The alto saxophone is, in my opinion, a superb solo instrument for Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise," as an instrumental alternative for the composer's choice of soprano (with piano.) The saxophone has a long and distinguished history in Russian music. Glazounov's Concerto is part of the standard saxophone repertoire. The saxophone plays a major role in Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet.) And perhaps the summit of use of the saxophone in Russian orchestral music was made by Ravel in his orchestration of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." Rachmaninoff himself made magnificent use of the saxophone in his final large-scale symphonic work, his "Symphonic Dances" of 1940.

I think the saxophone, especially the alto saxophone, is the instrument that comes closest to matching the distinctive sonority of great Russian sopranos–such as Galina Vishnevskaya. For that reason, I had no hesitation in selecting the alto saxophone as soloist when I decided to orchestrate Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise" for a solo instrument and concert symphonic band. What I found amazing while arranging the accompaniment is that Rachmaninoff's piano part is truly symphonic in conception. Almost no part of the piece is strictly homophonic–that is, a melody accompanied a progression of chords–typical of most songs. It is virtually all polyphonically conceived, with many long serpentine lines intricately interwoven into Gordian knots. Some of the counter-voices are almost as important as the unbroken vocal melody. For this reason, the work is ideally suited for instrumentation for symphonic concert band. The polyphonic strands can be both expressively executed by the woodwinds and brass, and aurally distinguished by the multifaceted timbres of the many different instruments–much more, in my view, than an orchestra of strings (in which garb the "Vocalise" is often performed.) At the end of this extraordinary composition, the solo voice (the alto saxophone in my arrangement) joins with the accompanying melody (which I have given to a solo fluegel-horn) in a soaring duet worthy of Isolde and Tristan.

In my piano reduction of the score for symphonic concert band, I have filled out some of harmonies that Rachmaninoff left incomplete in his original piano part. The result is that some sections of the piano part require the pianist to arpeggiate the harmonies, especially in the left hand.