Erich Urbanner - Emotionen für Saxophonquartett (1984)

The Emotions for Saxophone Quartet were written for the Raschèr Quartet at the end of 1984. Although the individual voices are given ample opportunity to come forth in soloistic sections, the work in general has been composed as if for a single instrument.

Unlike the Ernst & Spaß of Maurice Karkoff, scoring in this work attends less the end of colour-variation than of motivic development, thereby drawing attention away from the individual voices and to the structures which unfold within the whole. Urbanner has erected a tone-edifice in which the various constitutional elements not only serve the dynamic movement from one segment of the work's form to another, but are also structurally integrated and inter-dependent.

In other words, the work has been composed from the inside out; not only does what already has occurred influence what shall be, but what shall be influences what shall have been. Erich Urbanner elaborates:

"Rather than seeing to their mere clever variation or even their musical 'destruction', it seems to me more artistic to allow the structural elements in the musical material to blend into each other; not by their mere juxtaposition as unaltered pieces in a collage, but by allowing for their reciprocal and simultaneous mutual influence in digital space. Various influences were blended into this music. It is narrative music in which the destinies of chords and melodies are described, as well as the destinies of moods and their correlative experiences. This is not composing based upon 'historical' music, but rather composing based upon the historical 'codes' of music, which become broken open, newly combined and conglomerated with new sounds. Thus something new is described, new 'tonal histories' are created."

The Emotions for Saxophone Quartet were premièred February 10th, 1985 in Washington, D.C.'s Constitution Hall. The work is dedicated to the Raschèr Saxophone Quartet.

The performers on this recording are Carina Raschèr - Soprano, John Edward-Kelly - Alto, Bruce Weinberger - Tenor and Linda Bangs-Urban - Baritone.