Notes on the Program
Preview (1999) Michael Colgrass (b. 1932)
Michael Colgrass' Preview was written to celebrate Ken Radnofsky's
30 years of teaching. The short work, which is just 42 measures
long, is nevertheless, a work of many moods, exploring the chameleon-like
nature of the saxophone, and notated in the score as follows:
playfully; like a murmur; agitato; wistfully; like heckling;
agitato; light, playful; light-hearted. The work is both a preview
for today's concert, and the Concerto for Saxophone and Wind
Orchestra, which will be premiered by Ken Radnofsky in 2001
at The Boston conservatory, as a "World-Wide Concurrent
Premiere."
Michael Colgrass has written several brilliant tone poems
for wind ensemble. They often feature the saxophone! While this
alone might have made me admire him, I particularly enjoy his
personality, and thoughtful, personal look at life as a performing
musician, which is realized in a 'novel' novel/self help book:
"My lessons with Kumi," available in January on amazon.com
and published by Real People Press. -Ken Radnofsky
Bernstein 'Anniversary' Jakov Jakoulov (b. 1958)
Jakov Jakoulov's Bernstein 'Anniversary' was written as a tribute
to Leonard Bernstein, as part of a celebration of Leonard Bernstein's
birth, called 'Bernstein 80,' produced by the Community Music
Center of Boston, of which Messrs. Jakoulov and Radnofsky are
faculty members, on April 30, 1999, at the Rabb Auditorium of
the Boston public library.
This miniature is written as a constant alternation and synthesis
of two different spheres of music. In the first one I quote
the beginning intonation of the last movement of Mahler's 9th
Symphony. It is well known that Bernstein admired Mahler, and
was one of the greatest interpreters's of his music. Bernstein
dedicated a special chapter to Mahler's Poetry of the Earth,
in his famous Norton Lectures at Harvard in 1973. He called
the Finale to Mahler's Ninth "the last farewell, which
takes the form of prayer; Mahler's last chorale, his closing
hymn, so to speak; and it prays for the restoration of life,
of tonality, of faith." The second sphere is Bernstein
himself. I quote some popular themes of his West Side Story.
The piece then ends with Bernstein's 'signature,' in a collection
of four notes B, E, Eb, A; a phonetic representation of the
name Bernstein. -Jakov Jakoulov
Prologue and Scherzo David Amram (b. 1930)
David Amram's work was written to celebrate Kenneth Radnofsky's
anniversary as a teacher. Radnofsky and Amram have known each
other since 1979, when Radnofsky performed at the Cambridge
River Festival as part of an ensemble conducted by Peter Cokkinias,
formed especially to perform Amram's works. At that time, Amram
accepted a commission to write a Concerto for Saxophone and
Orchestra, entitled Ode to Lord Buckley, which was premiered
by Kenneth Radnofsky and the Portland Symphony, Bruce Hangen
conducting, in March 1981. Since then, the Concerto has become
one of the most performed works in the Saxophone Concerto repertoire.
Most of today's work was delivered by fax beginning Nov. 10,
1999. The final few measures were received during the week prior
to the concert, as Amram continues his own performing, conducting
and composing career in the midst of rebuilding his house, destroyed
by fire less than a month ago. There is no more positive person
I know in the world than David Amram. -Ken Radnofsky
Divertimento for Alto Saxophone and Piano Pasquale Tassone
(b. 1949)
Historically, the Divertimento was usually written for small
groups of instruments (three to ten). I have chosen this title
more for its meaning (from the verb: to entertain) than for
any historical considerations. It is also probably safe to assume
that in writing divertimenti composers meant them to be entertaining
for both the performer and the listener.
After the introduction by the saxophone solo, the piano enters
in the first seven uninterrupted sections. A change in tempo
as well as a change in texture distinguish each section. Each
of the sections brings out the saxophone's ability to sound,
especially in its lower register, at times brassy and harsh
and at others, in its upper register, sweet and more flute-like.
The piano, often behaves more like a partner rather than an
accompaniment; sometimes helping the saxophone present its ideas
and at other times charting a course of its own. Also, the piano
defines the various sections with colors from its wide range;
the "crystalline" section where the piano plays single
lines in its extremely high register; the "barbarous"
section where it utilizes accented notes and thick cords in
its very low register. Divertimento is written for and dedicated
to Ken Radnofsky. The work was first premiered by Radnofsky
and pianist Hui-Min Wang on March8, 1998 at the Lumen Concerts
of Arlington, Mass., where both composer and saxophonist are
long time residents. -Pasquale Tassone
Peking Opera Soliloquy Lei Liang (b. 1972)
This piece tells the story about a woman who decided to take
revenge on the local official who had killed her husband during
the Cultural Revolution. She did that by wailing behind the
official's house every night, until months later, both the official
and herself went insane. It was my friend Mo Wu-ping who told
me this story. Mo was a very talented Chinese composer and he
was working on an opera based on this true story which happened
in his home town. He was only able to finish the overture before
he died of cancer in 1993. I wrote Peking Opera Soliloquy in
memory of this dear friend and teacher. The piece was premiered
by Shyen Lee on Jan. 29, 1994. Kenneth Radnofsky gave the Beijing
premiere on Sept. 2, 1999. -Lei Liang
Sonatina for Soprano Saxophone and Piano John McDonald
"Big Crunch" (1999) (b. 1959)
Brutal Forces: explosive; pushing boundaries; Interlude; uncertain
Big crunch: singular; grandly unified; noctilucent and suspended
John McDonald's Sonatina is inspired from the extraordinary
work of physicist Stephen W. Hawking. The Sonatina, subtitled
"Big Crunch," was commissioned by Tufts University
to celebrate Dr. Hawking's appearance on the Tufts campus in
the Autumn of 1999. Composed in three interconnected movements,
the Sonatina progresses from a volatile, explosive opening to
a brief musical representation of
'the uncertainty principle;' the work then closes with an imagined
'singularity at the end of the universe' - a 'big crunch.' The
work was premiered by Brian Mackintosh, saxophone and the piano
on October 12, 1999 at Tufts University. John McDonald
Sonata Gunther Schuller (b. 1925)
This Sonata was commissioned by the World-Wide Concurrent Premieres
and Commissioning Fund (WWCPCF), described below. There are
71 total performers (duos) performing the Schuller Saxophone
sonata, with representation all over the US, France, Switzerland,
Taiwan, Singapore, and Italy. The work bears a dedication to
Kenneth Radnofsky. The work was completed in October 1999 and
receives its world premieres beginning Dec. 5, 1999.
I have known Gunther Schuller since 1974, when I was a student
at New England Conservatory. Our relationship has grown through
the years; one of the highlights was our premiere performance
of Mr. Schuller's Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra in 1984,
and the NY premiere of the work with the National Orch. Assn.
At Carnegie Hall in 1986. From Gunther I learned to look twice,
even three times or more at the same note-to try to make sure
I understood the meaning of each note and its relationship to
all the others. -Ken Radnofsky
WWCPCF
World-Wide Concurrent Premieres and Commissioning Fund is
a non-profit organization dedicated to the commissioning and
performance of new works by today's finest composers, whether
well known, lesser known or emerging composers. WWCPCF is unique
from other organizations because it promotes multiple performance
world-wide, many of which occur on a first premiere date. All
performers pay a portion of the composer's commission, and all
pay the same amount, to produce the work. All performers receive
an autographed limited edition performance score, signed and
numbered by the composer, as well as exclusivity with regard
to performance of the work for a period of time subsequent to
the world premiere (usually 6 months to 1 year0. The organization
has produced works for saxophone and piano, saxophone and orchestra,
saxophone, cello and piano, wind ensemble, horn trio (horn,
violin and piano), and choir during the 8 years, including works
by Chris Theofanidis, John Harbison, Larry Bell, Frank Ticheli,
Michael Horvit, Gunther Schuller, and Yehundi Wyner, whose Horntrio
was the runner up for last years' Pulitzer Prize. Future commissions
include a Concerto for Saxophone and Wind Ensemble by Pulitzer
Prize winning composer Michael Colgrass. Performances have been
produced in all parts of the world, including Cyprus, Switzerland,
Taiwan, England, Singapore, Italy, and all parts of the US in
cities and towns, both small and large. The work of WWCPCF in
promoting grass-roots world wide premieres has been recognized
in a grant from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, and in the
feature articles in both Chamber Music Magazine and the New
York Times. WWCPCF was founded by Kenneth Radnofsky, who continues
to serve as Executive Director.
Piccolo Studio Donald Martino (b. 1931)
I first heard Martino's music in 1974 as a student at New England
Conservatoty. Mr. Martino was a faculty member; he had just
won the Pulitzer Prize for Nortturno. I immediately asked him
to write a concerto, and finally worked out the details of a
commission and performance by 1984, with an NEA Consortium Commissioning
Grant, culminating in a performance of the Concerto at Monadnock
music in 1987. I recorded the concerto for New World Records
with conductor Richard Hoenich and the NEC Symphony Orchestra
in 1996. My professional relationship with Don has become a
friendship, which I appreciate fully, along with all of those
friends/teachers whose music I perform on this concert.
Piccolo Studio was written especially for this event, completed
on Nov. 22, 1999, and delivered by fax on Nov. 23, 1999. I would
have received it a day earlier - but my area code had changed,
and the work was received by someone in the 617 area code with
my same phone number! - Ken Radnofsky