Meditation

Alto Saxophone & Piano

Work Details

Meditation
(2004)
ARRANGER
Gareth Farr
WORK DURATION
6:45
WORK CODE
PE125
Instrumentation
Alto Saxophone & Piano
COMMISSION DETAILS
Simon Brew
Premiere
Simon Brew (asx), Bruce Greenfield (pf), Massey Conservatorium of Music, Wellington, NZ, 23 November 2004
The image above is indicative only and may not reflect the specific instrumentatioN. thE image has been generated using an AI model or licensed for use by unless otherwise credited.

Meditation is an ideal recital work for advanced secondary school students and above looking to explore contemporary music. Farr wrote Meditation to highlight the lyrical qualities of the solo instrument with piano accompaniment. As such, Meditation provides an opportunity for the soloist to shine through individual expression, making it perfect for recitals and competitions. The original version of Meditation (PE126) for viola and piano, was commissioned by Eric Nemrava in 1996. This arrangement, for alto saxophone and piano, was completed in 2004 following a request by Simon Brew.

The initial piano chords of Meditation alternate and create a harmonic foundation over which lyrical melodic material is placed. The convergence of these elements result in a sound which instills a sense of equanimity – reminiscent, musically,  of the title of the work. As the work progresses, the registral spectrum of notes utilised broadens. The expressive themes which permeate Meditation continue to develop and eventually become subtly underpinned by alternating crotchet-notes in the piano. This underlying harmonic material evolves and in due course emerges as the foreground of the piece, culminating in an unaccompanied piano section. Both instruments come together again, performing fluid gestures characterised by quaver-note motion and fluctuating dynamic variation. The work resolves and comes to an end with material evocative of that heard at the outset of the piece.