The Expressive Possibilities of Saxophone in 20th-Century Music

Abstract

The article is devoted to the modern repertoire for saxophone – works of Russian and foreign composers of the 20th century, demonstrating the wide technical and expressive capabilities of the instrument. The work gives an overview of compositions, systematises the expressive articulation, techniques and methods of playing the saxophone used by composers of various schools, styles and directions from Glazunov to Birtwistle, analyses the scores for orchestras that include the saxophone. The purpose of the study is to establish a connection between new saxophone techniques that entered performing practice in the 20th century, expressive effects that enriched the expressive potential of the saxophone, and the creative use of the instrument by composers. The objectives of the study are tracing the path of the formation of the saxophone as a concert instrument, considering the early and modern repertoire, determining the reasons for the popularity of the saxophone in 20th century music and the factors that led to the expansion of the arsenal of its technical and expressive capabilities, as well as analysing the most famous compositions in terms of interpretation of the instrument and demonstration of its rich timbre palette. While jazz pieces for instrumental ensembles, including saxophone, and the performing technique of variety performers are widely covered in scientifi c literature, avant-garde opuses for saxophone remain unexplored in musicological work. This article attempts to correct the unjustly “indifferent” attitude of scientists to saxophone music of the 20th century.