2025
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Saxophone Concerto
Adolphus Hailstork
“Soloist Timothy McAllister gives a warm and glittering performance, the timbre of his alto saxophone offering a sweet reminder of its past as a staple of the dance band era…the scope and flair of the playing in this volume of Fuchs’s orchestral works, and the range of the music presented, make it essential listening.”
[REVIEW: “The RLPO presents ‘Sax in the City’”] “This being an evening dedicated to the unsung sax, its foremost classical exponent, Timothy McAllister, had made the journey from the US to reprise his performance of John Adams’ new Saxophone Concerto…the work is jazz-infused, the spiralling solos giving McAllister the chance to showcase a wonderful musical agility…”
“…the 136-year-old ensemble led by David Robertson, its music director since 2005, and its traveling virtuoso saxophonist, Timothy McAllister…he premiered the piece in 2013 and gave a steadily energetic, swimmingly sweeping performance of the modern work.”
Link to full review
“Within Adams’s symphonic feast, one hears high energy rhythmic virtuosity recalling that of Franz Waxman’s Sunset Boulevard (1950) prelude, towering alto saxophone solos mastered to the bone by Timothy McAllister…”
“A tremendous saxophonist, McAllister played with great strength, bright tone, and excellent intonation—including the altissimo register—on all his horns…in the end Corigliano’s ‘Triathlon’ brought the house down in cheers for soloist, orchestra, and composer.”
“I have great admiration for your great talent…I have been very impressed by your masterful technique, by the simplicity of your playing, by your musical intelligence, by the perfect presentation…”
“…the playing by the LSO is first-rate in the three concertos, their experience of Fuchs’s style from four previous albums (recorded between 2004 and 2014; this newcomer was set down in August 2017) showing. The concertos are all very different in format…Rush is a rather Bernsteinian diptych for alto saxophone with a punchy, roof-raising final passacaglia…soloists are exemplary. Naxos’s sound is terrific.”