THE BOX IS EMPTY PRESENTS – Evan smith, Saxophone

Program

The Garden of Love for soprano saxophone and electronics by Jacob TV

Sonata for alto saxophone and piano by Jindrich Feld

Two Old Ghosts for alto saxophone and electronics by Nat Evans

Like Quicksand for unaccompanied alto saxophone by Jillian Whitaker

On and Off, Off and On for alto saxophone and electronics by Anthony Vine

April 12, 2013 saxophonist Evan Smith, an avid commissioner of new saxophone works, performs electroacoustic works in the first ever The Box Is Empty Solo Recital. The program will highlight three new works. on and off, off and on by Anthony Vine uses the sounds of fluorescent lighting as its source material: particularly, the click of a light switch and the quavering buzz of electrical current. These two concrete sounds are layered and projected into a series of shifting harmonic fields, which are articulated by the separation and fusion of the interdependent click and hum of the light sources. Jillian Whitaker’s like quicksand was written for solo alto saxophone with the intention of introducing and expanding on short motivic ideas and exploring extended techniques on the instrument. Techniques such as slap tonguing, growling, altissimo, harmonics, and multiphonics are used throughout all three movements.

Seattle composer Nat Evans’s Two Old Ghosts will also be highlighted on the program. Check out what Nat has to say about the piece and listen to an excerpt here.

Jindrich Feld’s sonata for alto saxophone, composed in 1989-90, highlights the composer’s use of extended techniques for the instrument and includes a litany modern saxophone practices. Indeed, interspersed throughout its four movements, the sonata contains elements such as key clicks, multiphonics, flutter-tonguing, bisbigliando, slap tonguing, and microtanlity.

Sonata for Alto Saxophone (Excerpt) – Jindrich Feld

Jacob ter Veldhuis’s The Garden of Love was originally composed in 2002 for oboe, and was arranged for soprano saxophone the following year. The title comes from the William Blake poem of the same name; and, the piece uses a recording of its recitation as its main motivic device, interspersing the text with electronic sounds which rely heavily on birdcalls. The piece is highly rhythmic, with two clearly contrasting sections of intense angular playing and lyrical romanticism.