Stolen horizon for soprano saxophone and orchestra
Composition : Naoki Sakata

Live recording :  Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra  507th Subscription Concert
10th Dec. 2022 | Aichi Art Theater Concert Hall
Performance : Kentaro Kawase (cond.), Kohei Ueno (S-sax.), Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra

•Buy score
https://shop.naokisakata.net/products/stolen-horizon

« Stolen horizon » for soprano saxophone and orchestra (2022)

Che Si Può Fare  (after Barbara Strozzi)

A live recording by the Ciompi Quartet, for whom the work was written.

Commissioned as part of the Portfolio Project 2022/2023, Duke University

swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim; (a remembrance)

In February 2022, the Australian composer Nigel Butterley (1935-2022) passed away, and this small remembrance piece was written with him in mind. Nigel was a teacher, a mentor, and a friend, and his passing an enormous loss.

The line swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim; comes from one of Nigel’s favourite poems, ‘Pied Beauty’ by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Although Nigel was particularly known for his vocal music and affinity with text, he felt that Hopkins wasn’t suitable for setting to music, in part because of its intricate linguistic texture and own internal music. So rather than setting the words to music, I’ve tried to set music to the words - to find something swift, slow, sweet, sour, adazzle, and dim. The poem praises all things “counter, original, spare, strange”, and I hope that the piece does the same, forging its own austere, strange, and beautiful ‘internal music’ for these words.

swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;  [LIVE RECORDING]

premiere performance of song/form
by EXAUDI vocal ensemble

December 2022, Kings Place, London

song/form (2021)

I’ve been hearing Californians
Just some old men riding fortunes
Palo Alto sunrise, honey
Showing wonder, made of money

Baby I love your riches
Reckless spending, you’re made of money 
Tell me all those secrets, honey
Fill my pockets, I’m empty, hungry

I don’t need your Wall Street noise
Tell me in your own damn voice what you’re missing
Cause babe I’m fishin’ for you

I don’t need your Wall Street noise
Tell me in your own damn voice what you’re missing
Cause babe I’m fishin’ for you

I’ve been hearing Californians
Just some old men riding fortunes
Palo Alto sunrise, honey
Showing wonder, made of money

Wall Street

Commissioned by Ilan Volkov for the Tectonics Reykjavík festival, premiered in April 2015.

Interwoven // Tectonics Reykjavík Premiere

All sounds are from two computer-controlled flutes.

Percussion+Guitar, for two computer-controlled flutes

2 Suitcases (electronics)

Excerpt from the single movement piano trio 'Pulses', composed for the 2018 Melbourne International Chamber Music competition. Performance by White Halo Ensemble.

Oranges under the Full Moon

Oranges Under the Full Moon

Pulses for Piano Trio (Excerpt)

My life and that of Stravinksy's overlapped only by a few years – these were the years of the Apollo Space program (1969-1972). Stravinsky's own obsession with the 'Apollonian' aspects of music also inspired this piece written for the same combination as Stravinksy's own Octet. It was also written as a Threnody to Prof Peter Platt, head of music at the University of Sydney during my studies there, whose love of Stravinsky inspired my own fascination with this composer. It was written during a period of study at the Guildhall School of Music in London where it was premiered.

Apollo

"Raqad" is a Hebrew word meaning to 'leap' or 'dance'. There are plenty of leaping intervals and dancing rhythms in this short marimba duet.

swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim; [LIVE RECORDING]

Chris Williams Composer

Related tracks