Commissioned by Sankichi Tozaki, the director of Asaka Daiichi Junior High School in Saitama. I was wondering what kind of music to compose for them, and then I noticed two "3"s: "San" (meaning "three" in Japanese) Kichi-sensei, and saxophone "Trio". As I examined the letters "Sax," I discovered two notes, "Eb=S" and "A", which encompass six semitone pitches. This led me to choose the theme of "6".

Although the title contains "SONATA" (there are, coincidentally, "Eb" and "A"), it doesn't strictly adhere to the traditional sonata form. Instead, it provides a form that allows for relatively free development. In the fast-tempo section, the melody and rhythm intricately intertwine with distinctive chords, it is essential to maintain the driving force. Furthermore, as for the second theme, you could make a deep contrast to the first theme by changing the melody and timbre.

(Takafumi Hikage)