City Noir

Pulitzer Prize–winning composer John Adams addresses the dearth of works for saxophone in the classical canon with these two pieces. Written in 2009, *City Noir* features alto saxophonist Timothy McAllister as de facto soloist. Adams explains in the liner notes that this three-movement symphony can be experienced independently or as “the soundtrack to an imagined film noir.” “The City and Its Double” conveys an urban setting’s flutter and shadow activities by approximating a jazz rhythm section (vibraphone instead of piano, pizzicato double bass, cymbals) intertwined with traditional orchestral underpinning. McAllister executes expressive, ballad-like passages during “The Song Is for You,” while “Boulevard Night” ties everything together thematically and emotionally, third act–style. The muscular and explorative *Saxophone Concerto* from 2013 is a personal work for Adams, who grew up listening to saxophonists (including his father, who played in swing bands) and penned this with McAllister in mind.