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Philip Glass Melodies for Saxophone

12K views 20 replies 8 participants last post by  BH9 
#1 ·
Has anyone attended or heard of a saxophone recital that included any of the 13 Melodies for Saxophone by Philip Glass? The pieces are brief, in the nature of sketches or simple etudes, but they are attractive and enjoyable to play. The only one that's without much substance in my opinion is No. 5, which is basically a trill study. Some of them were incorporated into the themes for the Glass Concerto for Saxophone Quartet. Although there is no piano accompaniment, it occurs to me that a saxophonist could select a set of favorite melodies and create a nice little suite, a la the common performance practice for Prokofiev's "Visions fugitives."

All 13 Glass Melodies were recorded by Andrew Sterman of the Philip Glass Ensemble on the Saxophone CD that features the sax-only version of the Glass Quartet. I'm not overly found of Sterman's tone on this recording, but he does provide valuable guidance (possibly composer-endorsed guidance) as to tempo, style, and choice of saxophone for each melody. He plays four on tenor and three on each of the other horns.

Any other recordings of one or more of the Melodies?
 
#4 ·
I did one myself for practice purposes a while back, but would have to dig it out and I'm not sure I would share it publicly :)

whilst Andrew Sterman's tone may not be what one expects from a classical recording (he's not a classical player so no point in comparing) I do find his interpretation far more interesting than Ties Mellema's, which to me lacks drive, character and is far too 'nice.'
Glass' melodies, whilst 'simple,' have a lot in them and I think Sterman's recording captures more of the raw, gritty nature of NYC and its contemporary art scene.
It's worth noting that as Andrew Sterman works for Philip Glass he has a far deeper understanding of his music.
 
#13 ·
Check Amy Dickson on YouTube. Her tone, technique and circle breathing make me want to drive over my soprano with a truck.
 
#14 ·
I was actually thinking of practicing some Glass compositions the other day. Seems like a great way to work on circular breathing and playing in time for a looooooong time.
Anyone have any of the sax parts for Einstein on the Beach, for instance?

Sorry, I have nothing to offer in response to what you were actually asking for.... Though I've met Ties a few times. Even played together in an improv setting. Nice guy!
 
#16 ·
I was actually thinking of practicing some Glass compositions the other day. Seems like a great way to work on circular breathing and playing in time for a looooooong time.
Anyone have any of the sax parts for Einstein on the Beach, for instance?
You can buy selections from Einstein on the Beach, and I believe the complete score is also available, but it could be pretty expensive. Also, the saxophone parts in this work, though extensive, are not always very interesting by themselves. A lot of them are just simple ostinatos designed to function as part of the fabric woven by the entire Philip Glass Ensemble.

If you're looking to move beyond the 13 Melodies, I recommend the Glass Saxophone Quartet (make sure you get the quartet-only version, not the concerto version). Those parts are very rich in addition to being demanding and stamina-testing. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, some of the Melodies are incorporated into the Quartet.

Another good Glass sheet music option would be Glassworks, especially the Facades piece.
 
#17 ·
I've revived this thread to add another example of a performance of selections from the 13 Melodies as a suite. This time the saxophonist switches among soprano, alto, and tenor, and is accompanied by a dancer. The pieces played are Nos. 2, 7, 8, 11, and 12.

 
#18 ·
A Spanish saxophonist, David Hernando Vitores, has recorded several of the Glass Melodies and posted them separately. I don't know whether he intends this mini-collection to be a suite or not, but I'm linking to one of them because I find his sound very beautiful (he is a Legere endorser!)

 
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