Monti, V. - Czardas for Alto Saxophone, arr. Kovacs

The Italian composer, violinist, mandolinist and conductor Vittorio Monti was born in Naples where he studied music. In 1904, while he was conductor of the Lamoureux Orchestra in Paris, Monti wrote his Czardas for violin, mandolin or piano but it has since been transcribed or arranged for orchestra and for a variety of solo instruments. Parts of the tune have been used in film and television scores and pop songs.

Based on a Hungarian folk tune of the same name, Czardas is written in seven distinct sections, three of which are repeated in this edition. Key signatures alternate between D minor and D Major and tempi range from'largo' to 'Allegro vivace - tempo piu presto' at the end. Add to that a dynamic range from 'piano' to 'fortissimo' and the opportunities for pronounced rubato and the piece has every thing needed for an exciting performance.