Three Daydreams

for saxophone quartet (2019)
Duration: 15’

I. Heroic
II. Romantic
III. Ecstatic

By nature, I tend to be a realist, if not an outright cynic. My music often reflects this, taking on a bleak, morose tone.

Which is why the trajectory of this piece surprised me: it is quite optimistic, perhaps even foolishly so. Rather than the bitter cynic, it seemed to depict the hopeful idealist. The daydreamer.

It felt natural, then, to imagine these three movements as a series of daydreams: they all share the carefree capriciousness — the unconcern with reality — that characterize daydreaming. Each movement does not tell a specific story, so much as capture a distinct mood that this idealist’s musings might take on.

The first “daydream” is Heroic. Assertive and overconfident, it is the sort of fantasy in which we imagine ourselves to be much more virtuous, strong, or brave than we actually are. The second, Romantic, is wistful, suggesting a hopeful longing for intimacy. And the finale, Ecstatic, overflows with excitement, as the optimist’s mind is prone to do.

Of course, this persona of the incorrigible idealist is something of a caricature, and I couldn’t help but engage in some mockery. Admittedly, though, it was genuinely liberating imagining myself in the role — to allow myself to let go of reality. To daydream.

The second movement was premiered under the title Romanza by the Brevard Music Center saxophone quartet in 2019.