Tone Studies: The Saxophone Music of David Maslanka
Ellen Sommer, Nicholas May
The much beloved and acclaimed composer David Maslanka (1943-2017) featured the saxophone in many of his compositions, including concertos, solo, and chamber works. Nicholas May has chosen two for his debut recording -- the Sonata for Alto Saxophone (1989) and Piano and Tone Studies (2009). Maslanka's music requires not only tremendous technique but also a performer who is master of sound and color. The saxophone is an instrument of tremendous beauty and flexibility and Maslanka's works require a saxophonist capable of broad swaths of color, rich depths of contrast, and generous apportionment of the musical canvas. Nicholas May is such a saxophonist and this recording defines the works. May has been a finalist in numerous state, national, and international competitions. He received degrees from the University of Kansas and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is now on the faculty at Mid Plains Community College and a member of the Heartland Duo and the Sanders-May Duo. His collaborator, pianist Ellen Sommer is on the faculty at the University of Kansas School of Music.
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Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano | David Maslanka | Nicholas May (saxophone); Ellen Sommer (piano) |
| Tone Studies | David Maslanka | Nicholas May (saxophone); Ellen Sommer (piano) |
Reviews
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"I well remember hearing David Maslanka's Alto Saxophone Sonata in my second year of teaching at Lawrence University, played by my colleague and excellent saxophonist Steven Jordheim.…My response is about the same again—stunned and fascinated…The 6 Tone Studies center around the composer's beloved chorales and other materials with religious connotations…These pieces are more modest than the sonata's groundbreaking elements…but they would be welcomed by saxophone students. The sonata is a different sotry, but should be essential listening to all interested in music of the time…"
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