Fantasy - For Flute, Alto Saxophone, and Piano

"Fantasy” for Flute, Alto Saxophone, and Piano is Johnathan Doerr’s First original composition. The inspiration for this piece was drawn from his friendship between Amanda Vereen and Andrew Reinhart, the flute and alto saxophone performers for tonight, to whom the piece is dedicated. The piece begins with a tonal “conversation” between flute and saxophone. The melodies describe a sweet and still meadow on a quite day. After the two voices finally come together, the piano quickly transitions into a more dissonant version of the main theme. From there the tempo quickly jumps to a brisk pace with dissonant passages in which the flute and saxophone have more technical and chromatic runs, exhibiting darkness sweeping over the meadow. The flute and saxophone then pick up the tempo and return to the initial dissonant theme. After the two abruptly stop, the flute quickly starts a sub tone tremolo. The use of sub tones/tremolos are used here to exhibit murky streams and dense swamps in a wasteland. Within this idea, the flute and saxophone exchange cadenzas, which exhibit their extended techniques. After the cadenzas finish there is a brief state of symphonic soupiness as the saxophone and piano sustain a sub toned tremolo. The piano interrupts the tremolo with the tonal theme in the first section symbolizing a sliver of light shining through the swamp. Suddenly the trio bursts out of a dissonant accelerando into a tonal melody between the three instrument, symbolizing the immediate burst from the streams of a cursed land into the meadows of the glory land. At the end, the audience is left with a musical “open ended question.” Leaving the audience with an unfulfilled resolution. Johnathan wishes to express his deepest thanks to Dr. Fischer for his teachings, and the performers for their hard work and never ending friendship.