The Saxophone Concerto, Op. 14, is a three-movement concertante composition for alto saxophone and string orchestra written in 1934 by the Swedish composer Lars-Erik Larsson. The piece premiered on 27 November 1934 in Norrköping, Sweden, with Tord Benner conducting the Norrköping Orchestral Association.[1] The soloist was the German-born American virtuoso Sigurd Raschèr, its dedicatee, whom Larsson had consulted during the compositional process; as such, the concerto incorporated several Raschèr's pioneering techniques—"highly personal tricks and devices".[2] Because the Saxophone Concerto proved too difficult for most soloists (and was therefore oft-neglected), Larsson "simplified" it in the early 1980s to make it more accessible.[2]
| Saxophone Concerto | |
|---|---|
| by Lars-Erik Larsson | |
 The composer | |
| Opus | 14 |
| Composed | 1934, rev. 1980s |
| Publisher | Gehrmans Musikförlag (1952) |
| Duration | Approx. 20 minutes[1] |
| Movements | 3 |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 27 November 1934 |
| Location | Norrköping, Sweden |
| Conductor | Tord Benner |
| Performers | Norrköping Orchestral Association Sigurd Raschèr |
Structure
editThe Saxophone Concerto is in three movements. They are as follows:
- Allegro molto moderato
- Adagio
- Allegro scherzando
Instrumentation
editThe Saxophone Concerto is scored the following instruments:[1]
- Soloist: Alto saxophone (in E♭)
- Strings: violins, violas, cellos, and double basses
Gehrmans Musikförlag published the piece in 1953.[1]
Recordings
editThe sortable table below lists commercially available recordings of the Saxophone Concerto:
| Conductor | Orchestra | Soloist | Rec.[a] | Time | Recording venue | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jorma Panula | New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra | Pekka Savijoki | 1982 | 19:19 | Concert Hall, Royal Swedish Academy of Music | BIS | |
| Leif Segerstam | Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra | Christer Johnsson | 1983 | 19:13 | Berwald Hall | Caprice | |
| Juha Kangas | Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra | John-Edward Kelly | 1991 | 20:43 | Snellman Hall, Kokkola | Arte Nova | |
| Yutaka Sado | BBC Philharmonic | Nobuya Sugawa | 2007 | 21:42 | Studio 7, New Broadcasting House | Chandos |
Notes, references, and sources
edit- Notes
- ^ Refers to the year in which the performers recorded the work; this may not be the same as the year in which the recording was first released to the general public.
- ^ J. Panula–BIS (CD–218) 1984
- ^ L. Segerstam–Caprice (CAP 21492) 1995
- ^ J. Kelly–Arte Nova (74321 27786 2) 1995
- ^ Y. Sado–Chandos (CHAN 10466) 2008
- References
- ^ a b c d Gehrmans Musikförlag.
- ^ a b Skans 1984, p. 4.
- Sources
- "Konsert för saxofon och stråkorkester" [Concerto for Saxophone and String Orchestra]. gehrmans.se. Gehrmans Musikförlag. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- Skans, Per (1984). Saxophone Concerti (CD booklet). Jorma Panula & New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra. BIS. p. 4–6. CD–218. OCLC 11863759
- Ogata, Eiko (2008). Nobuya Sugawa plays Honda, Yoshimatsu, Ibert, Larsson (CD booklet). Yutaka Sado & BBC Philharmonic. Chandos. p. 6–7. CHAN 10466. OCLC 227034952
