The influence of jazz elements on Edison Denisov's Sonata for alto saxophone and piano

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2004-05

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Abstract

The purpose of this treatise is to further the saxophonist’s understanding of the importance of jazz elements and their influence upon Edison Denisov’s Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano. Jazz music has captivated and intrigued the world's many cultures, and the saxophone has had a close association with its development. As the saxophone moved from the jazz club to the concert stage it lost along the way of many of the identifiable elements of its jazz heritage. Modern discussions of jazz and its influence upon the Sonata have either been desultory or have simply been excluded. This may stem from a performer’s unfamiliarity with jazz performance practice, or their view that jazz is not of scholarly substance. As a result, saxophonists are often acutely unaware of the nuance and substance that jazz elements lend to the overall presentation of the Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano. In order to promote more accurate performances it is important that the saxophonist become familiar with these elements. It is the intent of this treatise to identify jazz influence, as a unifying element in the Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano by Edison Denisov (1929- 1996). The following topics are addressed, in order, to support the saxophonist in developing an understanding of the influence of jazz upon the composer and within this work: the influence of jazz music upon melody, harmony and rhythm; historical and biographical information of Edison Denisov; a discussion of jazz and its role in cold war, Soviet society; and the identification of jazz elements as they were incorporated in the Sonata.

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