Search the Community

Hello composers! This will be the place where I will share one classical composition including saxophones per week. The videos are not mine! As a saxophonist, I notice that still many composers do not use the saxophone in classical music. The most important reason for this is because they do not know how to apply the instrument. I often get the question if I could give some study advices for saxophone writing. My answer is always that one has to listen and study the works of our predecessors. This topic is meant to inspire and stimulate composers to write more music for the saxophones. Contents Graham Lynch - Unreal Promenade for Saxophone Ensemble (2015). Jean Françaix - Cinq Danses Exotiques for Alto Saxophone and Piano (1961). Georges Bizet - Suite No.1 from the drama l'Arlésienne (1872). Claude Debussy - Rhapsodie for Saxophone and Orchestra (1901 - 1911). Slava Kazykin - ''Bachiazzola'' for Saxophone Quartet (n.d.). Mark Watters - Rhapsody for Baritone Saxophone and Wind Orchestra (2001). Iannis Xenakis - XAS (1987). Mozart / Arr. Niels Bijl - String Quartet No.15 in D minor, Kv. 421a. Paul Creston - Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano, Op.19 (1939). Erwin Schulhoff - Hot Sonata (1930). Carter Pann - The Mechanics for Saxophone Quartet (2013). #1 Graham Lynch - Unreal Promenade for Saxophone Ensemble (2015). More information in the description of the video. Best wishes, Maarten Bauer

Hello everybody, A few days ago, I got the idea about an app to help composers to get feedback about instrumentation (and orchestration) from musicians. The idea can be found here: We decided to try it out first on this forum by a thread. (!) To have this idea work, we need the whole community to help and play the music! A composer can post his music here, but when the music isn't performed, there is nothing useful about this topic. HOW IT WORKS What to do as a composer? If you are not sure about a short passage or a few passages in one of your compositions, you can post your score (PDF) in this topic, BUT... Make sure that you clearly tell us, which instrument part you have doubts about and where, i.e. from which bar to which bar. This topic is not meant to get free performances and audios for your music; only for feedback. What to do as a musician? First, please press the ''follow'' button at the top right of this page. When you see a post of a composer, who would like to have feedback on a piano passage and you play piano, check the score. When you check the score and you think you can play it a little bit, please practise it.* Finally record yourself playing the passage (in this case piano) and post the mp3 file here with some feedback. *You don't need to be a professional musician to be able to play passages. When the tempo is too fast for you, you can still practise it in a slower tempo and imagine a professional musician playing the music. Result The composer now has more knowledge of what is possible and what is not on the instrument. Note that there needs to be a balance between you posting scores and you posting recordings of yourself playing. If you only post scores and don't play other's music, your score will get less attention. Hopefully this works! Maarten Bauer

Hello everybody, On FaceBook I have seen an invitation to write for the carillon of the Domtoren (church) in Utrecht. I never came on the idea to write for this instrument until now. The problem is that I don't know how to compose for the carillon. I cannot find much information about the possibilities and limitations of the carillon, so I would really appreciate it if you could tell me more about it! Thank you, Maarten

Hey everybody! Just wondering if any of you know of any pieces featuring harp and celeste together? I know of several orchestral scores with this instrumentation but I'm really interested in finding some smaller chamber works if you know of any (I'll gladly take new-to-me orchestral scores as well though, so feel free to add them if you know of any). I'm trying to get a feel for the sound of those instruments together.

Hello I am writing a piece for 4 flutes. Each flute moves up in glissando patterns to create microcanons. I was speaking to my tutor about this the other day and he said that simply going from a low not to a high note via glissando on flute is limited because of the fingerings. My original plan was going from a low F to a high D sharp. with all the tonal and microtonal qualities in between. What is problematic about this? If I am starting from an F what is the highest note I can reach via glissando? Thanks