The arrangement is scored for soprano, 2 alto, tenor & baritone saxophones and is based on the first theme from the third movement of Borodin’s String Quartet No. 2 in D. Dating from 1881 the movement is commonly referred to as “Notturno” meaning night piece and is a very melodic movement and like much of Borodin’s music is very adaptable to being played by a number of different instrument combinations. There are 4 sections in the arrangement – theme, repeat of the theme with a varied and fuller accompaniment, the theme played in canon and a closing section which can best be described as a coda. A tempo of 70 quarter note beats to the minute is used in the realisation and there are some octave transpositions in the parts whilst the appoggiaturas that appear in the string quartet score have been omitted. Wherever possible the material from the original work has been incorporated into the arrangement. The realisation at times is rather ambient. Individual saxophone parts are appended to a copy of the full score. The arrangement sounds in Bb and accompaniments are in place using the minus one approach enabling each of the saxophone players to enjoy ensemble music practices as part of their practice routines.
