The Unvoiced Saxophone

Website(s) : http://www.donpaulkahl.com / https://soundcloud.com/daniel-cabanzo / http://juan-arroyo.com/

The Unvoiced Saxophone program is an exploration of new sound worlds for saxophone and electronics in an entirely contemporary context.

Biography

Described by distinguished American composer John Corigliano as an “artist beyond his time,” concert saxophonist, Don-Paul Kahl has performed throughout the United States, France, and Australia, as well as in Japan, Scotland, Italy, Thailand, and Malaysia. He has appeared as soloist with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, the University of Florida Symphony Orchestra, the University of Florida Wind Symphony, and the Susquehanna University Orchestra. Don-Paul was a prizewinner at the prestigious 4th Jean-Marie Londeix International Saxophone Competition in Bangkok, Thailand. He was also awarded the Harriett Hale Woolley Scholarship for academic study in Paris, France for the 2013-2014 year. To find out more, please visit, www.donpaulkahl.com.

More information

Throughout the short history of the saxophone, composers have tried, and to a large extent succeeded, to give the saxophone its rightful voice in music. Contemporary treatment of this versatile instrument has given the performer and composer outlets to an incredible array of sound and virtuosity. For some composers, the techniques of the saxophone have even outgrown vocal-musical means and have touched upon contextual sound worlds.

The first proposed work by Juan Arroyo, “Sikuri I,” written in 2012 explores the sound world of tenor saxophone without mouthpiece introduced with electronically generated sounds. Sikuri means Siku player, American panpipe flute in Aymara language. This instrument of South American has inspired the writing of the piece in the form and in the modes of sound production. The Siku can be played in two ways, with the city way, so all the notes played by a musician, or rustic way with two interrelated musicians each one with half notes. This technique requires less breath (very useful in high altitude) more synchronization between performers to produce a stereo effect.
Following research about the sound of Siku, Arroyo is still fascinated by the amount of the resulting sounds filtering done by the position of the mouth or the intensity of breath. Thus he decided to continue the same approach with electroacoustic, with the use of different filters that affect the sound of the saxophone. This filter allows him to get a curtain that often masks the sound of the saxophone. And thus he is able to imagine a whole hidden world, distant, full of unknown sounds or simply forsake submerged in the unconscious and that only distance allows me to dream.

The second proposed work is a world premiere work by Daniel Cabanzo. Exploring, similarly to the Arroyo, the sounds of saxophone without mouthpiece juxtaposed with more contemporary classical treatments of the instrument, the work progresses with typical spectral treatments. With this in mind, the electronics cast the role between soloist and accompaniment in flux by migrating sounds heard prior in the large overall arc of the work.

Due to the nature of the treatment of saxophone without mouthpiece, as a main theme of the proposed program, it is fitting to name the program as The Unvoiced Saxophone. This also refers to how the saxophone does not necessarily take a role as the typical classical “vocal” style through these pieces. Instead, the saxophone is treated as a completely new instrument allowing for new sound worlds and expressivity.