Photo: Jana De Troyer

Der Affe in deinem Kopf is a virtuoso piece for baritone saxophone and fixed media. The work fuses classical and popular music into a humorous composition with monkeys as its central theme. In the spirit of “Money says monkey do,” I worked with parodies of styles and quotes. The composition contains monkey-related songs such as the German traditional Die Affen rasen durch den Wald (The monkeys race through the forest), a wind-up monkey toy march, and a reggaeton version of two-part baroque counterpoint. The piece actively seeks the boundaries of the baritone saxophonist, demanding very quick fingerwork, mastering tricky time changes, and embracing the wonderful sonic awkwardness of the baritone’s highest register.

Der Affe in deinem Kopf was written for Timon Kaiser, who premiered the piece on 03.12.2025 in Lübeck.