SKU: AP.1-ADV7689

ISBN 9783892218500. UPC: 805095076899. English.

Subtitled A Little Suite for Four, the first movement features a unison melody written in B minor. In the second movement, a leitmotiv with variations and the use of repeated jazz phrases is presented; all four instruments take turns in assuming primary and supporting roles. The third movement is a ballad-like theme featuring soprano and baritone sax sharing a pleasant conversation. The fourth movement goes on a joyful melodic ride passing through all the saxophones parts, one after the other.

SKU: AP.1-ADV7674

ISBN 9783892217350. UPC: 805095076745. English.

This suite was inspired most notably by the saxophone quartets of Phil Woods and was written in a conscious attempt to wed certain stylistic elements of classical and jazz music. The players are not asked to improvise, but the piece does feature sections that sound spontaneous and freely created. The piece is difficult, but no more so than other quartets, like Glazunov and Desenclos, that are standard repertoire for this instrumentation. Talented high school and all college groups will find success working on this piece. The first movement, subtitled Danse Macabre, is ominous, dark, sometimes bluesy, and is propelled along by the use of intricate counterpoint and an improvised sounding solo section for the tenor saxophone.

SKU: AP.1-ADV7623

UPC: 805095076233. English. Traditional.

Writing these arrangements, Frank Reinshagen has created little masterpieces, which broaden the rhythmical and harmonic context of the original tunes in an interesting manner without detracting from their archaic and melancholic character. These original tunes have been borrowed from the Irish, Scottish, and Gaelic musical tradition. These through-composed arrangements are rather easy to perform from the rhythmical and technical point of view. Yet, they are quite demanding in respect of the key they are written in, their intonation and, especially, their interpretation. Their different instrumentations are fully compatible with each other and, due to their overall structure, they are also suitable to be played with multi-scored parts. The original of The Sons of Liberty is of a more recent date and goes back to the time when the King of England forced the Irish farmers' sons to go to war in America against their own fellow countrymen who were striving for freedom there. The arrangement conveys the impression of a vigorous forward motion created by a recurring and changing riff. Although it is written in a somewhat more difficult key (E minor), it is not too exacting from the technical point of view.

SKU: HL.48025254

UPC: 196288142980.

The title is a combination of the terms saxophone and collage, which already gives a hint to the essential design of the piece: Several different compositional aspects such as sound layers, melodic sections, aleatoric elements and, last but not least, jazz-like moments are placed in always different relations with each other, collaged as it were. This original composition is a valuable addition to the repertoire for the classical and modern instrumentation of the saxophone quartet.