Contrasts
four moods for alto saxophone & piano
composed February 2007

Premiered March 7, 2007
Valerie Vidal, alto saxophone
Scott Holshouser, piano

19 minutes

CONTRASTS began as a lullaby I started to write after the loss of a good friend and fellow saxophone player. I wrote only a few melodies and ideas, then put the piece aside for a while. Around this same time I was introduced to Valerie Vidal. After hearing her play, I decided to finish what I had started. The piece had to grow. Three years later, Contrasts was completed.
The idea was to write four movements in contrasting styles to mirror equally contrasting moods.


Score and parts available.

Mvt. 1 - Dauntless is unabashedly confidant; unafraid to be showy or compassionate


Mvt. 2 - Tranquil is the lullaby with which I originally began. It starts with a quiet song and moves rather quickly into a dream-like state suggesting my friend’s son searching for his father. Through this sempiternal search, father and son meet, after which the child is lulled back to sleep.


Mvt. 3 - Passionate breaks away to a tango. It’s purely a fun exploration into this Argentine dance style and was the only specific request Valerie had.


Mvt. 4 - Fanciful is simply a musical depiction of what I believe is a “flight of fancy”; being free to make your own choices in life and to explore and embrace the many changes that life brings our way.