Markham adds del"icateLy EVAN G]RISTOPHER FRANK MARTIN AND understated phrasing and a ;ira(: ':/l:f - measured dynamic structure to j\ rr'':- t_r.! r,a THE SAXOPHONE ai{f|., ar)rr \l € the repertoire of approaches. Arno Bornkamp (saxophone) Run, Sing, F$- # Markham brings a Ottavo Recordings OTR Cf2095 Programmatic Works for deLightfuLLy reedy quaLity to €r8.95 Saxophone and Piano Debussy's Syrinx, originaLLy for Sarah Markham (al.to solo flute, playing the more saxophone), PauI Turner prob[ematic but suitabLy fragiLe (piano) arrangement for Cl.assics, f 9.50 saxophone, which pushes the instrument's capacity for Both Wikipedia and Evans's delicacy in the highest registers personaL website describe this to its Limits. American (b. 1969) ctarinettist James Rae's Sonata in ED has as being devoted to aLL of the energy and Lyricism 'contem porary early-jazz', in one has come to expect ofthe other words, a modern-day composer, and Markham's New Orleans styLe. I have a A new recording by ptaying is fLuid and effortlessty sLightLy different take to this internationa[[y renowned virtuosic. Paute Maurice's particular 60 minute set. With LyricaL saxophonist Arno Tableaux de Provence is one of my eyes tightl.y cLosed and ears Bornkamp is always welcomed, the most enduring works in the wide open I distinctty heard an and this CD of works by Swiss repertoire with its endearing Artie Shaw trying to imitate lf every picture te[[s a story, composer Frank Martin is no charm and her idiosyncratic Barney Bigard under strict then each of the vividLy exception. A strong advocate approach to harmony and instructions not to disturb any evocative miniatures on this for the composer and his music, rhythm ensures it can thrive members of the audience who 2010 release by saxophonist Bornkamp showcased an under any interpretation, and it had faLLen asleep. ln caseyou Sarah Markham paints a arrangement of Martin's Irois is sure to transport the listener feeL this is too negative an picture. Due to the saxophone's Dances at the WorLd Saxophone to the sun ofthe opinion I urgeyou to audition exoticism and apparentLy Congress in St. Andrews in Jul.y Mediterranean. Markham's the 13 tracks on Spotify. timeless modernity, its 2012, which is one of the works effervescent pl.aying on the Two thirds ofthe tunes are repertoire is l"ittered with on this disc. OriginaU.y for oboe, opening movement Farandoulo Christopher's compositions and modish, expLicitLy harp, string quintet and string di chatouno, or dance ofthe are quite attractive, spanning programmatic works, and in the orchestra, the piece provided an young girls, is the highLight of slow and medium tempi and hands ofSarah Markham, the exciting part ofthe opening the CD. Markham skil.fuLLy even one waltz. Four are New myriad voices availab[e to the gala concert at the congress combines the del"icacy of the OrLeans'standards' (Way Down instrument bring these to Life. with Bornkamp and the French style with the powerfuI Yonder in New )rleans, Mojo Run, Sing, Fly, opens with Scottish Chamber 0rchestra. vocality of the British. Blues, My Home is in a spirit and panache in Dubois's This recording is no less Richard Rodney Bennett's Southern Iown and Deqr )Ld quirky Pidces Caractdristiques exciting, indeed it is recorded craftsmantike Three Piece Suite South|and). Al.L bring modern- en de suite. This five- from a live performance by forme constitutes a quintessentiat[y day high qual.ity musicianship movement work features [ight- Arno, this time pl"aying with the British take on samba, ragtime and musical discipl,ine to the hearted caricatures of the Hague PhiLharmonic at The and funk. His unusual approach genre especiaLLy so when it musical traditions of Spain, Anton PhiLipszaal in Den Haag, to ragtime wit[ confound and comes to the improvised solos Russia, France, Hungary and Netherlands. amuse audiences, white the in which atl members of the Paris. Markham reve[s in the Written in 1970, when the funk counterpoint of the quartet participate and excel. chaos and physicaLity ofthe composer was 80, it was 'Fina[e' constitutes a muscular Christopher has a mysterious Spanish dances ofA inspired by his daughter, who and convincing conc[usion to clarinet sound, no outrageous L'EspagnoLe and the sorrow and was a flamenco dancer, and is the album. Sidney Bechet vibrato, thank joy of Dubois's imagining of fuLL ofthe energy and rhythms The absence of biographies goodness, but a sLightLy fuzzy peasant life in Russia, whi[e her typical.Ly found in flamenco and dates of composition for tone. I wou[d have Liked to have energised vibrato is we[[ suited music. Arno Bornkamp himseLf the lesser known composers heard more up-tempo material to the bustl.ing A La Parisienne, sought permission from and works is a surprising to liven up the proceedings but I redo[ent of the fashionab[e Martin's wife, Marie Martin, to omission from an otherwise suppose the intention here was verve of The City of Light. have the work arranged for we[[ presented and recorded to project the song-[ike tunes. Takash i Yosh i matsu's Fuzzy , which was album, which I enjoyed. Those who feeL that genuine Bird Sonata, whose movements realised by Christoph EnzeL in Witl.iam Upton New 0rleans music is far too Run, Bird; Sing, Bird; and Fly, 2005. rough at the edges (but Like Bird contribute the album's ALso on the disc are their tunes) wil.l. find this CD name, has enjoyed an extensive REMEMBERING SONG important recordings of enjoyabl"e. Those who require vogue among saxophonists. Martin's two 'ballades', one for The Evan Christopher Quartet exciting earLy styl"e ctarinet jazz FoLLowing recordings by and one for Evan Christopher (c[arinet), shou[d re-visit the I930s Benny Nobuya Sugawa and Rob alto saxophone. Both these are Bucky Pizzaretl.i (el.ectric Goodman materia[. Buckland in the 90s, Sarah from live performances too, guitar), James Chiril.l.o Kenneth Morris Markham's version couLd be (acoustic guitar), Greg Cohen with the Netherlands Radio (tenor) hoped to be its final. appearance (doubte bassl Chamber Phi[harmonic and the Amsterdam Sinfonietta on CD for between them they Fremeaux I Associes FA 568 have sure[y exhausted a[[ c8.9s (aLto). possibl.e interpretations of the Atthough similar in style, singul"arLy histrionic work. they stem from different

44 Ctarinet I Saxophone Winter zorz beginnings, the tenor BaLlade it was a pLeasure to hear the Iistener who approaches wide dynamic range. The being an adaptation from standard repertoire so Stockhausen's M ediev alesque second movement is at a Martin's Trombone BaILad e, convincing[y pl.ayed and to Knabend uett, Ch ristian Lauba's suitabl"y brisk tempo but also and the alto written for Sigurd discover works of which few in Ars and Bruno Moderna's with great technical accuracy Rascher. The tenor BaLLadeis Britain are aware. Michael Duke Diatodia backto back, but and a smooth, even sound. much shorter at around eight is an Austratian saxophonist anyone who does so wiLL be The Sonata by Roger Fiske minutes [ong, and maintains its with an internationa[ rewarded by an aLmost has remained LargeLy unknown Lyricism throughout, atthough reputation. On Duo Sox his exhaustive appreciation of the since I94I when Thurston gave there is a dance-[ike middte accompanist never stays the saxophone's place in a private performance of the section. Arno's centred tone same, but such is the contemporary music. A[so work and like many of his other and sense of [ine throughout seamlessness of their abil.ity featured on the record are Pau[ pieces it was not promoted untiI the tenor BaIIade brings this that this conveyor bett of Stanhope's Air, SamueI Ad[er's after the composer's death in piece to l"ife. ALthough simil"ar in saxophonists might pass Contrasti ng lnventions and 1987. Cox and Buckle give such styLe, the atto Batlode is [onger, unobserved. Listening to two Martin Kay's Honey. Duo Sax a competling interpretation at 14 minutes and is more saxophonists for over an hour concludes with the refreshingLy that I am sure this premiere virtuosic. The alto Ballode was requires some stamina, but the quaint Earefoot Dances by John recording wiLL whet the appetite designed to expLoit Rascher's variety ofthe repertoire and the David Lamb. Duo Sax confirms of many clarinettists Looking love ofthe four octave range, exce[[ence of its execution that the saxophone duet is for Engl.ish repertoire. and the saxophone part goes make the effort worthwhi[e. lt worthy of more serious lain Hamitton'sThree dizzyingly high at times. ln is rare to hear a saxophone consideration from both Nocturnes, were premiered by Arno Bornkamps's hands the performance where tuning is performers and audiences, and Frederick Thurston in 195I, the piece maintains a beauty and never an issue, and here even if Hindemith cou[d devote so year after Hamilton's Line despite the chaLLenging the octaves of Dubois's Six much effort to the medium then graduation from the Royal technicaL demands, and is Caprices are perfect[y it shouLd not be below the Academy of Music. These incredibLy weLL ptayed. 0ne balanced. ln a duo of two same dignity of any composer to provide a co[ourfuI contrast to on[y rea[ises it is a Live instruments any technical flaw expand the repertoire. the Fiske, especiaLLy in the performance by the applause at is crueL$ exposed - the WiLliam Upton second movement,'ALLegro the end. unwieLdy low end of one must diabotico', which is ful"l" of The fina[ two works on the be as poLished as the upper satanic outbursts and an disc are Petite Complaintefor register ofthe other, but such is C LARIN ET exciting and demonic climax. ln soprano saxophone and piano the variety of coLour in Duo Sax the finaL'Nocturne' there is (original.l.y possibte more respectful oboe) and Sonata da that it is to forget that THETHURSTON than a nod to Chiesa f or soprano saxophone you are even [istening to the clear simpticity of Benjamin CONNECTION and organ (originaLty viota . Britten before it dissolves into d'amore). Pianist and organist lf I had my way composers Engl.ish Music for Clarinet and noth i ng ness. Leo van Doesetaar wou[d be Limited to composing Piano The Hugh Wood Paraphrase accompanies Arno in both onLy one novelty piece Nichol.as Cox (cLarinet) and lan on Bird of Paradise is a these works. The soprano comprised of extended Buckle (piano) continuous, five-section work saxophone never loses its techniques each. Barry Arnol.d Bax, Sonata; Roger based on a song written by beauty in Arno's hands, and Cockcroft is a seriaL offender Fiske, Sonata; lain Hamilton, Wood to a poem by Robert these beautifuLLy crafted works but his imagination in Three Nocturnes, Op. 6; Graves. Most impressive is the finish the disc off we[[. conceiving new outlets for Hugh Wood, Ptraphrase on high register pLaying of the Sarah Marhham unconventionaL sounds has Bird of Paradise 0p. 26; opening of the original. song, in earned him a popular appeaL. Richard Rodney Bennett, Duo the final. section. SIap Me uses stap tonguing, Concertante The CD concludes with the DUO SAX mul,tiphonics and circular British Music Society BMS 440 briLLiant D uo Co ncertante by Michaet Duke breathing to elaborate upon a CD CT2 Richard Rodney Bennett, which Music for two saxophones simp[e bLues. Dubois's Sx was written for Nichotas Cox as Saxophone Classics CC 4006 Caprices are mettiftuous pieces a companion piece for the Et2 that push the saxophone's Weber Grand Duo Concertantin powers of de[icacy to the Limit. 1985. There are soto cadenzas The sLightest hesitation in for both cLarinet and piano and Perpetuum Mobite wouLd bring then a double cadenza before the il.l.usion crashing around its the finaL section. performers' heads, and they are The pLaying of Nicholas Cox weLl. carried off. is real.Ly superb throughout this

H i ndemith's Ko nzertstii ck is CD with a beautifuI sound, the highl,ight of the recording, excellent intonation and particul"arl"y the exu berant fi na[ This excetlent CD combines fine inteLLigent musicianship. I movement. The piece was recordings of three works recommend it most highLy. written for Sigurd Rascher, but written for and ptayed by the David Campbell This recording of classicaL such was its difficutty that he [egendary Frederick Thurston repertoire for two saxophones had to wait 2Tyears before with two written for NichoLas coutd on[y exist on a speciatist finding a duo partner able to Cox and pianist Vanessa [abe[, and confirms the value of perform it. Fortunatel"y his Latarche. NichoLas Cox and his such endeavours. My sote daughter Carina was up to the pianist here, lan Buck[e, experience of saxophone duets chattenge. capture the broad sweep of has been sociaL (or antisocia[ Steven Galante's Saxsound l// Bax's first movement with depending on whom you ask) so wit[ remind Listeners forcib[y of tastefuI use ofruDato and a The Who. lt wil.L be a brave

Winter zor.z Ctarinet 8 Saxophone 45