“Images” for Saxophone Quartet Pt. 2

This 3-movement work was inspired by Debussy’s use of artwork in his music. Paintings by James Whistler inspired Debussy’s Nocturnes for orchestra. The images for this work vary in origin from movement to movement, from personal photograph to a famous painting by Caspar David Friedrich.

II. Izaak

A photograph taken by yours truly inspired the music for this movement. An Izaak Walton Wildlife Reserve in Virginia was a common getaway for my family and church. Most of the activities included fishing and target shooting, but I always enjoyed the walks on the trails. I snapped a pleasant picture of a trickling stream with some various foliage around it. The movement begins depicting the dead branches and leaves near the bottom of the picture and gradually lightens up as the eye moves toward the sunlight at the top.  Musically, this movement focuses on the interval of a Major 9th.

Performed live on March 31, 2012