Sá Leão, Op. 55a
Instrumentation: bass clarinet and baritone sax
Duration: 6 min
Year of composition: 2021
Level: Medium Advanced
Score and parts included (digital)
Program Note:
This piece was commissioned by clarinetist, composer, and fellow musician Vasco Valente.
The request was straightforward: a short work for a recently formed duo with Filipe Valentim on saxophone — both players known for their boldness and sense of adventure.
The title might lead listeners to expect something they probably won’t find. A joke? Maybe.
This work is part of a planned series inspired by figures from Portuguese underground and cultural imagination. In this case, I only used the letters of the filmmaker’s name as thematic material, avoiding any literal depiction or cinematic references.
Rather than contrast, I aimed for fusion — blending registers and timbres of the two instruments to the point where they almost merge.
Are the instruments (and not the players!) dancing together in sound?
Sá... grab the camera, things are about to heat up!
