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

53 It should be noted Bryant is very specific with his notation of trills throughout the concerto. While the first movement contains half-step trills, in the second movement, he directs the saxophones to play whole-step trills at measure 41, while the alto flute performs a half-step trill. Bryant also writes measured trills. This can be seen at measure 193 in the low reeds. Again, Bryant notates the point where the trill should reach its fastest point. While it is written out for two bars, the trill is shown with traditional notation for an additional three measures. It is not until the final bar that Bryant notates that the trill should reach its fastest point. Care should be taken by the players to ensure the trill over those intervening two bars accelerates at an organic speed, rather than abruptly turning into a full trill too early. Just as the trombones are requested to fill the glissando out over the measured period of time, the trills here should accelerate organically and evenly over the full measure of time until directed to reach full speed. As the first movement reaches its high point, in measure 233 the timpani is the only instrument playing an A, at this point, the rest of the ensemble is playing the remaining notes of the Creston motive, G-E-F-Ab. The A slowly rolls down to an Ab by measure 235. It is important to understand the role the timpani plays here. It begins by providing the full set of Creston motive pitches, and it also is the only instrument anticipating the forthcoming unison pitch that the entire ensemble will play at measure 237.