When Henri Tomasi wrote this concerto in 1949 as an exam piece for the Paris Conservatoire, he wanted to push the alto saxophone way beyond its usual home in the jazz club. Tomasi loved rich colors and rhythmic energy, blending classical rigor with Mediterranean folk flavors and just enough bluesy harmony to give the instrument its natural, expressive voice.

The first movement opens in a hazy, almost nostalgic mood before shifting into an asymmetrical, driving 5/4 meter that keeps you slightly off balance. Keep an ear out for a quiet cadenza near the end where the saxophone soliloquizes alongside only a harp. The second movement, Giration, which basically translates to "spinning," turns up the heat with dizzying, fast circling runs. The orchestra and soloist trade snappy phrases back and forth, backed by a lively percussion section that gives the movement its infectious, driving spirit.

– Juan-David Domínguez-Rincón