Symphony of the Hawai‘i Forests: Reflections on Ka Wai Ke Kumu Ola (2023) Full orchestraPalpitations (2011)
for alto saxophone solo
duration: 5 minutes
Perusal/Purchase: Murphy Music Press
Program Notes
There is something visceral and thrilling when watching a virtuoso test the limits of his or her instrument. Palpitations is a work that pushes such a boundary for the alto saxophone. The fingers never stop moving throughout this non-stop, perpetual-motion work, which also requires the performer to circular breathe from the beginning to the end. The work starts off innocently enough, beginning with a barely audible murmur in the lower register fraught with a nervous energy (described on the score as “caffeinated”). The piece, however, is relentless and merciless, growing in intensity through a gradual rise in both pitch and dynamics, all while maintaining the same velocity of notes to the end and not having a single moment for the performer to properly catch a breath.
The piece was written for and premiered by Timothy Rosenberg in 2011.