Ballade pour saxophone, orchestre à cordes, piano, timbales et percussion

Ballade pour saxophone, orchestre à cordes, piano, timbales et percussion
Ballade for saxophone (or basset horn), string orchestra, piano, timpani and percussion

Year of composition

1938

Duration

15'

Scored for

alto saxophone (or basset horn) - strings - piano - timp. - perc.(3)
Arrangement for flute (1939) by Frank Martin, see 2me Ballade pour flûte et piano.

Publication information

Universal Edition (UE13956/UE35054/UE32986)

Commentary

Ballade for saxophone and string orchestra
In 1938 I accepted with great pleasure saxophonist Sigurd Racher’s suggestion to write a piece for his instrument and orchestra. The saxophone has played a leading role in dance music of a certain period but has rarely been given a place of value in symphonic music. I wanted to try to use its specific sound characteristics and techniques. In fact, of all the wind instruments, the saxophone has the greatest expressive flexibility, which, together with the horn, is closest to the human voice, and the extreme volubility of the flute and clarinet. Thus, it is most suitable for great lyrical expression and virtuosity.
 This encouraged me to write a piece based more on expression than any formal element, a piece inspired by romanticism rather than classicism, a Ballade in a lyrical, narrative style, to make use of this instrument’s specific sounds.
 I chose a string orchestra with piano and percussion to accompany and support the solo instrument. As the saxophone holds a central place amongst the wind instruments, between the brass and woodwind, other wind instruments would have more individual sound characteristics and would have hindered its independence. The piano and percussion, on the other hand, would only help to highlight this singing voice.
 This is how this Ballade came into being, revealing the saxophone as both elegiac and triumphant. Later it became the first of a little series of Ballades for various instruments: flute (1939), trombone (1940), piano (1939), cello (1949), viola (1972,ed.)

Text by Frank Martin from A propos de… commentaires de Frank Martin sur ses œuvres (Neuchâtel, 1984) | English translation by Rachel Ann Morgan

Premiere

World première: Sydney, autumn 1938. Sigurd Rascher, saxophone

Recordings (selective list)

  • Version for saxophone and string orchestra
    John Harle, alto saxophone
    Ronald Brautigam, piano
    Concertgebouworkest
    Riccardo Chailly, conductor
    Decca Music Group Limited ℗ + © 2015

  • Version for saxophone and string orchestra
    ‘Frank Martin and the saxophone’
    Arno Bornkamp, alto saxophone
    Amsterdam Sinfonietta
    Thierry Fischer, conductor
    OTR C12095 ℗ 2012 (FMS003)

  • Version for saxophone and string orchestra
    ‘Frank Martin - Ballades’
    Martin Robertson, alto saxophone
    London Philharmonic Orchestra
    Matthias Bamert, conductor
    CHANDOS CHAN 9380 ℗ + © 1995 (FMS114)

  • Version for saxophone and organ (arr. Jakoba Marten-Büsing)
    ‘Spectro Saxofonis Vol.2’
    Harry-Kinross White, alto saxophone
    Jakoba Marten-Büsing, organ
    Musicaphon M 56843 © 2000 + ℗ 2001 (FMS122 + FMS196)

  • Version for saxophone and string orchestra
    John-Edward Kelly, saxophone
    Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra
    Juha Kangas, conductor
    ARTE NOVA 74321 27786 2 ℗ 1991 + © 1995 (FMS175)

  • Version for saxophone and string orchestra
    ‘Molto Furioso’
    Christian Roellinger, alto saxophone
    Berne Symphony Orchestra
    Dmitrij Kitajenko, conductor
    MUSICA HELVETICA MH CD 99.2 © + ℗ 1997 (FMS186)

  • Version for saxophone and piano
    Tim Smith, alto saxophone
    Yolanda Klappert, piano
    Yolanda Klappert ℗ 2013 + Commedia LLC © 2013

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