I. Allegro - Sonata à la manière de Francis Poulenc by Wijnand van Klaveren
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- Van Klaveren's sonata in the style of Poulenc is a welcomed addition to the saxophonist's repertoire, and it is full of the textures, colors, and whimsically-natured melodies that we associate with Francis Poulenc's writing. Van Klaveren's sonata reaches back in time to offer us a work from Francis Poulenc, who wrote sonatas and trios for nearly all of the woodwind instruments, yet did not write for the saxophone.
I. Allegro
II. Interlude
III. Rondeau à a française
Licensed by kind permission of Resolute Music Publications
Bob Eason:
Hailed by Fanfare magazine for his “exceptional feel for elegance, wit… and tonal beauty,” Bob Eason is an Indianapolis-based saxophonist. His primary teachers include Otis Murphy, Dan Gelok, Valerie Vidal, Karen Wylie, Chris Patterson, and Theron Sharp.
Bob is the soprano saxophonist and founding member of the Kenari Quartet, an ensemble that has garnered acclaim through engaging performances, festival and educational residencies, and commissioning projects.
Bob Eason is an Endorsing Artist for Légère Reeds, and plays exclusively on the Signature Series reeds.
Michael Seregow:
A native of the Pacific Northwest, pianist Michael Seregow enjoys a multifaceted career as a performer, teacher, clinician, and recording artist. Currently a member of both the music and theatre faculties at Ball State University, he has also served on the keyboard faculties at Washington State University, University of Puget Sound, and University of Oregon.
Having been named a finalist in both solo piano and chamber music for The American Prize, a national competition in the performing arts, Dr. Seregow maintains an active performance career, performing a diverse selection of repertoire spanning from the late renaissance through works by composers of today. A musician of uncommon versatility, Seregow has received formal training in a variety of keyboard instruments other than piano including harpsichord, fortepiano, and organ, in addition to studies in jazz piano, basso continuo, historical performance practice, and composition.
Sounds brilliant! Bravo!
Just recently learned of this lovely piece. Played brilliantly here (as expected!) by Bob Eason!
Thanks, Dr. Fancher!
Beautiful playing, Bob. I’m starting to know your name, now. I hear your playing and am reminded of my years of playing sonatas by Poulenc, Prokofiev (flute sonata, complete), and others I transcribed for Soprano Sax, all back in the late-1970s, early 1980s. It was only when playing music by great composers that I understood the saxophone’s potential as a mimic. I could mimic other instruments playing them, or I could find the core to the sax - a glorified kazoo - and play lines the way Henryk Szeryng, Arthur Rubinstein, and so many other amazing soloists did. The sax seems paradoxical, because pitch, dynamics and timbre are all linked. The only way to learn to control them, for me, was learning to play the mouthpiece, making the entire instrument an extension of my own breath, all voiced at the mouthpiece. I’d be very interested in knowing if you ever practiced mouthpiece exercises. You have the exact same control as I developed by doing that, so that pitch and dynamics work together as one motion, and lines can be stretched and shaped without breaking them. I have heard precious few players with this ability, Bob. Very few. It seems like now with UA-cam this style is getting around. Maybe other players are starting to hear it and realizing that it cannot be done in the old traditional way with “lockjaw” embouchures. I love the attention to detail with which you approach every phrase. And your phrases are strung on the big over-arching line, so that your entire performances sound homogenous and sensible, unfolding like a story. Truly beautiful.
In this wonderful little piece, I hear a lot of Poulenc’s oboe sonata, which I performed at Dale Underwood’s symposium at the Navy Yard in January, 1982. (Or was it the one in 1985? I forget now. I’d have to check the programs) The composer has mind-melded with Mssr. Poulenc, and used bits of various works, deliciously assembled and turned into something a sax player can perform with pride. So, again I commend you on such wonderful work. I wish everyone understood just how hard it is to do this on the sax. Rather, I wish people understood that there are no tricks; you have to work for every nicely-turned phrase. Keeping the line pure and inviolate does not happen easily on the sax, but to listen to you playing this piece, one would think it’s the easiest thing in the world. That, my friend, is success: you’ve created beautiful lines and made it look easy. I’ll be looking for more of your performances.
Thanks so much for all of your kind words. I'm glad you appreciate the phrasing and shaping! Michael and I truly agonized over every phrase until it was exactly the way we preferred. Sure, I've invested a great deal of time and energy in mouthpiece pitch exercises!
Beautiful!
Thanks so much, Rob!
This is lovely.
Thanks, Dosia!
Poulenc's language perfectly assimilated and returned to life in a piece indistinguishable from the original. But its perfonmance is no less bright.
This is so amazing man! I love your work, do you know where i could buy this piece?
Hi Vern, thanks very much! You can purchase the sheet music from Resolute Music Publications (www.resolutemusicpublications.com)
Beast mode?