Nabb to perform works by Debussy, Ter Veldhuis, Bolcom

Dr. Nathan Nabb, professor of saxophone in the School of Music at Stephen F. Austin State University, and SFA collaborative pianist Hyun Ji Oh will present a faculty recital at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.

The recital will serve to recognize the birthday of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone.

“I don’t often choose a program with a unifying theme in terms of compositional styles,” Nabb said. “I mainly choose music that I am interested in sharing with audiences and students. But, I did choose this date for a reason: Nov. 6 is Adolphe Sax’s birthday. Since he is the inventor of our instrument, saxophonists tend to recognize this date in different ways, and I thought it would be fun to give a recital!”

Among the program selections is Claude Debussy’s “Petite Suite,” a well-known and beloved piece for four-hand piano.

“The version Hyun Ji and I will play is a beautiful arrangement by composer Jun Nagao,” Nabb said. “The ‘Petite Suite’ is a set of four short pieces with all of the wonderful harmonies and beautiful phrasing and interplay one expects from this great composer.”

Jacob ter Veldhuis’ “Garden of Love” for soprano saxophone and soundtrack is based off of a William Blake poem with the same title. Ter Veldhuis, also known as Jacob TV, is a Dutch avant-garde classical composer.

“The work begins with a pre-recorded recitation of the poem,” Nabb said. “Then the speech sounds are manipulated into music that the saxophone interacts with throughout the piece, along with other bird sounds one may hear in nature. The whole work is very exciting, groove oriented and fun for the audience and performer.”

The program also includes William Bolcom’s “Lilith,” which Nabb described as “an evocative work” for alto saxophone and piano. “As the title implies, this piece is inspired by Lilith, a demonic character originating in the Babylonian Talmud and early Jewish mythology,” he said. The movement titles are “The Female Demon,” “Succuba,” “Will o’ the Wisp,” “Child-Stealer” and “Night Dance,” with each exploring all of the traits of this terrifying character.

Concert tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.