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Contrabass saxophones in concert

12K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  saxtek 
#1 ·
For contrabass saxophone enthusiasts, this coming Wednesday, April 30, both of my contrabass saxophones will be in concert.

         At 8pm at Oberlin, (Oberlin Ohio) my Evette-Schaeffer contrabass will be used on three pieces, as the featured instrument in my Evenings with Saxophone concert. It will be heard on the Henry Cowell "Hymn and Fuguing Tune #18" (soprano saxophone and contrabass saxophone) and in two saxophone ensemble works: Wachet Auf (Bach arranged by Hartley) and Jubilate (Caravan) with a special contrabass solo written by the composer. Both of these works also include the Eb sopranino, so it is one of the few times that the entire saxophone family is represented in a piece of music. Of some interest is that the original giant wooden contrabass mouthpiece will be used, reeds courtesy of Legere, which gives an enormity to the sound far greater than the conventional use of bass sax mouthpieces. The experience is as much felt as heard.

        On the same evening at 8pm the Rutgers Concert Band is performing a concert at the Mason Gross School of the Arts (New Brunswick, NJ). My Tubax is being used to play several contrabassoon parts, with some audible distinction to the low reed section.
An unusual coincidence of contra use.

On this same Rutgers concert, one of my C sopranos and F-Mezzos are also being used to play some unusual F and C band parts (not originally for saxophone), so there is something unusual for enthusiasts of all ranges.
Paul Cohen
 
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#4 ·
saxusa said:
Your statement is written in such a way as to suggest that your horns will be in concert but not you. Are you playing? If not, how come? :?
In both cases my students are playing the contras. In Oberlin, I was conducting our large saxophone ensemble while my student was playing the Evette-Schaeffer contrabass. Brandon did an intensive study of the contra this semester and used it in a number of settings at Oberlin. At Rutgers another student played it in a wind ensemble concert as part of the ensemble. With him I will be performing the Israel Double Concerto next year for sopranino and bass saxophones and winds.
Paul Cohen
 
#5 ·
PAUL, Okay, I get it professor. Unfortunately for me, I've never heard a 'good' contra-bass sax performance. I've heard people making noises with them, but nothing close to artistic. I play alto sax for a living(jazz,blues,pop,), yet I like to listen to classical or legit music for my own inter- peace. I wish there was more sax in the symphony. 8)
 
#6 ·
saxusa said:
PAUL, Okay, I get it professor. Unfortunately for me, I've never heard a 'good' contra-bass sax performance. I've heard people making noises with them, but nothing close to artistic. I play alto sax for a living(jazz,blues,pop,), yet I like to listen to classical or legit music for my own inter- peace. I wish there was more sax in the symphony. 8)
You might be interested in my recording of Henry Cowell's "Hymn and Fuguing Tune #18, for soprano and contrabass saxophones. The contrabass playing is quite good (I am not the contra player; I'm playing soprano) and the piece is quite interesting for the combination. It is on my CD "Vintage Saxophones Revisited"

Paul Cohen
 
#12 ·
I downloaded that clip and listened to it 30 times in the last weekend. It never ceases to astound me that something so burly and rough can have such a sense of beauty there too. I love it. Hopefully someday I'll get to hear one played in person. long live the king of the saxophones, hearing it made a humble bari player out of me.
 
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