About

'Fleeting' explores: different pitch contours (fixed, scale-like, arpeggiated) - articulation - durational asymmetry and elasticity. We begin with repeated staccato semiquavers on a fixed pitch, followed by a descending microtonal scale in legato. These two ideas are developed across the piece motivated by the above three fields of exploration. We arrive at a new descending arpeggiated motif in bar 30 at the tempo change (a quintuplet speed metric modulation) that is a cultimation of previous developmental tendencies and in turn becomes infiltrated by the descending microtonal scales.

Fleeting (2020) - Alex Pozniak (score in C) - Alex Pozniak.jpg

Fleeting (2020) - Alex Pozniak (score in C) pg2.jpg

Technique Explanation & Demonstration

Microtonal pitches on the alto saxophone

About Alex

Alex Pozniak studied composition at the University of Sydney, obtaining First Class Honours and the University Medal and completed his Masters at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, through a UPA scholarship, under the guidance of Matthew Hindson. Alex has had works performed by groups such as the Sydney Symphony Fellows, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, The Song Company, the Arditti Quartet (Europe), the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble L’Arsenale (Italy), Ensemble Besides (Belgium), Synergy Percussion, The NOISE string quartet, The Australia Piano Quartet and Ensemble Oﬀspring. Alex co-founded the new music collective Chronology Arts in Sydney in 2007 to produce concerts featuring new works by emerging Australian composers. He was the winner of the prestigious 2011 APRA Professional Development Award in the Classical category with which he travelled to the United States and Europe to present his works. He has taught composition since 2007 at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney and a number of high schools, including Cranbrook School where he is currently Teacher of Composition.

About James

James Nightingale is a saxophonist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the alto saxophonist with the saxophone quartet Continuum Sax and has performed regularly as a casual musician with Sydney’s orchestras since 1993. He performs as a soloist and chamber musician, including recent appearances for Backstage Music, the Melbourne International Saxophone Festival (2019) and for the Canberra International Music Festival (with Ensemble Offspring, Continuum Sax and as a casual musician). His recordings of saxophone music by Alan Holley and Andrew Ford have been released on CD. Performances with Continuum Sax for Phoenix Central Park are now available on YouTube.