Gallia…in partes tres – saxophone quartet

Gallia…in partes tres (2/14/14) for saxophone quartet – 9’30”.  The title of this work is a short form for the Latin quote that opens Julius Caesar’s book De Bello Gallico. “Gallia est omnes divisa in partes tres” translates as “Gaul is all divided in three parts.” Each of the parts is represented by a movement of this piece.  “Gallia Celtica” opens with a melodic gesture that spans a ninth. It is imitated in all parts and results in a dissonant chord that can be reduced to pairs of seconds. Each of the instruments is given a solo in septuple meter. The movement concludes with the opening material, but this time ending in unison.  “Belgica” begins with an extended soprano saxophone solo over a troubled harmonic background.  The middle section is faster and more hopeful in mood.  “Aquitania” is largely in septuple meter with frequent, accented offbeats and a strong rhythmic flow. It is also characterized by a repeated measure that ends each section.

Moderate Difficulty

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To listen to the work, click here.