Soutriage for Tenor Saxophone and Ableton Live

Composed by Mark J. Knippel

Soutirage, also known as racking, is the process of moving wine or beer from one container to another without the use of pumps. This process often involves a winemaker dipping a glass into the stream of wine coming out of the barrel, often in a semi-rhythmic or even ritualistic fashion. Seeing soutirage in action reminded me of the piece I was writing for Dr. Rhett Bender, for tenor saxophone and synthesizers in Ableton Live, a popular digital audio workstation. Following an introduction with just the saxophone, the synth part contains looped material that the saxophone then joins with a series of its own loops. This is presented as a menu rather than a start to finish chart, giving the performer some freedom to uniquely shape the piece each time.