| Summary: | Rhapsody for Saxophone and Orchestra is a work of 15 minutes duration, scored
for solo alto saxophone, flute (doubling piccolo), oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, timpani,
percussion, piano, and strings. Within the work, an invented harmonic structure is
combined with a freely improvised melody that is subjected to a large-scale formal process
of phrase expansion and contraction. Layers of musical activity, involving interval
templates (defined as invariant patterns of pitches), phrase-lengths, melodic contour,
referential rhytlimic gestures, and pedal-notes are set in motion from the outset. While
operating independently, these musical elements converge at major section points in the
work, of which there are ten. The ultimate aim is to devise engrossing musical textures
that embody variation within coherence, and possess strong goal-directionality.
The method of composing with interval pairs represents a novel approach to
harmony, and the resulting harmonic structures underlie much, but not all of the work. In
terms of melody, the predominantly step-wise and back-circling (melody which moves
away from then back towards a central tone) character is also of great significance in the
work, providing the basis for much canonic imitation.
The commencement of a new section in the work is often marked by two gestures: a
treble pedal figure, and a "bouncing" figure, which occur in the first and last quarters of the
work. Examination of larger-scale structures designated as "super-sections" (each
comprising three or four sections) reveals the systematic phrase expansion and contraction
that juxtaposes sections with short phrases next to those with long ones. This expansion
and contraction of phrases creates the ultimate structure of the work. === Arts, Faculty of === Music, School of === Graduate
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