classical saxophonists

tenorsaxman · classical saxophonists

Does anyone play classical sax? I do as well as jazz Cool

If so what are your favorite pieces?

JPSaxMan

The Selmer S80 C* I use is all right for jazz but is even better for classical playing. I honestly would rather play jazz, but I guess ya do what ya have to do in the sax world, right? Exclamation

altosaxgeek5

Well.. I'd rather play jazz.. but If I'm in concert band.. that's basically classical. I don't really like classical, either. Just not enough excitement.. or personality. I don't really have favorite pieces, because I play jazz most of the time.

CMelodyMan

I'd pick jazz over classical any day.

Lisa Simpson

I love classical. Have to say my favorite piece would be

Jesu, a joy of man's desire Cool

Thomas

I enjoy playing classical and jazz, but I have more facility in classical, simply because I was brought into it first.

Currently, in my private lessons, I am playing several movements from the Tableax de Provence suite, by Paule Maurice. I have learned mvmt. I. Farandoule des Jeunes Filles, mvmt. IV. Des Alyscamps L'ame Soupire, and am attempting to get through mvmt. V. Lou Cabridan. It's a very challenging piece, in a complicated key, with lots of sixteenth notes, accidentals, and unusual intervals.

These are the charts I played this last year in jazz band (that I remember):

- Straight no Chaser, Thelonious Monk
- Boplicity, Miles Davis
- Cubauza, Michael Mossman
- Reflections, Dean McNeill
- One Note Samba
- Gentle Piece
- Groove Blues

I don't remember the composers to the last 3. If anyone does, I would be very interested to know.

altosaxgeek5

Thomas

I'll translate those for you. Cool

Tableax de Provence is the title of the suite. It literally means "Paintings of Provence" - you can try and derive the idiomatic phrasing from that if you want. Provence is a town in France, by the way.

"Farandoule des Jeunes Filles" (the 1st movement) literally means "Serenade of Young Girls". My teacher gave me a very long story about the historical significance of the piece, but I'll spare you that. :P

Des Alyscamps L'ame Soupire - hmm, I really don't know what the hell that means. The piece is really slow and mournful, and the composer wrote it for her dead dad, or something. Meh... :|

Don't worry, there are classical pieces by English composers, I think... Confused

Steve P

There are about 30,000 solo compositions for Solo Saxophone and Orchestra, and about 3 to 4,000 compositions that include a saxophone in the instrumentation.

Side note- Saxophones in F are awesome. I have a killer F-Mezzo Soprano. And there are pieces written for orchestra that have this, as well as C-melody, included

Side note 2- The first Saxophone made and patented, was the Bass Sax in C

Steve P

JPSaxMan

Got any recordings of that F?

I do have Larry Teal's book titled "Solos for the Alto Saxophone" with piano accompainment in selected pieces. Cool

Bleeding_Gums_Murphy

Sixième Sonate by handel is ok. I just did that one for nyssma. Lucky the judge was a jazz player, otherwise i would have got about 10 points taken off my solo. I did a lot of screwing with the articulations, dynamics, inflections, and rhythms Cool

. As a general rule, though, i'm not a classical kind of guy. I do it for school, and only for school. I wouldn't do band or NYSSMA, but that would dash my hopes of making all-county jazz band.

reisio

Concerto de Camera (sp?) is okay.