baritone saxophone and soundtrack (2019)
Robert Brown, baritone sax
Recorded by Anastasia Kupstas and Téa Mottolese
instrumentation
baritone saxophone
pre-recorded audio track
details
Duration: 6 minutes
Premiere: March 15, 2019
Now Hear This at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
purchase
DIGITAL / PDF
Score + Audio File — $30
Performance materials will be sent via email within 1-3 business days.
program note
Cypress for baritone saxophone and recorded sound is the 13th work in my series of compositions for solo instrument with electronics. As is my habit with these pieces, the two parts are woven together into an aural landscape of shifting rhythms and textures based upon the sonic material of the acoustic instrument. The electronic part of Cypress is comprised entirely of acoustic saxophone sounds, some of which are easily identifiable, and others of which have been processed into completely different forms using a variety of software tools.
The cypress tree is considered a symbol of both mourning and immortality in many cultures and makes appearances in legends from Greek mythology to Christianity. It has often been planted to mark graveyards, with the idea that its straight, tall stature helps guide departed souls towards heaven.
This work is also part of my saxophone quartet Tides. I wanted a complete movement of that work dedicated exclusively to the baritone saxophone’s capacity for warmth, strength, and agility.