Mantis for soprano saxophone and piano (2009)
9 minutes
Mantis was written for saxophonist Christopher Creviston and pianist Hannah Gruber, who premiered it at the biennial conference of the North American Saxophone Alliance in February, 2010, and subsequently included it on their recording Snell Sessions (available here from Albany Records or on ITunes). The performers' only requests were that the piece last about eight or nine minutes, and that it include some particular altissimo challenges. The piece was written primarily with the spectacular talents of the performers in mind. The title was chosen only after the work was finished, and is intended to be more evocative than literally descriptive; I did, however, add a haiku to later copies of the score:
9 minutes
Mantis was written for saxophonist Christopher Creviston and pianist Hannah Gruber, who premiered it at the biennial conference of the North American Saxophone Alliance in February, 2010, and subsequently included it on their recording Snell Sessions (available here from Albany Records or on ITunes). The performers' only requests were that the piece last about eight or nine minutes, and that it include some particular altissimo challenges. The piece was written primarily with the spectacular talents of the performers in mind. The title was chosen only after the work was finished, and is intended to be more evocative than literally descriptive; I did, however, add a haiku to later copies of the score:
Mantis, immobile,
Poised, pretending piety...
Strikes with lethal grace.
Poised, pretending piety...
Strikes with lethal grace.