Keeper of the Winds

ensemble soprano saxophone, string quartet, & piano
written winter 2024
duration 20 minutes

Commissioned by Shivam Patel

This saxophone concerto of sorts gets its name from the etymology and varied meanings of the word ‘Aeolian.’ Originally derived from the Greek figure Aeolus - the eponymous ‘keeper of the winds’ - the term has two primary uses today: one in geology, where it describes natural phenomena caused by wind, and the other in music, where it serves as the alternate name for the natural minor scale. Both of these definitions shaped the direction and ideas behind the piece. 

The music is intense and virtuosic, moving between extremes in register, dynamic, and timbre. The first movement, ‘Particle Dance,’ is a tempestuous and dramatic movement inspired by wind erosion, an Aeolian process by which winds gradually wear down geological formations. Here, the music is fragmented and explosive, filled with wild slashes of motion and scattered, dust-like gestures. At the movement’s climax, the music abruptly stops, transitioning into the suspended second movement, ‘Sandur.’ Named for the vast plains formed by glacier deposits, the music evokes the eerie harshness of winds that characterize these areas. High, shimmering string glisses encircle microtonal lines in the soloist’s altissimo register as bell-like bass tones in the piano ring out. Finally, the music gathers energy into the final, running movement - ‘Aeolian Processes.’ Filled with rushing motion and soaring, virtuosic lines, this final movement opts for a sense of gradual evolution in its energetic textures. The piece culminates in a climactic, barely contained, ferociously obsessive cadenza. 

Many thanks to Shivam Patel for so generously commissioning and learning such an ambitious piece.