Music for Saxophone and Orchestra

Debussy • Glazunov • Ibert • Karamessini • Milhaud • Villa-Lobos

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Rapsodie for orchestra and alto saxophone (original version)

Debussy completed his Rapsodie for orchestra and alto saxophone in 1908, in response to an earlier commission from the American saxophonist Mrs Elise Hall, suggesting the possible future direction his music might have taken. The scoring was only carried out in 1919, after Debussy’s death, by Roger-Ducasse. Listening to street-hawkers crying their wares, Debussy managed to adjust these simple sounds to his extraordinary work for orchestra and saxophone. As indicated in the title, the saxophone here shares its leading part w