John David Lamb-Sonata for Soprano Saxophone and Piano

Saxophone Music has run through my compositional output like a red thread ever since I first heard Sigurd Rascher in 1960. His flawless technique and magnificent musicianship opened up my mind to the possibilities of the instrument. Over the years, with his constant coaxing and support, I produced an even dozen of works for saxophone ranging from a small suite for unaccompanied alto to a full-blown symphony for large saxophone ensemble and percussion. The Sonata for Soprano Saxophone and Piano first appeared in 1961 as a modest sonatina written for Carina Rascher. Twenty-five years passed before I heard it performed, and by then it was obvious to me that the material had potential which I had not fully realized. Major revisions took place in the late '80s; the first and last movements were expanded, and the slow movement was replaced with a new and more developed composition. Gradually through the encouragement of Paul Cohen, the sonatina matured into a new, full-grown sonata retaining little more than the basic thematic material from the earlier version, though the original light-hearted and occasionally sassy mood still prevails.