Classical Sax

[rs2sensen]

I'm just wondering if any of you have classical sax players or recordings that you particularly like. Most of my sax recordings are jazz-based, and I would like to expand my horizons somewhat.

 

[philippe]

I'm just wondering if any of you have classical sax players or recordings that you particularly like. Most of my sax recordings are jazz-based, and I would like to expand my horizons somewhat.

It's not a huge area. Branford Marsalis has recorded at least one classical album. There's some great quartet recordings also , for example the Apollo saxophone quartet. Otherwise John Harle is one of the most famous classical players. Michael Nyman has written a lot of saxophone (contemporary) music too featuring him.
I've been meaning to do more research into this, will get back then.

 

[Melissa]

I am playing a classical (I guess) piece for that solo ensemble thing that I never shut up about!

Sonata no. 3 by Handel

it's a piece of work, let me tell ya.

 

[rs2sensen]

Yeah, I played that last year and maybe a little bit the year before. I really liked it, but then I think I played it too much! I'm not a very big fan of the adagio in it, the first Allegro is fun, the largo can be really expressive, and the ending Allegro is also very fun.

I have recordings of each movement in their original violin form, if you'd like them, I'd be more than happy to email them to you or something.

I've been having a lot of trouble finding good classical music at my level. I find that most stuff is either really really easy, or considerably too hard. I just bought a few more pieces that show promise though:

Sonata XIII-Handel (makes Sonata #3 look like Hot Cross Buns. I don't even know where to begin), "Sonata"- Henri Eccles (reminds me of the Largo sections in Sonata #3, but prettier), and "Sonata-No. 2-Op 103"-Edvard Mortiz (a very very evil piece).

 

[Melissa]

rs2sensen, I play it a lot too, but I've only recently started really getting into phrasing (recently being like last week) so it's hard rearranging my breathing when I've played it so much already.

the adagio is cool, but I don't think I've ever played it evenly remotely similar to other times I have played it. It sends me different vibes every time I play it.

the first allegro is a lot of fun, yes. It sounds considerably hard, when actually, it's really not, but at least it sounds impressive 😛

the largo is pretty. I like the slower more expressive songs, and it's a nice contrast to the rest of it.

the second allegro is so fun and frilly and bouncy! I love it 😛

the only ones I perform are the adagio and the first allegro, but it's still enough for me, since I get major performance anxiety 😛

recordings would be great! I've been looking for them, and I DID find some, but I lost them when we reformatted the computer.

good luck with those new pieces, and finding new stuff! I always love how classicals sound on a sax. Even made my buddies get together for a "Fugue in G minor" quartet for competition 😛 Bach is cool. 🙂

 

[fridge]

Have a listen to these guys. San Francisco Saxophone Quartet.
www.sfsax.com - has samples of there tracks on there cd's. Cd's are very good. I've bought them all (3).
Classical playing is challenging and rewarding. If you cant get a classical piece for saxophone, get an other instruments piece. I'm learning a Bach flute sonata, great piece, sounds fantastic played on the saxophone.
________________
Fridge
Yani S991

 

[suethesax]

http://www.saxalliance.org/discography.html

Have a look at this list - might find something you like the look of - sorry no recommendations but will ask my teacher, she plays a lot of classical stuff.

 

[tengu01]

Hi all,

I have been having fun with some of Bach's 6 Suites for Solo Cello, in particular Bach's Cello Suite 1 in G, BWV 1007: Prelude.

I have always found a resonance in the cello which seems to have its echo in the tenor sax, so if the alto is the violin and the baritone is the bass, the tenor is the cello of the saxophone world and it works surprisingly well.

If you go to wwwhttp://www.pjb.com.au/mus/arr.html#bwv1007 you will find an arrangement which fits within the range of the saxophone easily.

....ok, it's written for alto flute or recorder and being the lazy bugger that I am, I play it straight from the score without any transcription but it is a beautiful piece of music.

🙂

 

[Melissa]

I'm bumping this, because a year has almost passed, and I still love classic sax. 😉

 

[phil_edwards]

Hi, glad you bumped it as I've only just seen this. One I like a lot is this one on Naxos... http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.557063

Try Amazon also, just type "saxophone and orchestra" in the general search and there's a fair few (particularly if you're an altoist)

regards, Phil

 

[Linky Lee]

Rob Buckland is plays in the Apollo Saxophone Quartet mentioned earlier (near the beginning). I met him over the weekend and can honestly say he is a superb player. Bach writes great stuff and seems to be a favorite in this thread.

Check out Georg Philipp Telemann for some great music. Especially the 12 fantasias, great music, fast and slow all difficulty ranges as well. Well worth getting. You can go to www.abrsm.org and go to the saxophone exam syllabus for saxophone and there are some great things on there, list A and B are the best, list C is solo music.

There are many Rob Buckland, Bach, Handel and Saxtet pieces and Telemann on there. They make the main bulk of the syllabus really as the five most common composers, I've noticed. All the music is easy to get hold of and it tells you the publishers etc. and recordings are a plenty and easy to source. Marvelous.

 

[Melissa]

great! thanks, guys.

I played a handel solo and a Bach quartet last year, and loved 'em both.

 

[tengu01]

There was an amazing piece I stumbled across recently played by the Kronos Quartet called "G Song". It was was written by Terry Riley for the soprano and keyboard but was later adapted for the Kronos Quartet. It's a great piece of music