"Reconstruction (1865-1877)" for Solo Saxophone by Joshua Haugen (w/ score)

Joshua Haugen, Baritone Saxophone (live performance @ Michigan State University, October, 19th, 2021)
"Reconstruction (1865-1877)" is a work for solo saxophone written in the late winter and into early spring of 2021, written in conjunction with and premiered on Alto Saxophone by Michael Keeler on April 15th, 2021 (a recording of the premiere can be found here: • Reconstruction (1865-1... ). Impetuses for the work stem from a few different strains of thought, the Black Lives Matter Protests and Demonstrations of 2020 being the primary obliging force, also to which this work is dedicated. In this work, I not only wanted to provoke the audience with a sonic representation of this era of American history, but offer a lament for the miscarriage of justice that lingers still.
Please reach out at: [e-mail] for any inquires.

[@jakobglans693]

One of the best wind instrument solos I have ever heard. It is insanely difficult to engage an audience with 10 minutes of solo wind, but you nailed it . Hats off

[@jzonda415]

Thank you! Comments like this help me keep my motivation up to keep writing and performing; I’m glad you enjoyed!

[@starvingtuba]

Pure amazingness

[@sevynturner7938]

Why did this make me cry?

[@sevynturner7938]

And it was cry from the shear bueaty

[@notmwamwa]

because its so dogshit

[@yeetthebeet]

love these textures reminds me of stetson's work a bit

[@jzonda415]

I love Stetson! No doubt there’s linkage between this and his work

[@Pricebreanna9]

Love this 💕

[@theoneandonly3520]

Same

[@nathanbrinkman6782]

Dawg what the fuck

[@Luppay131498]

Amazing and deeply impactful piece. I’m just beginning to take composition lessons and your work here is very inspiring!

[@jzonda415]

I hope your studies have gone well, thank you for your comment!

[@Luppay131498]

@@jzonda415 Thank you very much!

[@lutzweb]

genius, also amazing score notation

[@loganaut6030]

I'm scared

[@cometsmith]

such a beautiful piece! the gliss into the soaring notes at the end is very reminiscent of Golijov's Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind,

[@jzonda415]

Fascinating, I’ve never heard that piece, but I’ll give it a listen. Glad you enjoyed!

[@charliekreidler1539]

What do you use to add and create your graphics?

[@jzonda415]

A lot of this I was able to do in Dorico, but the lines and some other details I had to use Acrobat. I also use Illustrator when needed, but not for this particular piece.

[@lyramcgames2711]

Wow you are really creative with your peices for sure, but I have to ask what grade would this peice be? for example my high school band currently is playing peices at a grade 3 (intermediate) level but this is a whole new level of difficult and i was just curious to know

[@jzonda415]

Great question: if I had to pick one, I would say this would be a grade 6 piece (sometimes I see a “P” for professional as well). It goes a written minor 7th above the natural range of the horn, frequently uses the altissimo range (at difficult dynamics as well), multiple extended techniques, graphic notation, and lots of microtonality. I’ve been playing music at the college and professional level for the better part of 8 years now and this was a rather hard piece to learn; the other person who premiered it, Michael Keeler, I think would attest to the same thing. Hope that’s helpful!

[@lyramcgames2711]

@@jzonda415 Yes that definetely helps, considering it uses the altissimo range and a lot of advanced techniques that does make sense. Thanks!

[@Thebradykins]

Um how was this thought of

[@jzonda415]

Improvised the main theme (3:00 minutes in), wrote everything else around it

[@sergeymoiseev6787]

Кто изящней пёрнет?

[@user-wr1my3vx5s]

Под солями и не такое можно высрать😂