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Composer: • French composer – born and died in Paris (1910-1967) • Studied at the Paris conservatory • Married to Pierre Lantier, a fellow lesser-known French composer • Taught at the Paris Conservatory for 23 years, and then the Normal School of Music for 2 years before she died. • This is her largest work, relatively unknown other than this piece.

The piece: • Composed between 1948 and 1955 • Suite containing 5 movements • Programmatic – “postcards” from Provence, the southeast region of France • Dedicated to Marcel Mule o Mule made the first recording, but Jean-Marie Londeix gave the premier performance

“The Bohemian Girl” • Thought to be an interpretation of gypsies • Fairly short movement, only about a minute • Rather dramatic character – grace notes, dynamic shifts, rhythmic playfulness • Binary form – A theme returns highly embellished at the end • Accompaniment is highly active with a lot of darker timbre o When played with orchestra, heavy use of timpani and other drums for rhythmic feel. • Articulation should be detached and dry, though it is not marked. “The Sigh of the Soul for the Alyscamps” • Alyscamps – Roman burial ground, essentially a road lined with tombstones outside of Arles, France • Movement should be lamenting – like friends hovering over a gravestone • Dedicated to the death of a close friend who showed Paule Maurice the beauty of Provence • This movement is full musical painting to try and depict this mournful yet still beautiful quality of the music. o Beginning accompaniment – steady quarter notes o Descending eighth notes in saxophone o Push and pull – included in some rhythmic figures • Be sure to be solid on rhythmic integrity while still keeping a legato, unaccented quality, especially when there are offbeats • Dynamic expression can be difficult at times, important to emphasize good tone quality first. • Rhythmic integrity on faster, ascending runs • Tuning considerations – middle register at softer dynamics • Vibrato considerations throughout, specifically at the end of the movement

“The Big Bee” • Cabridan is a large, bustling insect native to Provence • First movement that Paule Maurice composed, but did not include the cadenza until later. • Meant to show true agility of the saxophone. • Most challenging aspect is definitely the articulation – patterns are constantly changing. o Practice technique: separate articulation from the notes. • Breathing plans are vital and need to be well practiced – the piece does not offer the most convenient breathing places at times. • Many portions of this piece fall under E major scalar patterns – practicing these out of context will help with technique. • Everything is light, in contrast with the 3rd movement this is a much softer and more danty quality – lighter orchestrated accompaniments

%QPEGTVQHQT#NVQ5CZQRJQPGCPF1TEJGUVTC QTDCPF ł2CWN%TGUVQP + 'PGTIGVKE++/GFKVCVKXG+++4J[VJOKE Composer: • Given name – Giuseppe Guttoveggio • Had to drop out of school – would work during the day, compose at night • Organist for a church for 33 years • Said to be the most performed American composer in the 40’s and 50’s • Major Works – concerto, suite, and sonata all for alto sax • Obsessed with rhythm in his compositions – wrote his ideas in his books Principles of Rhythm, Creative Harmony, and Rhythmicon.

“Energetic” • Opening material introduced in low timbre, very rhythmic. • Saxophone entrance has a quazi-cadenza feel. Two short episodes before the piece really hits any sort of stride. • As saxophone presents the lyrical first theme, orchestration is more sparse, giving room for musical expression throughout this section. • Lots of switches between duple and triple feel to give a sense fo flow and movement in these more lyrical and broadened sections • Second theme presented at a slightly faster tempo – more rhythmically active. o Switch between the 3/8 and 3/4 feel o Most of this is written at a softer dynamic level, which can be difficult with such high technicality • Lyrical section theme then returns in a more expressive and active way. • Second theme (technical portion) returns again – but with different notes. • Build to the climax begins in measures 215, doesn’t really ever let up until the final note in measure 272. “Meditative” • Very slow movement • Flowing melodic material – longer rhythms intermixed with triplet patterns. • Very subdued in quality compared to the first movement • Duple figures in accompaniment juxtaposed against triple feel gives a sense of propulsion at the slower tempo. • 5/4 can be difficult to count at times, gives a very different feel to the music. • Long saxophone cadenza o Saxophone basically is accompanying itself throughout much of this.

%QPEGTVQKP%OKPQTł$GPGFGVVQ/CTEGNNQ CTTD[*CTXG[2KVVGN + #NNGITQOQFGTCVQ++#FCIKQ+++#NNGITQ Composer: • Baroque composer • Part of a noble family – music was considered to be Patrizio Veneto • Combined lifestyle of law/public service and music • Brother Alessandro was also a noted composer • Younger contemporary of Antonio Vivaldi • Composed a variety of music – church music, as well as numerous solo literature.

The piece: • Written in 1716 – published in Amsterdam • Originally for oboe and strings continuo • Contains quite a bit of counterpoint writing. • Other baroque features: o Terraced dynamics o Repeated melodic or rhythmic figures o Characteristic ornamentation • Editorial markings included: o Many of the articulations – most baroque music contained few articulations o Some phrasing dynamics – the original contains nothing more than p’s and f’s o Some ornamentations are added – not always practical or stylistically correct

“Allegro moderato” • Be careful not to allow this to sound labored – needs to sound light like the oboe would. Especially important where there are added ornaments. • Baroque trill characteristics

“Adagio” • Don’t let this be too slow! • Be careful with counting – this can be tricky with the way it is notated.

“Allegro” • All about light and bouncy • Can be felt one to the bar – accompaniment aids in this by emphasizing the downbeats of each bar. • Some hemiola feels at the ends of phrases with the dotted eighth sixteenth rhythm. • Works flexibility with register jumps in final portion of the movement

+ORTQXKUCVKQP+++ł4[Q0QFC Composer: • Famous composer for saxophone • Studied saxophone at Illinois under Hemke and Bordeaux under Londeix • Famous works for saxophone o Improvisations I, II, and III o Mai for solo saxophone o Requiem for solo saxophone

The piece: • Based on sounds of the shakuhachi flute • Notated in modified standard notation • Very explicit instructions in some ways, other aspects include a degree of freedom (giving the improvisatory quality) • Extra techniques: o Portamentos or pitch bending o Cutting tone o Vibrato indications o Optional altissimo

.KIJVQH5QVJKURQWTCNVQUCZQRJQPGGVRKCPQł#O[3WCVG + )TCEG++2CUUKQP+++(CKVJ Composer: • American – studied at the University of North Texas • Has written multiple compositions for saxophone o Talking Pictures – soprano saxophone and clarinet suite o Laguna Madre - soprano saxophone o Sonata for alto saxophone The piece: • Based on Sothis (Sirius), the brightest star in the sky • Symbolizes the cycle of nature bringing beauty, prosperity, and life • Open, tertian harmonies • Impressionistic/very Debussy-esque • Feels almost as if you are in a dream-like state at times • Composed for Debra Richtmeyer (American classical saxophonist) • Movements are all attaca, making the piece flow together seamlessly “Grace” • Opens very slow – piano plays 4 whole notes before the saxophone brings in a reflective melody. • Grace note considerations – most important is to be consistent • Rhythmic integrity on some of the faster notes • Tuning considerations – opening is almost entirely pp

“Passion” • Important to catch the dramatic quality of the movement from the beginning • Strong articulations to help drive forward • Very expressive dynamic shaping – extremes are reached quickly and often • Grace notes – much more forceful and agitated • Cadenza – pacing considerations

“Faith” • Pretty straightforward • Be sure not to play this too soft, it is rarely below mf until the end of the movement. • Rhythmic integrity with duple vs triple subdivisions • Ending – tuning and keeping interest. • Concludes with the same 4 chords from the opening of the piece.