One of Philip Glass' most widely performed orchestral works, the Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra little resembles a conventional concerto. Rather, it is a series of four individual pieces, each of which features a single member of the saxophone quartet. Instead of employing the typical bravado and pyrotechnic display of the concerto, Glass integrates the featured soloist into his customary rhythmic patterning. As with much of Glass' work, the Concerto is bound by an almost brutal stylistic consistency, and the four movements come off as a tightly integrated whole. The brief final movement contains the most interesting and effective writing, marked especially by the use of polytonality. ~ Michael Morrison, All Music Guide
