Transcribing string music for saxophone: a presentation of Claude Debussy's Cello Sonata for baritone saxophone

Transcription

1 University of Iowa Iowa Research Online Theses and Dissertations Sring 2013 Transcribing string music for saxohone: a resentation of Claude Debussy's Cello Sonata for baritone saxohone Nathan Bancroft Bogert University of Iowa Coyright 2013 Nathan Bancroft Bogert This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: htts://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2442 Recommended Citation Bogert, Nathan Bancroft. "Transcribing string music for saxohone: a resentation of Claude Debussy's Cello Sonata for baritone saxohone." DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) thesis, University of Iowa, htts://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2442. Follow this and additional works at: htts://ir.uiowa.edu/etd Part of the Music Commons

2 TRANSCRIBING STRING MUSIC FOR SAXOPHONE: A PRESENTATION OF CLAUDE DEBUSSY'S CELLO SONATA FOR BARITONE SAXOPHONE by Nathan Bancroft Bogert An essay submitted in artial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa May 2013 Essay Suervisor: Associate Professor Kenneth Tse

3 Coyright by NATHAN BANCROFT BOGERT 2013 All Rights Reserved

4 Graduate College The University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL D.M.A. ESSAY This is to certify that the D.M.A. Essay of Nathan Bancroft Bogert has been aroved by the Examining Committee for the essay requirement for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the May 2013 graduation. Essay Committee: Kenneth Tse, Essay Suervisor Matthew Arndt Benjamin Coelho Andrew Parker Kristin Thelander

5 To GorgeousMa ii

6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to begin by thanking my family, whose unending suort for my career in music has been the catalyst for any successes I have had. I have learned so much from a set of mentors who have rovided me with the tools to grow as both a musician and as a erson. I am so grateful to all of my saxohone teachers. Many thanks to Mr. Ron Jones, Dr. George Wolfe, Dr. Kenneth Tse, and Dr. Eugene Rousseau. Their advice has been invaluable to my develoment as a erformer, colleague, and teacher, and I will always cherish their contributions to my career. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Anthony Arnone, rofessor of cello at the University of Iowa and Dr. Taimur Sullivan, rofessor of saxohone at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The knowledge and exertise that these men contributed to my research was enormous, and I am indebted to them for their generosity. iii

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES... vi INTRODUCTION... 1 CHAPTER 1: THE MOTIVE FOR TRANSCRIPTION... 4 Defending the Performance of Transcritions... 4 Why Arrange Debussy s Cello Sonata for Saxohone?... 6 CHAPTER 2: THE SELECTION PROCESS... 9 Comaring Saxohones to Strings... 9 Criteria for Choosing a Comosition to Arrange Basic Tenets of Transcribing String Music for Saxohone CHAPTER 3: ADAPTING SCORES WRITTEN FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS FOR THE SAXOPHONE Fundamental Stes in Arranging String Music for Saxohone Range and the Use of Altissimo Prologue Sérénade Finale Adating Multile Stoing in String Music for Saxohone Performance Prologue Sérénade Finale Multile Tonguing Interreting Score Markings Intended for Stringed Instruments Pizzicato: To Sla or not to Sla? Vibrato Portando Sur la Touche Sur le Chevalet CONCLUSION APPENDIX A: PERFORMANCE NOTES FOR DEBUSSY S CELLO SONATA iv

8 APPENDIX B: EDITORIAL NOTES Prologue Sérénade Finale APPENDIX C: DEBUSSY S CELLO SONATA ADAPTED FOR BARITONE SAXOPHONE Sonata (Prologue) Sérénade et Finale BIBLIOGRAPHY v

9 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Range and itch labeling Measures 5-11 of Prologue from saxohone art Fingering otion for G6 in measure Fingering otion for G6 in measure Measure 19 of Prologue from saxohone art Fingering otion for F# Fingering otion for A Measure 37 of Prologue from saxohone art Fingering otion for A Final four measures of Prologue from saxohone art Fingering otion for F# Measures 7-8 of Sérénade from saxohone art Measures of Sérénade from saxohone art Altissimo fingering diagram Measures of Sérénade from saxohone art Measure 60 of Sérénade from saxohone art Fingering otion for G# Measures 7-17 of Finale from saxohone art Fingering otions for E7 and D# Measures of Finale from saxohone art Fingering otion for C Measures of Finale from saxohone art Measures of Finale from saxohone art vi

10 24. Measure 115 of Finale from saxohone art Final two measures of Prologue from original cello art Measures 5-7 of Sérénade from saxohone art Measures of Finale from saxohone art Measures of Finale from saxohone art Measures of Finale from saxohone art Measures of Finale from saxohone art Measures of Finale from saxohone art Measures of Finale from saxohone art Examles of articulation Measure 1 of Sérénade from original cello art Measure 10 of Sérénade from saxohone art Measures 6-7 of Sérénade from original cello art vii

11 1 INTRODUCTION Both as an audience member and as a erformer, I have been fortunate to encounter many transcritions. These musical exeriences have enriched my musical life and have also led me to realize that I enjoy laying music not originally written for the saxohone and value the edagogical asects of studying transcritions. It also means a great deal to me that through the erformance of transcritions, I have been able to encourage my students interest in the work of imortant comosers whose music redates the saxohone. As a classical saxohonist, I have often been frustrated by the lack of original saxohone music by some of my favorite comosers. This unfortunate circumstance has often led me to seek out transcritions and/or arrangements of music that was originally written for other instruments. I am certain that laying the violin sonatas of G. F. Handel in the early years of my saxohone studies has contributed to my enduring interest in erforming, studying, and teaching transcritions. After beginning my graduate studies, I began to exeriment with various string comositions that may have been reviously believed to be beyond the caabilities of the saxohone. The most memorable of these exeriments was the erformance of Dmitri Shostakovich s String Quartet No. 8 with a saxohone quartet of which I was a member. The numerous challenges we faced in adating the original music for saxohones were not only demanding and exciting, but the rewarding feeling I had after erforming Shostakovich s quartet is something I will always remember.

12 2 After encountering a great deal of scrutiny and criticism uon erforming that transcrition, I began to think of how we might have layed the music more convincingly to string instrumentalists. Rather than attemt to convince any other musicians of the imortance or validity of erforming transcritions, I thought it best to try to fully understand the music I wished to transcribe thinking that this would be the most effective means of achieving the highest level of erformance. I decided that it would be quite beneficial for saxohonists to identify some of the many issues involved in transcrition and to offer strategies and solutions to hel bridge the ga between the ambitions of saxohonists and the steadfast traditions of (in this case) string layers. I tried thinking of myself as an asiring cellist studying a new iece. After choosing Debussy's cello sonata and comleting an unaltered arrangement for baritone saxohone, I consulted a cellist in order to understand better the tradition of erformance, ractice, and edagogy in the cellist s world. Finally, I asked two saxohonists, one with a wealth of exerience arranging string music for saxohone and the other a secialist in the baritone saxohone, for their reactions. With that inut, I was able to refine my arrangement and am now able to exlain how I created it. With the hel of others whose knowledge exceeds that of the arranger, the arranger can create a transcrition that has the otential to rovide greater understanding among musicians of various discilines. One of the major tenets of this roject is that this kind of collaboration brings great deth and richness to develoing any transcrition but esecially if it involves arranging for instruments from different

13 3 families than those for which the music was first written. Those who want to resect and be as true as ossible to the original music should take extra care when transcribing and arranging various comositions. This manuscrit will identify key issues that arise when one is arranging string music for saxohone. It will treat strategies and solutions for resolving them. Finally, it will resent my demonstration of this rocess through an arrangement of Claude Debussy's Sonate our violoncelle et iano.

14 4 CHAPTER 1 THE MOTIVE FOR TRANSCRIPTION Defending the Performance of Transcritions In 1844, Hector Berlioz hosted a recital in Paris featuring arrangements of his own music for six of Adolhe Sax s new instruments. Berlioz s early endorsement of the saxohone was certain to have aided Sax in rocuring the talents of other noteworthy comosers such as Jules Demersseman, Hyacinthe Klosé, Jean-Batiste Singelée, and Joseh Arban to write for saxohones. Nonetheless, the early reertoire of the saxohone was necessarily rich with transcritions. 1 Many of the saxohone s earliest virtuosi regularly erformed music first written for other instruments. Along with original saxohone music, they often incororated transcritions of showieces for violin and flute into their recital rograms. Nineteenth-century saxohone virtuosi often erformed transcritions. 2 Fred Hemke oints out that saxohonists Louis Mayeur, Henry Wuille, and Thomas Ryan all erformed transcritions that were received with great enthusiasm, often because the transcritions enabled them to lay recognizable works. 3 1 Richard Ingham, The Cambridge Comanion to the Saxohone (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998), Fred Hemke, The Early History of the Saxohone (PhD diss., University of Wisconsin- Madison, 1975). 3 Hemke, The Early History of the Saxohone.

15 5 Desite this long history of saxohonists erforming transcritions since the earliest years of the instrument s existence, there are many saxohonists who believe that transcritions, however effective as teaching tools, should remain solely in the realm of education and not be rogramed for ublic erformances. In a 1984 review in the Saxohone Symosium, Dr. Paul Cohen decries the erformance of transcritions in a erformance by saxohonist Laura Hunter in New York: That Ms. Hunter should rogram this transcrition, considering the abundance of original literature for the sorano saxohone, is erlexing if not regrettable. Transcritions of this tye are aroriate for stylistic study, student recitals, and demonstrations. Whatever urose they might serve on a formal rofessional resentation escaes this observer; such rogramming can only reflect on the maturity of the erformer. 4 Along with other saxohonists, some of whom are rovoked to vitriol by such assertions, I vehemently disagree. I believe that transcritions are not only suitable for ublic erformance but rovide an avenue through which musicians can establish understanding an understanding that would encourage the kinds of work deendent on such enriching collaboration. Just as the early saxohone virtuosi erformed transcritions to highlight the caabilities of their still relatively unknown instrument, modern saxohonists can also turn to such arrangements in order to accomlish the same goals. Desite the abundance of great original music for the saxohone, the study of music from eriods that redate the saxohone is of the utmost imortance for asiring saxohonists. In order for saxohonists to be well-rounded erformers and teachers, it 4 Paul Cohen, Concert Reviews, Saxohone Symosium 9/2 (Sring 1984): 29.

16 6 is necessary that they study the music of Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, and Bach, among others. The majority of saxohonists are more familiar with the music of Berio, Stockhausen, Boulez, and other major comosers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries than they are with the music of C. P. E. Bach, Brahms, and Beethoven. It is nonetheless imortant for saxohonists to study the music from which so many modern comosers have drawn insiration. Why Arrange Debussy s Cello Sonata for Saxohone? If there is a single iece that exemlifies the value of arranging string music for saxohone, I believe that Debussy s cello sonata is a rime candidate. Given that so much of this sonata is based on imitation (invoking the sirit of the guitar in numerous laces), it is obvious in looking at this iece, and many others that redate it, that imitating other instruments is a well-founded tradition and a valuable learning tool. It is also the case that Debussy s cello sonata works articularly well when layed on the baritone saxohone. Every year, desite the increasing library of original comositions for the saxohone, the number of transcritions has also grown, and the study and erformance of transcritions have remained imortant to saxohonists. 5 Although the majority of saxohonists acknowledge the value of transcritions related to the develoment of musicianshi, Paul Cohen is not alone is arguing that transcritions should not be rogramed in ublic erformances. Renowned French Lee Patrick, Transcritions, Then and Now, Saxohone Journal 17/6 (May/June 1993):

17 7 saxohonist Jean-Marie Londeix is often cited for his belief that saxohonists have a resonsibility to lace a riority on erforming original saxohone music in order to remain relevant in the global music community. 6 Others argue, however, that saxohonists need to include transcritions in ublic erformances. Saxohonist Lee Patrick writes, for examle, that transcritions are a common ground where saxohonists and general audiences can meet. 7 Desite the existence of original music for the saxohone since that instrument s early days, saxohonists have often sulemented concert rograms with transcritions. Over time, this fairly standard ractice has evolved to exloit the versatility of the saxohone as an instrument. Rather than simly borrowing comositions from other woodwind instruments, saxohonists are often heard erforming transcritions of ieces written for the violin articularly the more virtuosic ieces, so as to show the technical caabilities of their instrument. Pieces from the string reertoire continue to be arranged by saxohonists based on a oular belief that the ieces they choose are quality comositions (for instance, a saxohonist arranging Beethoven s 5 th Symhony for saxohone choir). Although I will discuss the more secific criteria I used in selecting Claude Debussy s cello sonata of 1915, most musicians who do their own arrangements choose certain works for reasons similar to those of Dr. Kenneth Tse, saxohone rofessor at the University of Iowa School of Music. When asked about how he begins his selection rocess, Dr. 6 James Umble, Jean-Marie Londeix: Master of the Modern Saxohone (Cherry Hill, New Jersey: Roncor, 2000), Patrick, Transcritions, Then and Now, 25.

18 8 Tse offered the following comment: Whenever I hear a iece and think it would work well for any of the saxohones, I urchase it. 8 In this document, I will deal rimarily with any areas of conflict between the caabilities of the original instruments and those used in the transcritions (e.g., string techniques and range) by offering ractical solutions for erformance. These strategies and erformance suggestions will aid other saxohonists in arranging string music for saxohone and are useful to other instrumentalists who wish to arrange music written outside of their instrument s family. Ranging from the selection of a iece to transcribe to solutions for musical issues (i.e. range, articulation, etc.), these guidelines are intended to ensure that future arrangements done by saxohonists and other musicians work well and hel rovide a common ground among musicians. 9 Arranging string music for the saxohone can be seen, therefore, as an adatable model. 8 Thomas Erdmann, Kenneth Tse, Saxohone Journal 31/6 (July/August 2007): Erdmann, Kenneth Tse,

19 9 CHAPTER 2 THE SELECTION PROCESS Comaring Saxohones to Strings Before deciding on a comosition to transcribe and for which saxohone to arrange it, it is necessary to comare the most commonly heard members of the saxohone family (sorano, alto, tenor, and baritone) to their string counterarts (violin, viola, cello, and double bass). The two redominant factors in this selection rocess are range and timbre. Having conducted very basic research into the ranges of the various stringed instruments and listened exhaustively to comarisons between stringed instruments and the four most commonly heard members of the saxohone family, I believe that the most analogous airing of instruments from these two families is the baritone saxohone and the cello. Keeing in mind that the range of the baritone saxohone and the cello are essentially the same, the issue of timbre is next to be considered. After listening to many recordings of the cello, I realized that I was most focused on the seed of the vibrato. I recognized that my ears had honed in on a articular comonent of the cello sound, and so I turned to my own instrument in an attemt to understand why I was drawn to vibrato while listening to cello recordings. After a short eriod of exerimentation, I realized that the baritone saxohone could, in fact, mimic some of the timbral characteristics of the cello articularly through the use of various vibrato seeds, dynamic ranges, and tyes of articulations. Although I cannot achieve the same timbre as that of the cello, the timbral similarities between the two instruments constituted a key art of my choice of the cello for which

20 10 to transcribe a iece of music. Fortunately, after my initial meeting with cello rofessor Anthony Arnone of the University of Iowa School of Music, I became aware of more ways in which the cello could be imitated, esecially when he suggested that I ought to try to not lay with such a heavy sound. Professor Arnone refers here to the density of the saxohone s tone in comarison to the lighter sound of the cello, which is created by the richness of overtones heard in the cello s tone. Although this comment confirmed my original belief that the baritone saxohone is incaable of sounding exactly like a cello, it also convinced me that crucial to aroaching that sound would be to inoint methods for accentuating the similarities between the cello and baritone saxohone. In order to mimic the cello in as many ways as ossible, highlighting the innate similarities of the two instruments became a riority. Just as cellists create various sounds through maniulating the strings of their instrument, so can a saxohonist exeriment with many different sounds by altering the air stream, lacing more or less ressure on the reed, exerimenting with vibrato, and using the enormous dynamic range of the saxohone. When choosing a air of instruments, saxohonists should establish good reasoning for settling on a articular air in order to understand why not to choose other airs. In a discussion of his arrangement of Cesar Franck's Violin Sonata in A Major for baritone saxohone, Todd Oxford dedicates an entire section to the defense of register changes he deems necessary. 10 These tyes of changes are exactly the kind 10 Todd Oxford, A Transcrition of César Franck s Sonata in A major for the Baritone Saxohone (DMA Thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 2001).

21 11 that I look to avoid in my arrangement of Claude Debussy s cello sonata because my own exeriences makes clear to me that the kinds of changes made by Dr. Oxford are exactly those that create disagreement among instrumentalists. With issues like temo, hrasing, and dynamics also being the imetus for heated debate among musicians, I hoe to avoid such issues altogether by maintaining the foundational traits of the original music (itch, range, comoser s markings, temo, etc.) The essential question that rovokes so much debate is whether it is ossible to retain the integrity of the original music if its range extends both above and below the range of the instrument for which the music is being transcribed. Given that range affects timbre so greatly, to change the range (in the case of the Franck Sonata, for examle, by moving the assages down an entire octave) is to alter the timbre a great deal. Knowing that timbre affects a comoser's original choice of instrument for which to comose, changing the timbre by altering the range is one way, some could argue, that the original character of the music is diluted. This tye of dilution is another issue that can undermine the validity of a transcrition for those who erform the original music (in this case, cellists). Criteria for Choosing a Comosition to Arrange In order to avoid this tye of conflict, the goal is to find a comosition that meets two key criteria. The first is that the music should have been the focus of enough research to hel the transcriber acquire an in-deth understanding of both the history of the comosition and also the history of its erformance ractice. In

22 12 arranging such a iece, a significant work, albeit a transcrition, will be added to the saxohone reertoire. The second criterion is that the iece should contain very few, if any, techniques that are imossible to dulicate on the saxohone (large numbers of quadrule stos, for instance). This ensures that it is ossible for the arrangement to cature the sirit of the original comosition. Using these criteria, I examined the music of comosers for whose work I have an affinity. As a saxohonist, much of the reertoire I have erformed as a soloist has been from the twentieth century, and I thought I might build on the knowledge I have gathered in those exlorations. With this in mind, I began listening to the cello reertoire from the early twentieth century. I also chose this era because the saxohone reertoire lacks very many notable comositions from the first three decades of the 1900s (and earlier). I wanted to investigate the music of Debussy because he is one of the more illustrious comosers from that era who actually did comose for the saxohone and because other works of his have been arranged for the saxohone. The saxohone community s familiarity with the music of Debussy is something I hoe will make these musicians recetive to this transcrition. I listened to Debussy s cello sonata, which he comosed toward the end of his life. I realized that he had used the cello in a way that highlights the versatility of that instrument s timbre. Looking at the score of Debussy's cello sonata confirmed that the work not only fits my criteria but that the many sounds extracted from the cello aealed to my aural alate.

23 13 Given Debussy s status as one of the great comosers of the early twentieth century, it is hardly surrising that there exists a large amount of both historical and analytical writing about his comositions. In addition to an abundance of studies that concentrate secifically on Debussy s cello sonata, there are also many studies of the historical context of Debussy s late works. These look at Debussy s ersonal corresondence, the First World War, and the unfortunate unfolding of his later years and rovide a wealth of information that was relevant to my task. Debussy s cello sonata is an imortant work to cellists and is generally considered a significant comosition. It has been recorded often and is erformed regularly. Emilio Colon of Indiana University s Jacobs School of Music, the renowned cellist and cello teacher Janos Starker (also of the Jacobs School of Music), Sharon Robinson of the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Anthony Arnone of the University of Iowa School of Music all erformed the Debussy cello sonata in the two years before I did this study, sometimes several times in a year. The final ste in verifying that Debussy s cello sonata ossessed all three of the traits needed for this roject was to examine the cello art and assess the racticality of arranging it for the baritone saxohone. After exhaustive study and exerimentation in laying it on the baritone saxohone, I became convinced that the Debussy ossessed very few musical comonents that could not be arranged for this instrument. I turned then to the most challenging ortion of the roject how to handle the many issues encountered when adating string music for the saxohone.

24 14 Basic Tenets of Transcribing String Music for Saxohone One of the foundational ideals of this roject was to rovide saxohonists with a resource that exlains the rocess of arranging string music for saxohone from beginning to end. Many of the rocesses exlained here are what I find to be the necessary stes toward roducing an arrangement that catures the sirit of the original music. Although I do not intend to challenge or dismiss others who have transcribed string music for the saxohone, I argue that the methods I delineate are the most effective way to do so. There are indeed many arrangements of string music for saxohone that emloy some of the same methods I have described, but I have found very few that go as far to reserve the original music. The most imortant art of my rocess is finding a work that meets the second criterion I develoed for choosing a comosition to transcribe for saxohone. Secifically, I believe that in order to create an arrangement that reresents the original music well, one must choose a iece that contains the smallest number of techniques that are imossible to erform on the saxohone. Desite the tremendous difficulty of the arrangement I have roduced, there are relatively few changes to the original cello score. Choosing a comosition according to the basic rinciles I lay out allows one to add to the saxohone reertoire, highlight the versatility of the saxohone, ush the technical boundaries of saxohone erformance, and most imortant, offer saxohonists an avenue to exlore music from reertoires reviously unavailable to them.

25 15 CHAPTER 3 ADAPTING SCORES WRITTEN FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS FOR THE SAXOPHONE Fundamental Stes in Arranging String Music for Saxohone Any transcrition involves a series of tasks. The simlest of these are those requiring no more than the basic coying of the various articulations, hrase markings, and musical terms as they aear in the original score. Such a transcrition of itches and other score markings is of great imortance, a fundamental ste in the rocess. It is, however, one of the few stes that does not require targeted research of issues less familiar to an arranger who does not lay the instrument of the original work. In the case of string comositions, the original scores for stringed instruments include many markings that one never finds in a score for woodwind instruments. Pizzicato, arco, sur le chevalet, and harmonique are all examles. They are also all markings that require secial attention from those who are not as familiar with their meaning and the demands they lace on the erformer. In delving into these musical issues, it is imortant to call uon the exertise of those who secialize in the music being arranged. Transcribing Debussy s cello sonata for baritone saxohone required the counsel of three exerts a cellist, a baritone saxohone virtuoso and a rolific and masterful saxohone arranger. Dr. Anthony Arnone, Professor of Cello at the University of Iowa School of Music offered his

26 16 exertise as a means to inform the arrangement from a cellist s ersective. Without his hel, this arrangement would not have come to include the instructions necessary to aid a saxohonist in caturing the sirit of the original music. In the same way that teachers ass along traditions of erformance ractice to their students, so did Dr. Arnone s inut hel clarify erformance issues related secifically to Debussy s cello sonata. The second teacher to bring his exertise to bear was Dr. Kenneth Tse, Professor of Saxohone at The University of Iowa. Dr. Tse ensured that the arrangement was resented in such a way that other saxohonists could aroach the arrangement with relative ease. As a rolific arranger, he was able to rovide a wealth of knowledge on the issues encountered in arranging. His suggestions on how to finetune the work saw me through one of the more tedious but critically imortant stages in the rocess. Dr. Taimur Sullivan, baritone saxohonist with the world-renowned PRISM Saxohone Quartet and rofessor of saxohone at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts served as the baritone saxohone secialist for this roject. Dr. Sullivan s knowledge of the instrument and technical facility on the baritone saxohone ensured that the erformance suggestions offered later in this thesis are accurate, ractical, and efficient. Another critical ste is the basic analysis of the original comosition s structure and various harmonic events. Maing the hrase structure within the movements is essential to adding breath marks to the saxohone arrangement. Analyzing certain harmonic events aids the choice of secific notes in laces where

27 17 trile and quadrule stos (ones not marked as areggiated chords) are found in the cello score and a erformer cannot lay so many notes in such a short time san. In the case of the cello art of the Debussy sonata, there are many ractical laces to add breath marks and very few chords that cannot be layed as they are marked. Nonetheless, it is imortant to erform these analyses in order to substantiate the alterations made for the final arrangement. Transcribing Debussy s cello sonata, for examle, required extra care due to the frequent fluctuation of clef in the original cello score. Often alternating between tenor, treble, and bass clefs, the transositions into Eb (the key of the baritone saxohone) could not be automatic but had to be reviewed constantly in order to ensure the accuracy of itch and range. Range and the Use of Altissimo When arranging string music for saxohone, the use of the saxohone s altissimo register is often required. The increased difficulty of musical assages that require the altissimo register necessitates discussion of the many different otions saxohonists have (various fingerings, octave dislacement, etc.). Debussy s cello sonata oses many challenges related to range and the use of the saxohone s altissimo register. Yet the flexibility of the baritone saxohone s altissimo register offers saxohonists many erformance solutions. Desite the difficulties in using the baritone saxohone s altissimo register, the following section will rovide ractical erformance solutions for the altissimo register that will enable a saxohonist to maintain the range of the original music.

28 18 In this section, the music will be rovided along with a brief discussion of each assage and of how to better execute the crossing of the break into the altissimo register. The fingerings rovided here are by no means definitive. They were chosen for reasons of itch accuracy and ease of execution in the context of the assages found in Debussy s cello sonata. My method for note roduction in the altissimo range is based on my own studies and oinions. In the following discussions, reference to roer tongue osition means that the back of the tongue should remain very high and that the middle and front of the tongue ought to be maniulated in order to further stabilize the note being layed. However, to discuss the exact tongue osition of each note is beyond the scoe of this document, and to do so would be to some extent irrelevant given that each erson s tongue is shaed differently. Mastery of the altissimo register can only be achieved through alied study and much ractice. The baritone saxohone is unique among the saxohones in that it requires, for the most art, an entirely searate system of fingerings in the altissimo register. The sorano, alto, and tenor saxohones all share with one another many fingerings in the altissimo range; however, the baritone saxohone shares only a select few fingerings with the other members of the saxohone family. Here, all references are to the transosed baritone saxohone score. The baritone saxohone sounds an octave and a major sixth below where written. However, for the sake of clarity, I will refer to the notes in the saxohone score as written itches. Figure 1 is a dislay of this labeling system.

29 19 Figure 1. Range and itch labeling Prologue The first instance of the baritone saxohone score moving into the altissimo register occurs in the seventh measure of the first movement (Figure 1). Written as a G four lines above the staff (G6) in the saxohone score, each occurrence of the altissimo G is the destination of an ascending figure the first beginning on beat one of measure 7 and arriving at the first G6 on beat two, and the second figure being on beat four of measure 6 and arriving at the next G6 on the downbeat of measure 8. The difficulty in executing the first altissimo G is a function of the raid transition from the E6 that recedes it. Crossing the break from the normal range of the saxohone into the altissimo range can be extremely difficult. With the roer fingering and tongue osition, however, it is ossible to execute this transition smoothly and with

30 20 good intonation. Knowing this, it is no surrise that the most effective fingering for the G6 in measure 6 is a very simle one that requires a minimal amount of movement by the fingers. The most effective fingering for the G6 found in measure 6 can be seen in Figure 3. Figure 2. Measures 5-11 of Prologue from saxohone art The second G6 found in Figure 2 offers a different challenge. Although the notes that recede G6 in measure 7 offer more time to reare one s finger technique than those receding the first G6, the challenge lies in the jum of nearly an octave from the A5 (the final note of measure 6) to the G6. The fingers have more time to move accurately in this instance, but the oral cavity must undergo a much more drastic change between A5 and G6 than between E6 and G6. Figure 3. Fingering otion for G6 in measure 6

31 21 Although this fingering is a articularly effective solution to the technical concerns in measure 6, it is not the most stable fingering available for the note G6. In order for the fingering found in Figure 3 to roduce the desired sound and itch, it is essential that the erformer kee the back of the tongue very high in order to kee the note from cracking. There will also be difficulties involving itch when using this fingering. Without adjustments, this fingering will roduce a G6 that is very shar, so the erformer will need to lower the front of the tongue (while keeing the back very high) in order to bend the itch downward, lacing the note in tune. A more stable fingering for the note G6 can be used in measure 7. The fingering in Figure 3 is commonly referred to as the scrunch fingering. This fingering is much less rone to crack and is more in tune than the fingering in Figure 3. The addition of fingers in Figure 4 is ossible because the note receding the G6 in measure 7 (the final note of measure 6) is half the seed of the note that recedes the first G6 (E6) in measure 6. Although Figures 3 and 4 dislay the two fingerings for G6 used throughout the sonata, there are multile instances where the simle fingering is referable due to the notes surrounding the note G6. Figure 4. Fingering otion for G6 in measure 7

32 22 In measure 19, the note G6 is enveloed by two F#6 s in a sixteenth-note trilet (seen in Figure 5). Figure 5. Measure 19 of Prologue from saxohone art The rate at which this G6 is aroached and dearted from requires that the erformer select fingerings that rovide less demanding technique. In this instance, I have found that what Eugene Rousseau refers to as the second mode works articularly well. 11 The second-mode fingerings, while not as stable, require far fewer keys to be ressed and often require less coordination between the two hands. This allows for the saxohonist to move between these fingerings with better fluency and frees u sace to further consider intonation and tone quality. Since F#6 is within the normal range of the saxohone, the standard fingering for it is of a different mode than the fingering found in Figure 3 consequently I suggest the fingering found in Figure 3 for the G6 in measure 19. The fingering found in Figure 6 for F#6 offers technical ease, timbral similarity, and accuracy of itch all from lifting one finger while avoiding fingerings of two entirely different modes. 11 Eugene Rousseau, High Tones For Saxohone (Saint Louis: MMB Music, 2002).

33 23 Figure 6. Fingering otion for F#6 The introduction of new altissimo fingerings in measure 19 is followed by the first aearance of the note A6 for which the fingering can be found in Figure 7. The G6 and F#6 that follow the A6 in measure 19 are once again layed by using the fingerings in Figures 3 and 6. Measures 19 and 29, although rhythmically different, contain the same rogression of notes in the saxohone art. Given that the difference in rhythm between measures 19 and 29 is only slight, the fingerings used in measure 19 are also recommended for measure 29. Figure 7. Fingering otion for A6

34 24 Figure 8. Measure 37 of Prologue from saxohone art The next aearance of a assage containing notes in the altissimo register is in measure 37 (Figure 8). The difficulty associated with this assage is the seed at which the notes are layed. In order to execute this assage with technical roficiency, the erformer is required to use a fingering for the A6 that is somewhat unorthodox. The fingerings in Figures 6 and 3 are suggested for the F#6 and G6 that recede the A6. In this instance, however, the A6 can be layed by simly lifting all the fingers other than the octave key (Figure 9). Figure 9. Fingering otion for A6 The final four measures of the first movement contain a very difficult altissimo assage (Figure 10). This assage contains an F#7, one of the highest notes ossible on the baritone saxohone, and in addition, the altissimo notes are searated by rather large intervals.

35 25 Figure 10. Final four measures of Prologue from saxohone art The first altissimo note in Figure 10, the A6, can be layed using the same fingering shown in Figure 7. The following note, a C#7, can be layed using the fingering shown in Figure 14. It is difficult to move between A6 and C#7 because there can be very little, if any, movement inside the oral cavity. Rather than overcomensating for a higher note in the altissimo register by adding more ressure to the embouchure, it is imortant that the roer tongue osition be obtained and held in order to roerly execute the jum from A6 to C#7. The final note of the first movement is ossibly the most difficult altissimo note in the entire iece. The only otion for roducing this note is to use a standard fingering for another note while roducing a higher overtone. In this case, the fingering for E6 roduces the F#7 with the most ease. The biggest challenges are laying this F#7 with excellent itch and with a dynamic marking. With the roer tongue osition and embouchure ressure, it is certainly ossible to effectively roduce the note F#7 (fingering shown in Figure 11).

36 26 Figure 11. Fingering otion for F#7 Sérénade The Sérénade does not ose as many challenges involving altissimo as do the surrounding movements. The most difficult asect of the altissimo in the Sérénade is that nearly half of the altissimo notes are surrounded by very quick changes in register. One other challenging element involving altissimo in the Sérénade is the incororation of various articulations. In the following text, the altissimo is not discussed in the order that it aears but is treated in two categories: altissimo with registral concerns and altissimo made difficult by articular articulations. The first examle below (Figure 12) is taken from measures 7 and 8 of the Sérénade. After the areggiated chord (written as grace notes due to the unfamiliarity of areggiated chords to saxohonists) on the final eighth note of measure 7, there is a jum of an octave to the note C#7. Such a quick octave jum requires a keen sense of where to osition the tongue in order to lay the note both with good itch and at a iano dynamic. The fingering used for C#7 in this instance is the same as that shown

37 27 in Figure 14. Measure 9 also contains the note C#7 and is also made difficult by a very large interval receding the C#7. Figure 14 s fingering is again the most effective fingering for this note. Figure 12. Measures 7-8 of Sérénade from saxohone art Figure 13. Measures of Sérénade from saxohone art Measures of the Sérénade rovide additional examles of altissimo notes juxtaosed with figures in different registers. With the G5 at the end of measure 47 being nearly two octaves lower than the D7 on the downbeat of measure 48, the fingerings used for the altissimo notes require stability and itch accuracy more than technical erfection. Fortunately, the temo at which these notes are layed makes this a ossibility. The following diagrams seen in Figure 14 show each of the altissimo notes found in this excert and the fingerings used in both measures 48 and 50.

38 28 Figure 14. Altissimo fingering diagram D7 C#7 B6 A#6 G#6 There are other assages containing altissimo that are made difficult by the articulations and seed at which the altissimo notes are layed. Unfortunately, there is not much in the way of fingerings that can be altered. For the most art, the fingerings used in these moments have been discussed reviously. The final seven measures do ose a new challenge in that they require a bit of exerimentation with the fingerings in order to facilitate roer execution of the notes written. While I have rovided fingerings for each of the individual notes, there are some that may be altered (by leaving off a articular key for instance and deending on instrument model) in order to imrove technical fluency. Figure 15. Measures of Sérénade from saxohone art Figure 15 shows measures 23 and 24 from the Sérénade. In measure 21, the semre izzicato marking has led cellists to lay these measures as though they were imitating the guitar. The imitation of the guitar stems from the rogrammatic elements

39 29 of Debussy s cello sonata secifically the mimicry of Pierrot s guitar. When layed on the cello, the imitation of a lucked guitar creates notes that have a distinct attack at the beginning but a certain amount of decay thereafter. In order to achieve this effect in the uer register of the baritone saxohone, the saxohonist must maintain a high back of the tongue in order to roduce the notes without cracking and losing the itch. The osition of the tongue becomes esecially imortant at the end of measures 23 and 24, as there are altissimo notes to be layed in the same style as the staccato sixteenth notes that recede them. The difficulty in articulating the G6 in measure 23 is couled with the glissando down to D6. After articulating the G6, the back of the tongue must remain high while the front and middle are lowered in order to roduce the glissando effect. The fingering for the G6 found in measure 23 is the same fingering seen in Figure 3. Measure 24 uses the reviously mentioned second mode of altissimo fingerings beginning on the third beat starting, that is, with the F#6 on the second sixteenth note of the third beat. For the F#6 and the G6, the fingerings seen in Figures 6 and 3 can be used. The G#6 fingering from Figure 14 works well in this case. The final occurrence of altissimo notes in the Sérénade is in measure 60 (the same figure aears in measure 61). For the F#6 and G6, as before, the second-mode fingerings from Figures 6 and 3 can be used. The G#6 in this case oses a new challenge in that the fingering for G#6 from Figure 14 is not technically feasible given the seed at which it must be layed. Figure 16 shows the excert for which this new fingering for G#6 must be used, and Figure 16 offers a fingering that will effectively roduce the note G#6.

40 30 Figure 16. Measure 60 of Sérénade from saxohone art Figure 17. Fingering otion for G#6

41 31 Finale Figure 18. Measures 7-17 of Finale from saxohone art Measure 7 of the final movement of Debussy s cello art of the sonata offers the most difficult altissimo assage of the entire comosition. Not only do measures 7-17 contain notes from the uer end of the baritone saxohone s highest register, but these measures also feature a very fast sequence of notes that require the erformer to emloy unconventional fingerings in order to make the assage technically feasible. The longer note values in measures 9-13 highlight the saxohonist s execution of the altissimo notes and make oorer laying more obvious. This exosure laces roer tongue osition among the most imortant factors for the saxohonist to consider. Aside from the notes E7 and D#7 introduced in measure 14, the fingerings used for the other altissimo notes in measures 7-17 can be found in earlier fingering diagrams. The fingerings for E7 and D#7 offered in Figure 19 are not ideal in terms of stability, but the extreme register increases the likelihood that the notes will crack and so requires that the fingerings be as economical as ossible to revent excess movement from affecting note roduction. These same roblems occur when this hrase reaears in measure 91.

42 32 Figure 19. Fingering otions for E7 and D#7 E7 D#7 Shortly after measures 7-17, the same melodic ideas aear in measures 39-45, only in this case the music is written a whole ste down. This assage, seen in Figure 20, does not contain any new fingerings or notes that have not yet been discussed. I recommend that the saxohonist choose the more stable fingerings offered for the notes G6 and A6 in this assage given that there is amle time for both fingerings to be established. Figure 20. Measures of Finale from saxohone art The C7 in measure 56 marks the first aearance of a C7 in the iece. The fingering for this C7 can be seen in Figure 21.

43 33 Figure 21. Fingering otion for C7 The next aearance of altissimo is one of the more difficult assages in the sonata in that it not only requires altissimo but that the altissimo note comes amid a string of sixteenth-note trilets that require trile tonguing another extended technique that makes laying the D#7 in measures 82 and 84 (seen in Figure 22) more difficult. But trile tonguing cannot actually be used on the D#7 because it is hysically imossible to maintain the roer tongue osition while trile tonguing a note in the altissimo register. The general rule of altissimo laying on the baritone saxohone is that the back of the tongue must remain very high in the back of the mouth. The syllables required for trile tonguing alter the osition of the tongue too drastically to maintain a high back of the tongue. Quite simly, trile tonguing in the altissimo register is imossible. In order to tongue a D#7 at the seed required of measures 82 and 84, the air seed must be very fast; and only the ti of the tongue can touch the reed in a single-tongue execution. The D#7 fingering from Figure 19 can be used for measures 82 and 84.

44 34 Figure 22. Measures of Finale from saxohone art The final two occurrences of altissimo notes in the transosed saxohone art are in measures and measure 115. As seen in Figure 23, there are no new notes for which to offer fingerings, and the concerns associated with Figure 23 echo those mentioned in revious discussions of assages containing altissimo notes. Figure 23. Measures of Finale from saxohone art Figure 24 shows the final instance of altissimo in the iece. Found in measure 115, it is u to the saxohonist whether or not to use second-mode fingering for the F#6 that recedes the G#6. Using the second mode in this case makes the transition to the G#6 easier from a technical standoint. I recommend, however, that the erformer consider the resence of the F#6 both before and after the G#6. In order to maintain a consistent timbre throughout these few measures, I recommend using a standard fingering for the F#6.

45 35 Figure 24. Measure 115 of Finale from saxohone art Adating Multile Stoing in String Music for Saxohone Performance One of the many issues encountered when transcribing string music for saxohone is the occurrence of multile notes being layed simultaneously. Often referred to as multile stoing, the instances in which string instruments are asked to lay multile notes at once can create an insurmountable hysical obstacle for saxohonists. Although the saxohone is caable of roducing multihonics (the sounding of multile notes), the ability to choose which itches are heard is fairly limited. Often, multile stoing merely outlines conventional tertian chords. This further limits the saxohone s ability to recreate multile stos, as the instrument s multihonic otions generally do not roduce tertian chords. In many other transcritions of string music for saxohone, the erformer deals with this issue by laying the multile stos as broken chords. Similarly, in Debussy s cello sonata, most of the multile stoing is feasible for a saxohonist due to the areggiato markings. Although Debussy may not actually have been invoking the Pierrot story, the areggiato marking is traditionally taught as imitating the lucked guitar. Using that model, cellists strum the chords as quickly as

46 36 ossible given the temo markings. These instances require saxohonists to choose one note when a chord cannot be areggiated due to a temo or other marking. In this section, I discuss all occurrences of multile stos in Debussy s cello sonata, exlain the challenges of each, and offer solutions. Prologue Figure 25. Final two measures of Prologue from original cello art The final two measures of the cello version of the Prologue (seen above in Figure 25) contain the only instance of laying multile notes simultaneously. Cellist Anthony Arnone confirms that the A should be the more ronounced of the two. Not only is the A the higher of the two itches (causing it to emerge from the texture more than does the D below it), but I also believe that the octave interval between the final A and the note that recedes it (another A, only an octave lower) rovides the best closure for the movement. Hence, the art I have arranged for baritone saxohone shows the final two measures with only the uer note. Written as an F#7, the final note of the Prologue offers an extraordinary challenge for the saxohonist with regard to range (discussed in chater 4, beginning on age 18).

47 37 Sérénade Figure 26. Measures 5-7 of Sérénade from saxohone art Measures 5-7 of the Sérénade are an excert that may seem self-exlanatory to a cellist in terms of how to erform the music, but after listening to many different interretations and considering Arnone s observations, I found that this excert oses roblems for saxohone erformance. Although Debussy s direction to lay areggiated chords in the original cello art is very clear, the articulation ato the highest notes in these chords and the emulation of the guitar are not self-evident to saxohonists, who do not see such markings in their own music. In order to emulate the guitar, the saxohonist must lay the first two notes of the chord very short and then emhasize the to note on which there is a tenuto marking. This gives the desired effect of a guitarist rolling a chord uward, naturally causing the to notes to have the most length and resonance due to the natural decay of the notes that are articulated before the final note (in this case, the highest note) of the areggiated chord. My method of dealing with these areggiated chords is to write the lower members of the chord as grace notes. Figure 26 is an examle of how these areggiated chords have been adated in the saxohone art. Rather than leave the original chords in the saxohone art, I have chosen to indicate the same itch content

48 38 in a manner more familiar to saxohonists. In measures 21 and 22 of the Sérénade, the same chords aear and are adated in the same way as those seen in Figure 26. Finale The final movement of Debussy s cello sonata is where the saxohonist again encounters techniques that cannot be reroduced on the saxohone. Measures contain chords that are all marked areggiato. The temo of the Finale makes rolling chords in a izzicato style very difficult. Although this assage is quite difficult, laying the chords as written can be made easier by laying the lower members of the chords found in measures as grace notes (as seen in the saxohone art). If unable to lay the chords as written, I suggest that a saxohonist omit the grace notes written in measures (seen in Figure 27). Figure 27. Measures of Finale from saxohone art

49 39 Figure 28. Measures of Finale from saxohone art Figure 28 is taken from the rubato section from measures Once again the marking on each of the chords in the original cello art indicates that they are to be layed as areggiated chords. Here, they are layed differently than revious instances because the areggiato is effected over the course of a quarter note rather than only an eighth note. This difference in style is made ossible by using the rubato marking in measure 23. These accomanimental chords are to be layed as though a guitar were being lucked in a more relaxed fashion than the quickly lucked style found earlier in the Finale. After the aearance of the oco stretto marking in measure 27, there chords are lucked (or in the case of saxohonists, articulated) more quickly. Figure 29. Measures of Finale from saxohone art

50 40 Measures 33-36, shown in Figure 29, resent another demanding excert that includes multile stoing (in the original cello art). Again, the fact that these chords are to be layed izzicato enables a saxohonist to reroduce these chords as a cello lays them. The rubato and oco a oco stretto markings before them indicate that these two measures begin slowly and accelerate toward an ending (the caesura found after measure 36). If a saxohonist deems it too difficult to lay every note in each chord, there is another otion. Measure 33, layed at a slower temo than measure 34, offers enough time for the chord on beat two to be areggiated, but the accelerated temo in measure 34 comels a saxohonist to choose one note from the chord. I recommend choosing the note C#6. The C#6 is not only the most ronounced of the chord tones, it is the destination of the uward motion created by areggiating the chord from bottom to to. The rubato and oco a oco stretto markings directly before measures 33 and 34 give the erformer a bit of flexibility, but it makes the most sense to lay these chords in the same style since measure 34 is a reetition of measure 33. The final five instances of multile stoing in the Finale may be aroached in the same manor as the double stos that recede them. With the izzicato marking accomanying each of these five chords, the saxohonist can articulate the lower notes of each chord quickly, before landing on the to note of each chord and before arriving at the to note on either the off beat or the down beat (measures 114 and 120 contain chords on the off beats). If the saxohonist wishes to lay only one note of each of these chords, I recommend omitting the grace notes and laying the to note of each chord (D6) in both cases. The rimary reason for choosing the to note is that

51 41 it is the most audible note when layed on the cello. An examle of my adatation of these chords can be seen in Figure 30. Figure 30. Measures of Finale from saxohone art Measures 120 and 121 (seen in Figure 31) are reminiscent of measures in that they echo the chords layed on the iano. These two excerts are also similar in that they are heavily accented. The same aroach of laying the lower notes quickly before arriving at the to note is reflected through grace notes receding the to note of each chord in measures 120 and 121. Again, if a saxohonist were to choose to lay only one note, I recommend simly omitting the grace notes. The to notes in these chords are more similar in range to the to notes of the chords layed by the iano, and it also creates a larger interval between the notes that recede the final note of the iece. The larger interval created by choosing the to note of each chord has a more dramatic effect and brings better closure to the iece.

52 42 Figure 31. Measures of Finale from saxohone art Multile Tonguing In the saxohone s early years, many saxohone virtuosi used multile tonguing when they layed. Although many of them were not classical musicians, they established that saxohonists could effectively use multile tonguing in all kinds of erformances. As early as 1935, Jimmy Dorsey used trile tonguing in the song Tailsin on his album Sto, Look, and Listen. Other saxohonists who were known for their skill with multile tonguing in the early twentieth century include Frankie Trumbauer and Al Gallodoro. Method books from the early twentieth century often included sections that exlained various methods for multile tonguing. Walter Eby s 1922 Scientific Method for Saxohone, Henry Weber s 1926 Sax Acrobatix, and Jimmy Dorsey s 1940 A School of Modern Rhythmic Saxohone Playing all contain sections dedicated to teaching multile tonguing on the saxohone. In 1963, Larry Teal s The Art of Saxohone Playing, a method book that continues is still used in the second decade of the twenty-first century, also discusses double tonguing. There has been a consistent emhasis over time on teaching the technique.

53 43 Desite these books, multile tonguing continues to be regarded as an extended technique. This may be due in art to the difficulty of develoing this skill. Then, too, it could be because of the relative scarcity of comositions that require multile tonguing along with the concert reertoire s being large enough for erformers to avoid multile tonguing. Yet a growing trend incororates multile tonguing into erformance, and it is not surrising that this has led to a new emhasis on develoing this skill. It is entirely ossible that multile tonguing will sto being regarded as an extended technique. And if double and trile tonguing become less daunting for a greater number of saxohonists, then more comosers may begin to use them in both new works and arrangements of older ones. Even now, there is a divergence in the use of double and trile tonguing. The latter has not been incororated into the saxohone reertoire nearly to the extent of the former. Many believe that trile tonguing is more difficult, and it is certainly much more difficult to sustain given the increased hysical demands of using it. Some may argue that execting a saxohonist to trile tongue a long assage is unreasonable. Yet enough of the most accomlished erformers have successfully incororated multile tonguing into their erformances to suggest that there is room for works that demand this skill. As the standards of erformance rise within the saxohone community, more of its most accomlished members will be able to emloy difficult techniques. In my arrangement of Debussy s cello sonata, measures of the Finale contain a very long assage of sixteenth-note trilets that require the saxohonist to use trile tonguing. Altissimo is also required in the assage found in Figure 32. The duration of this assage is erhas the most demanding comonent for the erformer,

54 44 as multile tonguing results in increased activity of the tongue and more raid muscle fatigue. Desite these difficulties, the combination of roer multile tonguing technique, tongue osition, and a very fast air stream all make it ossible to lay this assage effectively. Figure 32. Measures of Finale from saxohone art Traditionally, multile tonguing is taught by using combinations of syllables such as tu-ku or du-gu. In order to have the flexibility needed to make such large interval leas, the back of the tongue must remain very high. With this tongue osition, multile tonguing is effectively made easier by using a syllable ending with more of an ee sound (for instance, tee-kee ). In the earliest stages of learning the articular multile tonguing needed to lay Debussy s cello sonata, it is easiest to use a more ronounced tee-kee style of articulation. After gaining more comfort with the hysical action of multile tonguing, a softer dee-gee syllable combination allows for faster seed of articulation, for the harder t sound tends to slow the motion of the tongue. Combining tongue osition and roer multile tonguing technique will allow a saxohonist to trile tongue with more flexibility, and for longer eriods of time.

55 45 Interreting Score Markings Intended for Stringed Instruments As in any iece originally written for strings, there are various markings that refer to techniques secific to that family of instruments. Sur la touche, izzicato, and sur le chevalet are all critically imortant examles here. For each occurrence of these markings in string music, there is, in most cases, a viable solution for any saxohonist trying to emulate a string instrument and reresent the original music as accurately as ossible, to roduce a sound that is not an exact relication but that nonetheless imitates the characteristics of string instruments. Thus, understanding these stringsecific markings and the effects they call uon the musician to roduce is crucial to arranging string music for the saxohone. Pizzicato: To Sla or not to Sla? One marking often found in string music that can create confusion for saxohonists is izzicato. For a saxohonist, izzicato markings require a number of different aroaches, given that izzicato aears in many musical contexts. Debussy s cello sonata resents multile styles of izzicato markings. The challenge in dealing with the assages that contain izzicato markings is to develo techniques that will roduce the various styles of izzicato. In many transcritions of string music for saxohone, the izzicato technique is equated to the sla tongue technique. Creating suction on the reed with the tongue leads the reed to sla the mouthiece, creating a sound comarable to that of a string slaing the fingerboard. This technique can be very effective when imitating an aggressive

56 46 izzicato, but as is the case in Debussy s cello sonata, the cellist often uses izzicato with a more graceful touch, and the izzicato roduced ossesses no slaing sound. I have incororated into my arrangement a variety of markings that signify various saxohone techniques. This has been done in order to most accurately mimic the various articulations of the cello. Transcribing articulations from the strings to the saxohone is not straightforward and requires great care. Although certain markings may imlicitly tell string layers to use articular techniques, the transoser must investigate those techniques and alter those markings if necessary to suit the instrument for which the iece is being arranged. In my arrangement of Debussy s cello sonata, there are three different marks I have chosen to reresent the various saxohone techniques necessary to recreate the characteristics of the various tyes of izzicato. The first aears above the staves and accomanies a traditional staccato marking. Faux-Sla indicates that the saxohonist should emloy a technique I have named the faux-sla (to be exlained shortly). The second mark also aears together with that for a traditional staccato. The term Staccatissimo indicates that the saxohonist should lay the notes as short as ossible. This tye of articulation is reminiscent of the ointed, dry sound created by a guitar being lucked quickly. The third mark is a tenuto along with the staccato. This marking indicates that the saxohonist should emloy an anchor tongue (also to be exlained later). Examles of these markings can be seen below in Figure 33. In instances where the saxohonist can emloy a traditional staccato articulation, the score will read normally, using a traditional staccato marking with no additional labeling.

57 47 Figure 33. Examles of articulation There are some correlations between the articular articulations found in the score and certain musical elements that accomany them. At any oint where there are izzicato sixteenth notes below the staff, for instance, the faux-sla marking will also be found because to roduce an extremely short, dry sound in the lowest register of the saxohone is nearly imossible without using a more aggressive form of articulation. The faux-sla works well here because it roduces a light lucking sound without the harsh smack of a normal sla tongue. Where there are longer izzicato notes, the anchor-tongue technique is used. Anchor tonguing creates a strong articulation on the front of the note while allowing the note to ring beyond the articulation all without the sla sound. This also hels to mimic the sound of a guitar string being lucked with an instant decay following the initial articulation. Finally, the staccatissimo marking aears in laces where the note lengths are shorter, most often sixteenth notes, and are not in the lowest register of the saxohone. The first movement of this sonata does not make use of the izzicato technique; but the second and third contain a great deal of izzicato articulation. With the excetion of a few measures, the entire first half of the Sérénade, art of a section that undeniably imitates a lucked guitar, is marked as izzicato. Figure 34 shows the

58 48 first measure of the original cello art; here a saxohonist can aly a conventional staccato articulation in which the notes are searated but not overly short in length. It is imortant to oint out that the notes should have a bit of a ring, so as to imitate the lucking of an oen guitar string. Figure 34. Measure 1 of Sérénade from original cello art Figure 35. Measure 10 of Sérénade from saxohone art One instance in which the faux-sla technique is recommended comes in measure 10 of the Sérénade (Figure 35). Using the ti of the tongue to flick the reed in an uward motion roduces the faux-sla sound. The reason for the term faux-sla is that when the ti of the tongue flicks the reed vigorously enough, it will create a very soft slaing. The lack of suction and a movement of the tongue different than a conventional sla tongue together create a different sound and offer more flexibility regarding how loud the sla is. To best imitate a guitar being lucked, I recommend that the faux-sla be more on the conservative side of how hard the reed is flicked. If

59 49 done roerly, the faux-sla can effectively recreate the buoyant, bouncy sound of the cello lucking short and fast sixteenth notes. Figure 36. Measures 6-7 of Sérénade from original cello art Figure 35 shows an examle of a assage that has, in the saxohone art, the additional marking of staccatissimo. One reason for using the staccatissimo marking rather than using the faux-sla or the anchor tongue is that both techniques are quite cumbersome for the tongue. In addition, erforming at faster seeds can cause the resulting sound to be much heavier than the intended izzicato. Another reason for adding the staccatissimo marking is to indicate that the notes should be layed as short and dry as ossible. At the temo of the Sérénade, a saxohonist would need to lay the notes as short as ossible to mimic the izzicato sound of the cello. I accomany the staccatissimo marking with a carrot over each note rather than the dot that is usually used to indicate staccato. Figure 33 shows an examle of how this marking aears in the saxohone art. Due to sacing, assages that require staccatissimo beyond the first aearance of the word will be signified solely by the markings shown in Figure 33. In order to achieve the many sounds heard in Debussy s cello sonata, cellists must maniulate their instrument in many ways. For a saxohonist erforming