Christian Lauba, Dream in a Bar (1992)

Written for the Ministere de la Culture et de l'Education Nationale in 1992, Dream in a Bar for baritone saxophone and multi-percussion is dedicated to French saxophonist Marie-Bernadette Charrier. The 18 minute work is a picture of a kind of free jazz improvisatory scene, which has been notated down to the last detail, fully exploiting the entire range of capabilities for the baritone saxophone. With extended use of multiphonics, slap tonguing, bisbligando, microtones, harmonics, and a complete four octave and one whole step range, this piece pushes the instrument and the performer to the edge of their expressive and technical limits.

Dream in a Bar opens by spinning the sounds from a crowded bar around in a disjunct, dream-like fashion. The dream music is juxtaposed with funk grooves and we drift from one to the other and back again several times. As the funk intensifies, so does the dream until the distinction between the two becomes unclear. The two worlds finally collide and disintegrate into the quiet peaceful dream from which the piece began.