Huydts: Northern Light for soprano saxophone, alto saxophone and piano

Code: JP4108
ISMN: 979-0-3019-0632-3

"Northern Light" was originally composed for oboe, english horn and piano, and then rescored for soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, and piano by the composer. The music is inspired by the play of light at dawn and dusk in the northern hemisphere, specifically as it happens in late summer. The composer has always been fascinated by the optical illusions that one experiences during the twilights, that magic time between day and night in the morning and in the evening. Colors change, shapes take on different dimensions, objects become vague, distorted or blurred, or certain aspects unexpectedly come into focus, and all of that because of the continuously varying intensity of the sunlight, whether waxing or waning. Because of the elevation of the sun, weather conditions, pollution, particles in suspension, etc. the same conditions of light are almost never repeated exactly. In addition to affecting the perception of color and shapes, the sense of time seems to warp too.

In order to create a similar experience in this piece of music, the composer selected a set of five notes that the listener will hear as the melody introduced jointly by the english horn and oboe. The initial melodic shapes thus created remain distinctly present throughout the work, and are, in their simplest form, at the genesis of all that follows. The transformations, time stretching, and vibrant harmonic coloring (either suggested by melodic shape or simply provided as chords by the piano) offer a continuously varying perception of musical reality, thereby creating a fluid work of impressionist character.

Approximate duration 10 minutes.

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