Product Description
Dr. Brian Kauth assembled a consortium of saxophone players to commission me to write a piece in four
movements, each to be for a different member of the saxophone family(soprano, alto, tenor, baritone). He
chose the theme of the four horsemen of the apocalypse because, as he puts it, the saxophone was long
considered the devils instrumentdue to the seedy and sultry qualities associated with it.
Program
The story of the Four Horsemen comes from the biblical Book of Revelation. Each of the Horsemen is said to
represent events that are supposed to usher in the Apocalypse, the final battle between good and evil. As with
many biblical passages, there are numerous interpretations of this account debated among theologians. Those
that Ive taken in thispiece are strictly based on my own aesthetic requirements and should not be construed
as taking any particular sides in these spiritual debates.
The Four Horsemen symbolize the evils to come before the end of the world. It is said that a quarter of the
worlds population is to be wiped out by a combination of these ills. The Horsemen pave the way for the final
battle, the final judgement, and the Second Coming.
The account begins with the White Horsemen, symbolizing pestilence. Next comes the Red Horse,
representing war. Then the Black Horse, bringing widespread famine, especially against the poor of the world.
Finally, the Pallid Horse, the personification of Death, reaping his reward in the victims of the tribulations.
Performance Note
Each movement is assigned a different member of the saxophone family. Ideally it should be performed as
such. However, if you do not have access to all four saxes, you may perform the movements on the sax or
saxesof your choosing. The movements are written such that they will sound satisfactory on any of the saxes.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.