[pjims]

Hello!

I'd like to present a recital next year that features French composers. Just wanted to get some ideas from the folks here on some repertoire. Here are some parameters:

1. I'm definitely playing the Desenclos.
2. The total time of the recital should be between 60-75 minutes.
3. The piano accompaniments should be reasonable (my pianist just got done learning Klonos and Lilith and will kill me if I do something like that to him again).
4. I'd like to feature French composers, but the pieces do not have to be originally written for saxophone.
5. Standard literature is perfectly fine.

So what do you think?

Bonus question: Would you consider Lauba a French composer? His bio says "French composer born in Tunisia".

Thanks in advance!

 

[BlueLight]

Lauba grew up in Bordeaux so I'd consider him french.
Definitely play a Lauba piece if you can pull it off.
Just to throw names out there of famous french composers for Saxophone are...
Florent Schmitt, Pierre-Max Dubois, Henri Tomasi, Paule Maurice, Jacques Ibert, Jeanin Rueff, Eugene Bozza, Fernande Decruck, Paul Bonneau, Christian Lauba (of course), etc.
Jules Demersseman (lived in France most his life)
Claude Debussy (duh)
Darius Milhaud
Jacques Charpentier

there are waaaaaaaaaaaay more and hopefully
You should know the pieces that go with the names ,
Cheers!

 

[Henshaw]

I would agree with BlueLight's suggestion's (Decruck Sonata is awesome). You may also want to consider looking into Debussy Rapsodie (there are a few different versions) and Ravel (Piece en form de Habanera is a good filler). Also Koechlin (either the studies with piano or Epitaphe de Jean Harlow (with flute and piano) and Schmitt's Legend.

Transcriptions of works can work well. Some things I've herad done that are effective are: Ravel Oboe Sonata on Soprano Sax (see A Saxophone for a Lady CD by Claude Delangle); Poulenc Oboe Sonata (Sop), Poulenc Trio (originally Oboe and Bassoon but works well with Sop/Ten or Sop/Bari). A

If your after more contemporary works you may want to look into works by Betsy Jolas, Jean-Denis Michat, Francois Rosse (heaps out there), Thierry Alla, Rolin, etc.

Also if you are considering doing Lauba you may also want to investigate works by his 'alter-ego' Jean Maititia (Devil's Rag, Crazy Rag, etc).

 

[Rick]

A French recital program is not too hard to come up with. I would say venture out more into different territories. There is already so much music from French composers out there that I don't think it's necessary to feature a program around such a theme. I plan to feature a program in the future of Hispanic composers such as Juan Orrego-Salas, Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla and Iturralde and Granados. It's much more interesting I think. Everyone knows the French repertoire as it is and an hour of 20th century French music might become a bit mundane. Focusing around a nationality of specific composers seems to be the trend lately. Look at Delangle with his Russian, Japanese and French saxophone albums. You might try and make a program based on French saxophone pieces that are rarely played. I would say Koechlin and Decruk are a good start.

 

[tracy285]

I like your idea a lot, so many great pieces to choose from! Play the Decruck, it goes very well with the Desenclos. Those would contrast well with Lauba or Rosse. I also agree with Henshaw about the Poulenc Sonata and Ravel Habenaria. Good luck!

 

[DWoz5000]

I'm with Rick - if you're going to go ahead with this idea try to stay away from the same old same old. Decruck is a great place to start.

 

[pjims]

I'll definitely check out the Decruck as I've enjoyed the Delangle recording for some time. That was on my list of possibilities.

I'd really like to do this recital for my students. I've played contemporary pieces (such as Harbison, Swerts, Bolcom, etc.) for my last two classical recitals and outside of that, I'm a jazz saxophonist. I think it would be good for them and good for me for that matter.

I'd REALLY like to work up something by Lauba. Which would be a good one to start with for alto (including the etudes)?

 

[bezozzi]

Get his Alto book of etudes. I think that book contains Balafon, Jungle, Sanza, and I believe one more... Balafon is one of the most tame things I've ever heard him write under Lauba. It's a study in soft playing and circular breathing.

 

[tracy285]

Balafon is the best place to start with Lauba.

 

[A.Smith]

An easier place to start than Balafon is Lauba's Deux Pieces. Also I wouldn't call Balafon tame. Lauba is really interested in the softer side of the saxophone (particularly the tone colours produced) as well as the raw power we see in works like Hard. Some of his duets, and the etudes Savane and Sanza are filled with what I rather call intensely interesting, refined soft playing.

In terms of playing completely 20th century French music I don't think that's a problem. Unless you play only early century (which could get dreary). If you combine the more contemporary works with the stock standards that would make for a really interesting program.

Just in the contemporary you have Hurel, Jolas, Rosse, Lauba, Rolin e.t.c These composers write very different music. With Lauba as our case study if you hadn't been told, you wouldn't know that some of his works are by the same composer.

I also second the Matitia suggestion. Devil's Rag is always a great way to end a program.

Having Desenclos, Decruck, Lauba, Rosse and Matitia I would say is an interesting varied program. Alslo the Jean Harlow as mentioned by Henshaw would be nice to mix things up a bit.