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for alto saxophone and cello

by Aaron Johnson

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2-3 days

Vexation

Duration: approx. 5 minutes.

Composed by Aaron Johnson, for alto saxophone and cello. 1 Full Score and 2 Parts. Contemporary Classical. 5 pages. 8 1/2 X 11. Booklet Format. Published by Painted Bird Music.

Vexation is a free dialogue between an alto saxophone and a cello. At times they agree, at other times they disagree. And at times they listen attentively to what the other has to say before signaling their approval or disapproval. Neither instrument has more to say than the other. However, the saxophone does have the first and last word. The main thematic idea of Vexation is based on a three-note motive: A-flat, G, E-flat. Other prominent material comes from two other sources. The first comes from a synthetic scale built on a succession of intervals, each interval being one half-step larger than the previous interval: m2 – M2 – m3 – M3 – etc. The other source comes from a chromatic scale. Another source of pitch material comes from the combination of these two scales.