Commissioned by Trio Plus, a saxophone trio active mainly in the Tokai region, this piece is an arrangement from the original composition for a piano quintet, now transcribed for three types of saxophones and piano. Although this instrumentation is quite unusual, it carefully contrasts the different timbres of the saxophones, creating a beautiful and harmonious ensemble without compromising the atmosphere of the original piece. Originally, this piece was a song written by Schubert himself, which was very popular even at the time. It has been elevated into a set of variations on that theme in this work. The theme is an exceedingly graceful melody, evolving into six variations that showcase the brilliance of chamber music craftsmanship in a masterpiece that shines with technical skill.
(Takashi Haga)
