commentary to opus 35d

Sonatina for Alto Saxophone and Piano op. 35d (1969/1995)

I. Maestoso version for violin

II. Elegie version for violin

III. Finale vivace version for violin

Duration: 6 Minutes

Publisher: N. Simrock Hamburg-London (Boosey & Hawkes) EE 5466 / ISMN: 979-0-2211-2258-2 / ISBN 978-3-923051-73-1

The Sonatina for Alto Saxophone and Piano op. 35d is an arrangement of the 1st Sonatina for Viola and Piano op. 35b, which Bertold Hummel made in 1995 at the suggestion of the Canadian saxophonist Normand DesChênes. It begins with a powerful Maestoso movement. The full sound of the first theme contrasts charmingly with a lyrical second subject. The reprise ends with an impulsive Fugato. The second movement, Elegie, consists of a single melody with great intensity of feeling. The violin soars sonorously above celestial sounds in the piano. In the virtuoso Finale vivace, the Sonatina reaches its climax. Passages demanding technical facility, march rhythms and dramatic climaxes follow each other in rapid succession. The wild arpeggios of the coda lead to the final close.