Thomas: Squeeze

Description

For saxophone quartet. This three and a half minute virtuosic and fun-spirited quartet is fanfare-like — a blend between the perfumes of: Bebop, Stravinsky, Bartok, the florid kind of writing in Bach, and jazz swing rhythms all mixed into one personal and integrated composition. At the end of the composition, there are 2 optional bars apart from one another, in which the alto sax player is allowed to perform one or two 12-15 second cadenzas which must be in the style and syntax of the compositions' materials. Aside from these two optional cadenzas, the notation for Squeeze is extremely precise and nuanced. Squeeze for four saxophones is dedicated to Paul Bro. — Augusta Read Thomas