arranger Caris Visentin
The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Runner for Saxophone Quartet (Caris Music Publishing, $28.00)
Recommended for quartets who are interested in improvisation and in adding a truly unique and powerful piece to their repertoire.
Jazz saxophonist David Liebman, a veteran of bands led by Miles Davis and
Elvin Jones, is one of the leading post-Coltrane contemporary players. Near the
end of 1985, he recorded what might be one of the greatest feats of virtuoso
over-dubbing ever created, the album The Loneliness of a Long-Distance Runner (CMP
24); it features only Liebman on soprano saxophone in creating a nearly
hour-long suite of saxophone ensemble music, at times featuring as many as seven
sopranos in celebrating the art of running and the many parallels with life as
an instrumentalist. His wife, oboist Caris Visentin, has now completed the task
of arranging and scoring this music for saxophone quartet SATB. The suite is in
ten parts, each showing a connection between the creation of music and running:
1. The Runner: Mind & Body
2. The Discipline of Practice
3. Going Through the Wall
4. Competition
5. Starting Line
6. The Pack
7. Breakaway
8. Alone
9. Personal Best
10. Victory/Defeat
Some movements of sections of movements involve duo and trio settings in various
combinations. Each instrument has a large amount of written solo material during
the course of the suite as well. Highlights include the interesting two
saxophone writing in the first movement using the tension and release provided
by interval relationships; the twisting solo lines in Movement III, separately
featuring soprano, alto and tenor; the rhythmic intensity of Movement VI and the
number of points in the piece where quartet voicings closely mimic a single
saxophone's multiphonic. (There is a number of altissimo G's and A's written is
some movements, particularly for soprano). In addition, there are other
highlights provided by the unique improvisation possibilities which occur in
Movements II, IV, VII, VIII, and X. Curiously, one does not have to be a
traditional "jazz player" to perform this piece since there are few
chord changes written. Rather, soloists are expected to know of the jazz style
and be willing to re-think the way they practice and learn music. For example,
in Movement II, "The Discipline of Practice," asks the soprano player
to create a melody using minor and major 2nds, tritones, fourths, and fifths
without referring to any particular tonal center. Jazz players will have to
practice this passage as diligently as a first-time improviser! Movement IV,
"The Competition," features a drone accompaniment section with a page
of explanation and basic motifs to be used by any of the members who act as a
soloist. Movement VIII "Alone," provides a row for each player, with
instructions to improvise on the rows by applying individual rhythmic and
durational ideas, reacting, and adjusting to the other lines. The arrangement
itself is very effective, capturing the spirit of the recording and the essence
of Liebman's unique improvisational voice. The copywork is exceptional; the
parts and transposed score are clear and easy to interpret, even where unusual
improvisational instructions are necessary. A programming of this intense work
means a large commitment from the players and their audience. A smaller suite
could also be created from a smaller number of movements. This work is a
powerful jazz statement, but it is also highly recommended for
"non-jazz" quartets of intermediate and advanced levels because it
demands that they players stretch themselves, listen, and respond to one
another.