Brass & Sax

LUCA Sax

The four works on tonight’s programme were originally written for a wide variety of ensembles – ranging from ballet and choir to symphony orchestra and rock band – yet none of them was originally intended for saxophone ensemble. Thanks to these new arrangements, these well-known pieces are sure to surprise audiences once again.

Maurice Ravel’s Boléro was originally composed as ballet music at the request of the dancer and choreographer Ida Rubinstein. Its title refers to a slow Spanish or Cuban dance in triple meter from the eighteenth century, traditionally accompanied by guitar and castanets. Although Ravel himself was not particularly fond of Boléro, the work grew into one of his most famous compositions. LUCA Sax presents a version for saxophone ensemble.

Eric Whitacre’s Sleep was originally written for eight-part choir (SSAATTBB) to a text by Charles Anthony Silvestri. The work explores the unique moment between wakefulness and sleep and the mystical sensation associated with it. For this concert, it was arranged for saxophone ensemble by a student.

Gustav Holst’s Mars is part of The Planets, an orchestral suite for large symphony orchestra. Each movement of the suite is dedicated to a different planet. Mars was composed shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, when the threat of conflict was already becoming increasingly apparent. It is therefore no coincidence that the piece acquired the subtitle The Bringer of War. Its restless character and extensive use of dissonance further reinforce this atmosphere.

The concert concludes with Bohemian Rhapsody by the British rock band Queen, one of the most iconic recordings ever made. As its title suggests, it is a rhapsody: a composition in which strongly contrasting sections alternate with one another. The work combines elements of ballad, progressive rock, hard rock, and operatic music. It is also remarkable for having no chorus, featuring very little repetition, and lasting approximately six minutes—an exceptionally long duration for a rock song.

Programme:

• M. Ravel: Boléro
• E. Whitacre (arr. made by a student): Sleep
• G. Holst (arr. Japan Large Saxophone Ensemble Summit 11): 'Mars' from The Planets
• Queen (arr. National Saxophone Choir): Bohemian Rhapsody

[LUCA Brass programme: to be announced]