Description
Jean-Baptiste Singelée (born September 25, 1812 in Bruxelles- died September 29, 1875 in Paris) was a violinist, conductor and Composer. He performed as a violinist in the Orchestra of the Opéra-comique in Paris and then as first violin of the Orchestra of the Royal theatre de la Monnaie in Bruxelles. He was conductor of the theatre of Gant, and then at the Theatre de La Monnaie de Bruxelles. He wrote ballets, two violin concertos and many instrumental pieces, including the first Saxophone Quartet and many of the first examination pieces for Sax (who probably studied at the Royal Conservatory in Bruxelles at the same time as Singelée) at the saxophone class of the Paris Conservatory.
The Concertino for Alto Saxophone and Piano was the examination piece for the Saxophone class at the Paris Conservatory in 1861. The work is in a rather classical harmonic style but is unrelated to the formal practices of the classical concerto.