Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Community of Madrid Orchestra conducted by José Ramón Encinar. Manuel Miján as the saxophonist.
I - A Night Piece: 0:00
II - The Voice of the Devil: 8:59
III - The Eve of St. Agnes: 15:17
Humet's "Three Nocturnes" was composed between 1999-2001, being the composer's first orchestral piece. In 2005 it received the composition prize from the Villa de Madrid "Joaquín Rodrigo". It was premiered at the National Auditorium of Music in Madrid on October 4 of 2006, performed by the Community of Madrid Orchestra conducted by José Ramón Encinar, with Manuel Miján as the saxophonist. The score is dedicated to Dutch saxophonist Carola Cuypers.
According to the composer, the piece was inspired by the reading of three English poems from the 19th century that evoke the spirit and atmosphere of the night with different nuances and perspectives; The first movement by "A Night Piece" from William Wordsworth, the second by "The Voice of the Devil" from William Blake, and the third by "The Eve of St. Agnes" from John Keats. The piece features a saxophone in a soloistic role, a "voice of the poem, with its warm and sensual timbre, which allegorically evokes the atmospheres and concepts of the texts", according to Humet.
The composer also further states the following about the scoring: "The orchestra is conceived organically, with internal movement at all levels, and with a refined instrumentation that takes into account the sonic spectrum of each instrument. The movement arises from the soloist's own musical phrase, which is reflected like a shadow with a life of its own in the orchestral mass. The overall colour of the orchestration is sweet and tranquil, like the night evoked in the poems. The three movements end with a fusion of sound into silence, which is the deepest music of the soul."
The first movement refers to the following fragment of its respective poem: “[…] and the mind / Not undisturbed by the delight is feels, / Which slowly settles into peaceful calm, / Is left to muse upon the solemn scene”. It begins with glasses with water being bowed, creating a sustained and ethereal sound. Harp and both pizzicato and bowed strings join in, before the soloist enters with sustained notes in the high register. This initial state of statis gives way to the melodic and evocative phrasing of the saxophone. The orchestra supports the soloist with a densely and colourful texture.
Clarinets and bass clarinet share a brief dialogue, before the music reaches an expressive climax in the central part. Another brief transition with clarinet and muted trumpet lead to another contemplative solo for the saxophone over strings. Suddenly the entire orchestra grows agitated in a tumultuous climax. A cadenza-like passage for the saxophonist showcases the virtuosity of the soloist and the possibilities of the instrument. The movement ends with a brief return to the opening statism, before the music dissolves in the silence.
The second movement refers to the following fragment of its respective poem: “[…] 1. Man has no Body distinct from his Soul for that calld Body is a portion of Soul discernd by the five Senses, the chief inlets of Soul in this age. / 2. Energy is the only life and is from the Body and reason is the bound or outward circumference of Energy. / 3. Energy is Eternal Delight”. It opens with a lyrical solo of the saxophone supported by harp and strings. The full orchetra then enters with a dissonant and chaotic response, as if struggling with the soloist. A tumultuous and rhythmic climax is reached, after which the saxophonist begins another solo over strings. After an intense orchestral climax, the soloist engages in another lyrical solo, with occasional orchestral outbursts. As with the first movement, the music enigmatically fragments into the silence.
The third movement refers to the following fragment of its respective poem: “[…] hey told her how, upon St. Agnes’Eve, / Young virgins might have visions of delight. / And soft adorings from their loves receive / Upon the honey’d middle of the night, If ceremonies due they did aright; / As supperless to bed they must retire, And couch supine their beauties, lilly white; Nor look behind, nor sideways, but require / Of heaven with upward eyes for all they desire […]”. After a brief introduction with extended techniques, the soloist begins a sensuous solo over sustained strings. A more rhythmic passage introduces contrast, before the saxophone continues. After a brief pause, a richly scored orchestral texture creates a rarefied landscape. The soloist returns with a final lyrical solo, only accompanied by the harp near the end, before the music once again dissolves in the silence.
Picture: "The Mysteries of the Horizon" (1955) by the Belgian painter René Magritte.
Musical analysis written by myself. Sources: tinyurl.com/26fqrb2k and tinyurl.com/23rr5373
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
Community of Madrid Orchestra conducted by José Ramón Encinar. Manuel Miján as the saxophonist.
I - A Night Piece: 0:00
II - The Voice of the Devil: 8:59
III - The Eve of St. Agnes: 15:17
Humet's "Three Nocturnes" was composed between 1999-2001, being the composer's first orchestral piece. In 2005 it received the composition prize from the Villa de Madrid "Joaquín Rodrigo". It was premiered at the National Auditorium of Music in Madrid on October 4 of 2006, performed by the Community of Madrid Orchestra conducted by José Ramón Encinar, with Manuel Miján as the saxophonist. The score is dedicated to Dutch saxophonist Carola Cuypers.
According to the composer, the piece was inspired by the reading of three English poems from the 19th century that evoke the spirit and atmosphere of the night with different nuances and perspectives; The first movement by "A Night Piece" from William Wordsworth, the second by "The Voice of the Devil" from William Blake, and the third by "The Eve of St. Agnes" from John Keats. The piece features a saxophone in a soloistic role, a "voice of the poem, with its warm and sensual timbre, which allegorically evokes the atmospheres and concepts of the texts", according to Humet.
The composer also further states the following about the scoring: "The orchestra is conceived organically, with internal movement at all levels, and with a refined instrumentation that takes into account the sonic spectrum of each instrument. The movement arises from the soloist's own musical phrase, which is reflected like a shadow with a life of its own in the orchestral mass. The overall colour of the orchestration is sweet and tranquil, like the night evoked in the poems. The three movements end with a fusion of sound into silence, which is the deepest music of the soul."
The first movement refers to the following fragment of its respective poem: “[…] and the mind / Not undisturbed by the delight is feels, / Which slowly settles into peaceful calm, / Is left to muse upon the solemn scene”. It begins with glasses with water being bowed, creating a sustained and ethereal sound. Harp and both pizzicato and bowed strings join in, before the soloist enters with sustained notes in the high register. This initial state of statis gives way to the melodic and evocative phrasing of the saxophone. The orchestra supports the soloist with a densely and colourful texture.
Clarinets and bass clarinet share a brief dialogue, before the music reaches an expressive climax in the central part. Another brief transition with clarinet and muted trumpet lead to another contemplative solo for the saxophone over strings. Suddenly the entire orchestra grows agitated in a tumultuous climax. A cadenza-like passage for the saxophonist showcases the virtuosity of the soloist and the possibilities of the instrument. The movement ends with a brief return to the opening statism, before the music dissolves in the silence.
The second movement refers to the following fragment of its respective poem: “[…] 1. Man has no Body distinct from his Soul for that calld Body is a portion of Soul discernd by the five Senses, the chief inlets of Soul in this age. / 2. Energy is the only life and is from the Body and reason is the bound or outward circumference of Energy. / 3. Energy is Eternal Delight”. It opens with a lyrical solo of the saxophone supported by harp and strings. The full orchetra then enters with a dissonant and chaotic response, as if struggling with the soloist. A tumultuous and rhythmic climax is reached, after which the saxophonist begins another solo over strings. After an intense orchestral climax, the soloist engages in another lyrical solo, with occasional orchestral outbursts. As with the first movement, the music enigmatically fragments into the silence.
The third movement refers to the following fragment of its respective poem: “[…] hey told her how, upon St. Agnes’Eve, / Young virgins might have visions of delight. / And soft adorings from their loves receive / Upon the honey’d middle of the night, If ceremonies due they did aright; / As supperless to bed they must retire, And couch supine their beauties, lilly white; Nor look behind, nor sideways, but require / Of heaven with upward eyes for all they desire […]”. After a brief introduction with extended techniques, the soloist begins a sensuous solo over sustained strings. A more rhythmic passage introduces contrast, before the saxophone continues. After a brief pause, a richly scored orchestral texture creates a rarefied landscape. The soloist returns with a final lyrical solo, only accompanied by the harp near the end, before the music once again dissolves in the silence.
Picture: "The Mysteries of the Horizon" (1955) by the Belgian painter René Magritte.
Musical analysis written by myself. Sources: tinyurl.com/26fqrb2k and tinyurl.com/23rr5373
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
