Khita Fantasia
by Wisuwat Pruksavanich

[2025]

Composer Note:

     “Khita Fantasia”, composed for saxophone quartet, is a vivid exploration of the fusion between Thai musical aesthetics and Western idioms. Written especially for 4 For Quartet — Jacky Leung, Yo Matsushita, Lee Seung Dong, and Wisuwat Pruksavanich — and set to premiere at the 20th World Saxophone Congress in Harbin, China, 2025. This work seeks to traverse a diverse sonic landscape inspired by the spirit of a “fantasia.”

    Drawing from the Thai concept of “Khita”, which evokes intricate patterns and delicate ornamentations found in traditional Thai music, the piece integrates characteristic modal inflections and rhythmic gestures. These elements are woven seamlessly with Western styles and colors, ranging from dolce lyricism and mysterious atmospheric textures, to passages marked maestoso grandeur, funk-infused grooves, and even bursts of metal-inspired intensity.
   The quartet employs a rich palette of extended techniques — notably slap tongue and multiphonics — to enhance the expressive scope, blurring the lines between melody, harmony, and raw timbral effects. Each section unfolds unpredictably, much like the fantasia form itself, offering contrasting moods and playful surprises that reflect the spontaneity and imagination at the heart of the composition.