About this work:
Performed by Jim Nesbit (Soprano Saxophone), Tim Olbyrch (guitar), Bryan Mauer (Vibraphone), and Oksana Lutsyshyn (Harpsichord)
Quartet is an experimental composition comprised of a soprano saxophone, vibraphone, acoustic guitar, and harpsichord. The origin of this piece started as an experiment during fugal studies. As a humorous ploy, I decided to compose a fugue exposition using an odd combination of instruments. I was also thoroughly inspired by George Crumbs Quest. The complexity of this instrumental combination comes from the very natures of the instruments themselves as they belong to different families; the soprano saxophone is a single-reed wind instrument, the vibraphone a mallet percussion instrumental that features a sustain pedal not unlike a piano, an acoustic guitar which is a fretted-string instrument, and a harpsichord which is a keyboard instrument widely used during the Renaissance and Baroque eras. The main hurdle while employing these different instruments is the dissimilar audible range between them. Specifically, the soprano saxophone and the vibraphone are natural predominant and overpowering in volume. Yet, the acoustic guitar and harpsichord due not sound as loud and also exhibit limitations on their dynamic ranges.
The saxophone is an instrument that has a tendency to blend with almost any other instrument. I was very curious about the results of a soprano saxophone and vibraphone playing in unison. I was also interesting in the metallic and string properties of the harpsichord itself. Even though the harpsichord is a keyboard instrument, its sound production consists of plucked strings. This means that the sound characteristics of the harpsichord are very similar to that of the acoustic guitar. Thus, sound characteristics between the two, juxtaposed, intertwined, and in unison could yield some interesting results. Trying to blend these four instruments in a convincing fashion was the major objective.