Instead of repeating itself at the octave like diatonic scales, it repeats at the perfect fourth, minor seventh, etc. All of the pitches chosen come from this specific scale – no octave duplication.
The processes or compositional “games” used in the three movements vary from section to section. For example, the piece begins with a sparse, barren presentation of the notes from the above scale. Their ordering was generated from a process that divided forty consecutive notes from the scale into five registers. The notes were then pulled one at a time from each register in a way that highlighted the minor seventh, an interval that figures prominently throughout the rest of the piece. The beginning of the third movement uses a more flexible process. The sax and piano both play only staccato notes at first, but after a while, they take turns holding different notes, as if those pitches get “stuck” for a while before they disappear. These held notes become more frequent and eventually pull us into the next section. Sonata for Alto Sax and Piano was written for saxophonist Kevin Towner.
Score and parts available for sale at Dorn
Publications. (scroll down to D)
Re-Emergence (1998)
for cello and piano
Two Pieces for Horn and Piano (1997)