Your cart

Total
NZD
Shipping and discount codes are added at checkout.

Work


Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra

for alto saxophone and orchestra

Year:  2006   ·  Duration:  25m
Instrumentation:  212**2; 2210; timp., celeste, harp; solo alto saxophone; strings

Year:  2006
Duration:  25m
Instrumentation  212**2; 2210; timp., celest...

Composer:   Michael Vinten

Borrow/Hire:

To borrow items or hire parts please email SOUNZ directly at info@sounz.org.nz.

About

The Concerto was written in January 2006 as fulfilment of a long standing promise to write a piece for saxophonist Simon Brew. What began, in concept, as a modest "concertino" grew into a five movement "grand" concerto of nearly 30 minutes, which makes it, according to Simon, one of the longer concertos in the Alto Saxophone repertoire; I'm still not quite sure how it happened, it just kept on growing.

The Concerto was commissioned by the Wellington Youth Sinfonietta, is dedicated to Simon, and was premiered in May 2006. The first two movements, including some revisions, were later presented at the NZSO-SOUNZ Readings on 6 November 2006.

The first movement is an accompanied cadenza for the saxophone which outlines the major thematic material for the concerto. This movement reoccurs, in modified form, as the central episode of the last movement. The second movement is in traditional concerto sonata form. The Concerto unashamedly follows classical structures throughout. Avant-garde it ain't!


Commissioned note

Commissioned by the Wellington Youth Sinfonietta, written for saxophonist Simon Brew.


Contents note

Five movements:
1. Moderato
2. Allegro
3. Andante
4. Lento
5. Allegro Vivace


Performance history

25 Jun 2006: Performed by Wellington Youth Sinfonietta with Simon Brew (alto saxophone) conducted by Michael Vinten at St Andrew's on The Terrace, Wellington

06 Nov 2006: Performed in a rehearsed reading by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hamish McKeich as part of the NZSO-SOUNZ Readings

01 Apr 2007: Wellington Chamber Orchestra: Vinten

+ Read More