Nearly all the music from American Composer David Maslanka is purely uplifting and astounding, but there is one piece in particular that really stands out among the rest—The "Concerto for Saxophone and Concert Band" keyed in D minor. It is such a moving piece that it brings tears to the eyes and blesses the ears that hear it.
The piece has five distinct movements, all of which are spectacular in the writing and the delivery of the performance. Each movement of this particular work has its own specific qualities in harmony, horizontal melody, and frequent passages where the alto saxophone is solo mixed with exchanges from other woodwinds and brass instruments.
The first movement is where all the fun begins in the home key. The key features here are the beautiful sax in all its glory with the steady eighth note march of much of the rest of the band going quietly along. The main tune is such a pleasing to the ear, it just leads you to a certain longing that is deeper than words could describe. In between instances of this marching, there is an interweaving theme that starts in B-flat minor and then goes to a minor using the sax’s horizontal solo cadenzas as a cliff to hang the key changes on. Each time the main theme is repeated, the composer experiments with different dynamics and playing techniques that keep you on the edge of your seat.
The second movement begins with a fantasy on a variation of the first melodic theme. It starts out with the vibes. It is one of the quietest movements in the piece. The sax takes extended cadenzas and solos with repeats and other melodic segments to complement Otis Murphy, one of the most renowned saxophone soloists of our present age.
The third movement features a fascinating solo that starts in D and culminates with the whole ensemble going back and forth between G-flat and B, a very interesting harmonic change that acts as suspense for the remainder of the work.
The fourth and fifth movements reveal even further harmonic changes along with a melodic twist that will leave you speechless. It fascinates a budding composer to think of how music like this is penned.
The Concerto In D Minor for Alto Saxophone and Concert Band is by far a must-hear for those who are into classical or if you are just getting into classical music for the first time, it is definitely one you want to listen to to wet the appetite of the ears.
