The sound of a saxophone is so universally associated with jazz that it can be difficult to imagine it in any other context. So it’s no surprise that these four “classical” concertos from the 1930s incorporate elements of then-contemporary jazz. Erwin Schulhoff’s Hot Sonata is the most blatant in this regard, at times sounding like a cross between Ravel and Ellington while sporting some pretty authentic jazz solo-writing that provides Detlef Bensmann (who orchestrated the original piano score) ample opportunity to show off his “cool”. Edmund von Borck’s arresting Alto Saxophone Concerto calls on Bensmann to display considerably more technical skill and fearless bravura. Borck writes in a powerful and dramatically vivid style employing a primarily atonal language–but it’s fun atonal, the kind that rivets your attention with its gripping thematic material, novel instrumentation, and breathtaking orchestral flourishes.
Frank Martin’s Ballade could not be more different. Through its angst-ridden solo writing this dark and gloomy work expresses suffering on a scale that’s both broadly human and personal (it was composed in the wake of his wife’s untimely death), accompanied by an elegantly bleak and unforgiving orchestral score. Darius Milhaud’s Scaramouche brightens the atmosphere considerably with its lively Brazilian dance rhythms and saucy saxophone writing, ending the disc in an air of celebration. Bensmann masterfully handles the extremely contrasted styles of these last two works, as does Florian Merz, who leads the Hannover Radio orchestra in highly impressive performances of all four concertos (especially stunning in the Borck). Koch’s warm, believably balanced recording keeps the soloist in the spotlight without relegating the orchestra to the background. [6/1/2002]
