arranger
Below are Nicholas’s arrangements for various saxophone instrumentation. Most of these are available for purchase through Murphy Music Press. All cover art is provided by Joe Jurkeiwicz and is available on his website. To inquire about Nicholas’s arrangement library, or to start a new arranging project, send him a message through the email button below.
The Flower Duet - Léo Delibes
For Soprano Saxophones and Piano
The present score is an arrangement of Delibes’ “Flower Duet,” for two soprano saxophones and piano, transposed from the original key of B major up to E-flat major. The voice types required for these roles demand voices capable of full resonance in a high tessitura. This is best achieved by soprano saxophones when written in a higher key. This arrangement was written for James Bunte, Nathan Nabb, and Hyun Ji Oh, and has been recorded on their trio album, “Jamnaji.” The performers should study the libretto to the original score in order to phrase the music with appropriate text emphasis. This arrangement is available for purchase through Murphy Music Press.
The Flower Duet - Léo Delibes
For Alto Saxophones and Piano
The present score is an arrangement of Delibes’ “Flower Duet,” for two alto saxophones and piano in the original key of B major. The voice types required for these roles demand voices capable of full resonance in a high tessitura. This is best achieved by alto saxophones when written in the original key. This arrangement was originally written as two soprano saxophones for James Bunte, Nathan Nabb, and Hyun Ji Oh, and has been recorded on their trio album, “Jamnaji.” The two alto version was created to provide an additional option for performance. The performers should study the libretto to the original score in order to phrase the music with appropriate text emphasis. This arrangement is available for purchase through Murphy Music Press.
Sonata for Violin and Piano - Enrique Granados
For Soprano Saxophone and Piano
The present score is Enrique Granados’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano,” adapted for soprano saxophone and piano. This arrangement refers to Granados’s original score, which can be found with edits and annotations by Dr. Sergio H. Ruiz in his dissertation, “The Chamber Music of Enrique Granados.” For this arrangement, the piano part remains consistent with Ruiz’s edition, with edits made solely for legibility. To adapt the violin part to soprano saxophone, adjustments to the range and articulation were made to maintain the affect and character shown by the violin part. This arrangement is available for purchase through Murphy Music Press.
Sonate En Ut # - Fernade Decruck
For Viola and Piano, edited for Saxophone
This edition of Fernande Decruck’s “Sonate en ut #,” transcribes the viola version of this sonata into the saxophone transposition, resulting in an expanded range and longer phrase arcs. The Italian translations of French terms and instructions are omitted to clarify Decruck’s original instructions, and to clean up visual clutter. All staff splitting has been rewritten to avoid roadmap confusion. The performer should recognize that Decruck wrote this work with the original saxophone range first before publishing an additional version for viola.
Sonata for Flute and Piano - Francis Poulenc
For Alto Saxophone and Piano
The present score is a direct transcription of Francis Poulenc’s 1994 edition of “Sonata for Flute and Piano,” edited by Carl Schmidt. The saxophonist performing this work should purchase the 1994 flute edition of this work to avoid conflicting information between the saxophone part and the piano score. These differences are annotated with thorough research and citations in the new edition, and are reflected in the saxophone transcription. All saxophone pitches are kept one octave below the flute pitches to maintain idiomatic technique, and consistent voice leading.
Prelude in C-sharp Minor - Sergei Rachmaninoff
Large Saxophone Ensemble: 3sop - 4alto - 3tenor - 3bari - 1bass
This arrangement of Rachmaninoff's “Prelude in C sharp Minor” transcribes the original piano composition for saxophone ensemble. Orchestral transcriptions were referred to in the creation of this arrangement, but no saxophone part is a direct lift from an orchestral part. Ensembles performing this work should refer to the original piano score when referecing source material. This arrangement was written for the Stephen F. Austin State University Saxophone Ensemble. The instrumentation should be one player per part. If there are more members in the ensemble than score allows, the lowest parts of the alto, tenor, and baritone section should be doubled first. This arrangement is available for purchase through Murphy Music Press.
Allegro, from Symphony No. 41 in C Major, “Jupiter” - W. A. Mozart
Large Saxophone Ensemble: 1sno - 2sop - 3alto - 3tenor - 2bari - 1bass
This arrangement of Mozart’s “Symphony No. 41 in C Major” transcribes the fourth movement of Mozart’s final orchestral work for saxophone ensemble. All first parts are re-written string roles; these roles may be doubled due to the doubling that occurs in string orchestral writing. All second parts and the sopranino generally follow woodwind roles. All third parts generally follow brass roles. Considering this scoring, it may be helpful for the ensemble to organize its seating in accordance with the assumed roles rather than seating in score order. This arrangement is available for purchase through Murphy Music Press.