This analysis of Karel Husa 's Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Concert Band will help other saxophonists understand the piece and give a better performance. In the process of analysis, I will reveal the spirit of the work. Conveying the spirit of a composition requires the accurate playing of notes, but it also requires a deeper insight into the work which is the result of intuition and skilled analysis. In addition to revealing the spirit of a piece, analysis may reveal the quality. First, one has to understand the spirit, and then from this knowledge the quality can be assessed.
Form is the most revealing aspect of analysis.
Husa's rhythmic writing in this concerto is often non-metrical and without pulse. Husa accomplishes this style of writing by avoiding emphasis or accent on the downbeat, and by subdividing the beat in many different ways so that a sense of pulse is lost. The next area of analysis is performance practice. Rather than discuss in detail the technical aspects of how to perform certain saxophone techniques, this section will focus on interpretive issues. Dynamic should be interpreted in such a way that the spirit of the work is conveyed without making bad sounds.