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Caliban (for soprano saxophone and piano)


Composition Date: 2016

Duration: 6'

Orchestration: Soprano Saxophone and Piano

Ā 

Information:

Commissioned by Richard Ingham to celebrate the Adolphe Sax bicentenary 2014, with funds from Creative Scotland

Written just before starting work on a ballet for Birmingham Royal Ballet with choreographer David Bintley, this short piece is one of a series of character sketches exploring facets of the main players in Shakespeareā€™s The Tempest.

The saxophone seems to embody the hybrid creature Caliban ā€“ half human half spirit ā€“ and the music is edgy and rhythmic. The central section shows a more reflective side: in spite of his abrasive and resentful nature, one of the most beautiful passages in the play is delivered by Caliban (ā€˜the isle is full of noisesā€™).

Programme Note:

CALIBAN

for soprano saxophone and piano

Sally Beamish 2014

for Richard Ingham

Written just before starting work on a ballet for Birmingham Royal Ballet with choreographer David Bintley, this short piece is one of a series of character sketches exploring facets of the main players in Shakespeareā€™s ā€˜The Tempestā€™.

The saxophone seems to embody the hybrid creature Caliban ā€“ half human half spirit ā€“ and the music is edgy and rhythmic. The central section shows a more reflective side: in spite of his abrasive and resentful nature, one of the most beautiful passages in the play is delivered by Caliban (ā€˜the isle is full of noisesā€™).

Caliban was commissioned by Richard Ingham to celebrate the Adolphe Sax bicentenary 2014, with funds from Creative Scotland.

Sally Beamish 2014

Ā 

Available Recordings:


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