (saxophone ensemble)

INSTRUMENTATION: Saxophone Choir (5 sopranos, 4 altos, tenor, baritone)

DURATION: c. 10:00

YEAR COMPOSED: 2017

Arrangement of the original clarinet version. Commissioned by the Austin Saxophone Ensemble.

THIS IS A DIGITAL PRODUCT: Purchase includes digital download of score and a complete set of parts in PDF format.

(video is of clarinet version)

PROGRAM NOTE:

ELEVEN, originally composed for 9 Bb clarinets and 2 bass clarinets, was written for the San Francisco Conservatory clarinet studio as a companion piece to Steve Reich’s New York Counterpoint. I am a great admirer of Reich’s unique combination of intricately interlocking patterns, jazzy harmony, and propulsive rhythms, and I have been greatly influenced by his work. But while I admire much in his approach, I am ultimately a good deal less patient than he is – in my own compositions, I tend to want patterns to change more rapidly and dramatically, and to employ more narrative forms. In ELEVEN, I use very Reich-ish materials, but treat them in a freer, more narrative, more whimsical manner than he would. The piece is both an homage to a composer I greatly admire, and a declaration of independence from the strict processes and careful control that characterize his music. This version for saxophones was arranged for and premiered by the Austin Saxophone Ensemble