textThe 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.Musi