The Sharp End
for Saxophone Quartet 2009
TRANSPOSED SCORE
PERUSALSCORE
Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis
The Sharp End
Program Note:
The Sharp End was composed during my 2009-10 residency with the McGill University Saxophone Quartet, under the direction of Abe Kestenberg. Having had ample time to work with the ensemble, to explore their repertoire of music, techniques, and timbres, I set about developing a piece that attempts to take advantage of the “woodwindesque” lyricism and sweetness, as well as the “brassy” power and raucousness of the instruments.
Throughout the work, I sought to emulate the sound and syntax of progressive metal-style electric guitar writing, with a preponderance of power chords (open 5ths and their inversions/extensions), ostinati, jagged rhythms, and asymmetrical meters. There is often an implication of a strong backbeat, where an imaginary drumkit would typically carry the rhythmic momentum
The Sharp End was premiered by the McGill University Saxophone Quartet on March 27, 2010 in Redpath Hall, Montreal, Canada.
Duration: ca. 12 minutes
PERUSALSCORE
Published by Just a Theory Press, L.L.C. www.justatheorypress.com
The Sharp End Copyright © 2009 Haralabos Stafylakis (ASCAP for the USA, SOCAN for the World) & Staves Obsidian Publishing (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. . Program note Copyright © 2009 Haralabos Stafylakis. All Rights Reserved. For more information, visit www.hstafylakis.com
of this edition, December 2022
—Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis 2009
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Moderato ( q = 104 )
to Abe Kestenberg & Alana Goldscheid, Micah Langer, Paula Arzac, and Samantha Parent.
e Sharp End [ 2009 ]
I. Prologue
Copyright © 2009 Haralabos Stafylakis (ASCAP for the USA, SOCAN for the World) and Staves Obsidian Publishing (ASCAP), all rights reserved. Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com
Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis (b. 1982)
*One way to obtain the sound desired here is to play with less breath support than usual. Also, try relaxing the jaw and backing off the mouthpiece a bit.
II. The Story
PERUSALSCORE
III. Epilogue
Poco più mosso ( q = 108 )
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