A Conductor’s and Performer’s Guide to Steven Bryant’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone - Chester Jenkins

127 So, what elements of this piece, beyond obviously its affiliation with Prof. Lulloff, would make you consider programming this versus something like the Dahl or the Husa, or consider not programming it? SEDATOLE: I would program it because it’s different, and because it has some of this jazz element to it. I mean it was written very much with Joe Lulloff in mind. So it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, because not everybody can play, can just do the improvised jazz stuff. So, that’s a parameter right there that would cause some people not to do it, because of that. And I love the Dahl too. Joe and I just did it last fall. But Steven’s piece is very different sounding, and I like that. I don’t know. The cool thing about the saxophone repertoire is, is that because it’s such a young repertoire, everything seems very fresh. I always enjoy doing it. And I’ve been very fortunate because I’ve had fantastic faculty artists to work with. JENKINS: Sure…are there any other facets of this, any of your experiences of doing the work multiple times besides anything that you’ve already expressed to me that would be important for somebody to know down the road looking to do this work as a conductor. SEDATOLE: Well, there’s some very difficult parts with this. I did this with the Honor Band of America four or five years ago. And it was, particularly the flute parts, were very difficult. Because they’re so independent. That’s where this piece becomes challenging for high school students, because of the level of independence that each instrument’s got to play. Because it’s really conceived for wind ensemble, and not a concert band. So that one on a part thing, for high school kids particularly, there’s no place to hide. You either play your part or you don’t. And nobody else is going to. But to do it with a really big band, where there are multiple players on a part and all that. I just don’t think the piece works that well. Because it just covers so much. But I would say the rhythmic challenge of the piece, particularly in the first and the third movements, is most serious. And then, in the middle of the second movement, just the mass that the brass have to play with, and the pitch control. All of that. Particularly the horns. That’s a serious challenge. JENKINS: I was actually going to ask you about a couple of things here real quick. And that was going to be one of them. There’s so much muted brass, stopped horns, and a lot of times they’re playing chords that are built off of that Creston motive, so it’s really, really tight harmonies in there. So regardless of the level, how much time…and even too, with the variation of opening and closing over the mutes. Were those particularly, all the muted brass stuff…. SEDATOLE: Yeah, yeah. We spent a lot of time on that. Particularly in the recording session. We didn’t get it all right…I mean we had to rely on our sound editor a bit to help us out here and there. It’s just so exposed. We might get it on take, but there’s something else about the take that wasn’t good. It’s hard.