Eric Chasalow
Are You Radioactive, Pal?
for Alto Saxophone and Tape (2010)
Suspicious Motives Music
I. Bop Energy
Are You Radioactive, Pal?
for Alto Saxophone and Tape (2010)
II. Natural, like breathing
III. Dramatic, cadenza-like
Duration 12:00
Program Notes
Are You Radioactive, Pal? (2010) takes its title from one of the Dream Songs of John Berryman (a long obsession of mine). As a lapsed alto player, when I moved to Boston in 1990, I started to reconnect with an amazing community of saxophone players, especially Philipp Stäudlin who I worked with closely in writing this piece. The tape part includes lots of saxophone motives that I recorded myself on a 1920’s Conn Chu-Berry alto.
When I set out to compose this piece, I “stole” a downward sweeping saxophone gesture and a weighty, orchestral brass G minor chord from one of the tape pieces on this disk, Symphony of Popular Misconceptions. The two sounds are used in critical structural ways.
A recording of the piece, performed by Philipp Stäudlin, appears on the 2015 CD, Are You Radioactive, Pal? Suspicious Motives Records.
Performance Notes
Accidentals do not carry through the bar. They refer only to the note they precede, except in cases of immediate repetition, where, for example C#,C,C would mean C#,C#,C# (even with intervening rests). Cautionary accidentals have been added (in parentheses) for clarity.
In concert, both the quality and positioning of the playback system are very important. Time in rehearsal should be devoted to balancing the volume and timbre and to positioning. Loudspeakers should be capable of reproducing the full audible frequency spectrum and use of a subwoofer is ideal. While multiple speakers beyond a single stereo pair may be used, at least one pair must be positioned on stage, very close to the performer to create an ensemble sound. Any sound coming from remote speakers should be at a lower volume than the main, stage pair. If on-stage speakers are not possible, a microphone or pickup on the instrument is essential to properly mix the prerecorded and live sound.
One or more microphones on the saxophone are required to add a reverb to the live instrument starting in m119 of mvt. I and continuing through mvt. II. This should sound as natural as possible, while lengthening the decay time to ca. 3 to 5 seconds depending upon the natural resonance of the concert hall.
Are You Radioactive, Pal? for Alto Saxophone and Tape
Eric Chasalow (2010)
Singing q = 60
[add reverb with a 3 to 5 second decay to sax from here through the next movement only]
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