The classical repertoire for saxophone is small, and works for the instrument by African-American composers—strangely, given the saxophone's importance in African-American vernacular traditions—are rare indeed. Thus William Grant Still's little Romance for saxophone and piano has been popular in recital and on recordings even prior to widespread revivals of music by the "dean of African-American composers." It has also been arranged for saxophone and chamber orchestra. The Romance was published in 1966, late in Still's life, when his music was mostly forgotten (much of his music of this period was for small chamber combinations). The work is about five minutes long and is of a lyrical cast. The opening saxophone melody, moderate in tempo and a real crowd-pleaser, speaks the Dvorák-like language of Still's early career, referring only indirectly, through its inclination toward pentatonicism and ninth harmonies, to the African-American folk and popular styles that surface more explicitly in much of Still's earlier music. A contrasting minor-key strain seems to presage a simple tripartite form, but instead the music becomes freer and less harmonically directional, punctuated by passages for piano alone. Still creates a subtle contrast with the tuneful opening material, and the transition back to that material at the end to round out the form is a pleasantly delicate surprise. The Romance isn't a virtuoso saxophone piece, but it demands the ability to produce a clear tone and legato phrasing over long stretches. The writing for saxophone makes no use of jazz playing techniques.

© James Manheim, All Music Guide