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

58 the point of release. Often, brass players are moving immediately from one position to another. Asking a player to move in slow motion like this will often result initially with a a slow movement to maybe a quarter to third of the way open, then immediately moving to a fully open position. All trumpet and trombone entrances prior to the saxophone cadenza at 132 are performed with harmon mutes. So care will need to be exercised throughout to ensure they are not sharp. Figure 41. Concerto for Alto Saxophone 2 nd movement, measures 22-27. Trumpet and trombone harmon mute work from closed to open to closed, trombones with long glissando to coordinate as well. As the beginning and the very end of the second movement is very slow, with few technical challenges, the vast majority of time will be spent with intonation as well as attacks and releases that are generally at soft dynamics, or rising from niente. The brass entrance, beginning in measure 142, can prove challenging. The full section is marked beginning at fortissimo with a crescendo ultimately to fortississimo, with long sustained passages that will challenge endurance. Unison or tutti playing throughout this