Homage: a folk concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra

Abstract

The version of alto saxophone and orchestra is the same piece with the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra. Homage - A Folk Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (1988) is folk-like in nature, although no actual material has been borrowed from folk music. The first movement is simple and unaffected with a few bursts of excitement and it leads to the second movement with no interruption. The latter is a cadenza-like solo for flute, free and expressive. The orchestra repeats throughout a four bar chord progression. The final movement is a frenzied dance, typical of the folk music of the Greek islands. However, somewhere along the way, some J.S. Bach creeps in uninvited. The concerto is dedicated to Dr. Everett Timm, past Dean of the LSU School of Music, as a personal tribute and token of appreciation for his numerous contributions to music in Baton Rouge. It is meant to be a musical portrait. This flute version of the concerto was premiered on December 4, 1988 by flutist Eugenia Epperson and the Louisiana Sinfonietta under the direction of the composer.