7th Movement

I called the 7th Movement "Four A.M." because I think the title captures the loneliness I envision of someone walking the streets all alone. This can be seen as a microcosm of all the times we feel alone in the world. To capture this mood, I made the piano part very harmonic, not in the sense of chord progressions, but more as color chords. I derived a lot of the chord structures from the notes of the saxophone melody. I first tried to decide where I wanted the chords to change and then I put the notes of the saxophone line together harmonically for those beats. Sometimes I used only some of the notes and other times I added notes not in the saxophone line. The wide spacing between the left and right hands also adds an air of vagueness. I used my ear to find the sounds that I wanted. Some of the chords were derived by linearly moving the piano part to create a pattern or line itself (for example measures 7 & 8). The other thing I did with the harmony was to have it anticipate the saxophone part with the change of chord (measures 1 & 2). The piano occasionally imitates part of the saxophone line (measures 3, 17, 19, 20). In measure 9 the piano has running 16th notes that help intensify the climax, and in measures 10-13, the piano left hand is a key element in relaxing the tension and serves as a countermelody to the saxophone. Therefore my piano part is a combination of many different techniques that create variety for the listener and support for the saxophone line.

I work in concert pitch, but the score I am posting has the saxophone part transposed.

To see and hear what is discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/microcosmsblog.html

Dr. B