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A Ballad for Ruby: 4 Saxophones SATBar/AATBar Conductor Score & Parts

$20.95 USD
$20.95 USD
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A Ballad for Ruby Cover Image
A Ballad for Ruby: 4 Saxophones SATBar/AATBar Conductor Score & Parts

A Ballad for Ruby: 4 Saxophones SATBar/AATBar Conductor Score & Parts

By Valentin Hude

Item: 01-ADV7677
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Description
Despite its song-like melody, this is most decidedly no piece of music of quiet and peaceful tones---it is its element of contrast and suspense that brings it to life. This composition calls for emotion, expressiveness, and homogeneous ensemble playing.

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Additional Details
Series: Advance Music
Publisher: Advance Music
UPC: 805095076776
SKU: 01-ADV7677
Instrumentation: 4 Saxophones SATBar/AATBar

More about this title

Why we love this

Hude writes for saxophone quartets with real structural intention. Rather than relying on the lyrical warmth of the ensemble, he forces players to reckon with contrast and drama, which demands genuine maturity in their phrasing and balance. This approach produces rehearsals that feel substantive and performances that surprise audiences.

What to expect

The piece unfolds like a dramatic monologue. A song-like theme opens the door, but what follows is a conversation charged with tension and emotional weight. The saxophone quartet becomes an instrument of narrative, pulling between moments of vulnerability and moments of hard-edged intensity.

Who it's for

Saxophone quartets with intermediate to advanced players who can sustain lyrical lines while responding to sudden textural shifts. This work asks for musicians comfortable with rubato, dynamic control, and the restraint required to make suspenseful passages breathe.

How to get the most out of it

  • Treat the opening melody as a statement of intent, not a lullaby. The song-like quality should feel grounded and confident, almost stoic, so the subsequent contrasts land with force.
  • Dial in your intonation across the full range of four saxophones. Unison and octave passages expose tuning issues immediately, and they're essential to the ensemble cohesion Hude demands.
  • Shape phrasing collectively rather than individually. Mark dynamic swells and breath points together in rehearsal so the four voices move as a single organism during suspension and climactic moments.
  • Experiment with articulation clarity during the passages marked for expressiveness. Clean tonguing and precise note separation will amplify the tension Hude builds into the composition.

How to use it

Program this alongside lighter or more straightforwardly lyrical works to showcase the range of your quartet. The dramatic arc and emotional demand make it well suited to a chamber concert where it can anchor a set or provide a striking contrast to earlier selections.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing ensemble blend across four saxophone voices while maintaining dynamic independence
  • Executing sudden shifts in character and intensity with clear intention
  • Sustaining long phrases with controlled breath support and phrasing shape
  • Responding to written articulation and dynamic contrast as a unified ensemble
  • Interpreting expressive markings with collective agreement on timing and intensity

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