Sopranino,
by Alexander Richards
Category: Saxophone

Despite being one of the instruments outlined in Aldophe Sax's original patent for the saxophone, and commercially available since 1849, the sopranino saxophone was generally unaccepted as a fully-fledged instrument until the late 20th century, existing solely as a novelty or a rare member of the saxophone ensemble. As such, there are few saxophonist who utilize the instrument, and the literature for the sopranino saxophone exists primarily in the contemporary idiom. Of the contemporary works for sopranino saxophone, one of the most well-known pieces is Chaya Czernowin's The Last Leaf (2011/12). While Czernowin initially conceived this work for solo oboe, she subsequently arranged a version for sopranino saxophone. Since then, it has been performed many times and recorded by several saxophonists including Ryan Muncy and Patrick Stadler. Through an examination of the score utilizing a variety of sopranino saxophone-centric contemporary resources alongside an interview with Czernowin herself, this dissertation provides the first extant performance guide to the sopranino saxophone edition of The Last Leaf, with the purpose of providing any saxophonists wishing to attempt this work with the information of Czernowin's intention for the piece and how to implement the techniques necessary for a performance.