Ola Asdahl Rokkones, the tenor saxophonist, believes the saxophone offers more depth, dynamic range, and a more flexible sound pattern than the heckelphone in Hindemith's Trio, Op. 47.
Composer Biography
Paul Hindemith, a significant German composer and music theorist, was renowned for his virtuosic viola playing and later conducted his own music.
Album & Artwork
The ensemble Trio Brax, consisting of viola, tenor saxophone, and piano, derived its name from combining the Norwegian word for viola, 'bratsj', with 'saxophone'.
Compositional Technique
In Helge Iberg's piece, 'Ut å stjæle hester', the saxophonist Ola Asdahl Rokkones removes the mouthpiece to play directly into the tube, creating a flute-like sound, while the violist Julia Neher plays 'alla chitarra' (like a guitar).
Composition History
Trio Brax challenged three Norwegian composers—Håvard Lund, Helge Iberg, and Kjell Habbestad—to write new works for their unique instrumentation, as only one well-known piece, the Hindemith Trio, Op. 47, existed for it.
Instruments
The original instrumentation for Paul Hindemith's Trio, Op. 47, was viola, heckelphone (a type of baritone oboe), and piano, reflecting the composer's interest in unusual instruments.
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