An entire disc of saxophone/piano music can make a refreshing change from the usual chamber, vocal, and orchestral fare many listeners prefer–that is, if it’s as well-conceived and expertly played as it is on this new compilation by saxophonist Daniel Gauthier and accompanist Jang Eun Bae. There’s little trace of the swoopy, bluesy, sultry-voiced instrument that perfectly suits jazz and pop styles, but that doesn’t mean that the music here–or the playing–lacks sensuality to color its more refined aspects. In fact, Francois Borne’s Fantaisie Brillante, an engaging work based on themes from Bizet’s Carmen, really plays up the exoticism of the composer’s original melodies and rhythms, giving full attention to the soloist and his virtuoso abilities. (Annoyingly, the liner notes do not tell us for what instrument this piece was written–only that it’s the only known work by this composer and that the flutist James Galway rediscovered and revived it.) Debussy’s Rapsodie was originally for saxophone–but with orchestra. Here we are treated to a very competent arrangement for saxophone and piano–but again, no information is given regarding the origin of the arrangement! And while we’re on the subject, would it have been terribly difficult to mention somewhere in the disc packaging exactly what saxophone Daniel Gauthier is playing? Because of the timbre and range–and because works such as the Debussy Rapsodie were originally written for alto sax–it’s safe to assume that indeed, he’s blowing an alto sax, but at least we’re told it’s manufactured by Selmer(!).
Gauthier is unquestionably a serious virtuoso player who’s also a considerate, thoughtful musician–in other words, he’s not just out to show off but really makes music out of this widely varied repertoire. Nevertheless, although he tackles the demanding Debussy work with ease, its length (more than 10 minutes) and textural complexity are much better served by the original orchestral setting. It’s difficult even for these two accomplished players to keep our ears from timbre-fatigue in a work such as this.
Overall, however, the saxophone is ideal for expressing the moods and flavors of these catchy, irresistible melodies, and Gauthier confidently commands the full range of his instrument, showing special flair in his brilliant upper-register notes. The lively, humor-filled Scaramouche by Milhaud (one of the few works on the disc conceived for saxophone and piano) is a delight, and Vadim Neselovskyi’s San Felio is an ambitious, jazzy, very entertaining (if overwritten) recital closer. The sound is a bit too resonant for my taste, giving the saxophone a huge voice and the piano a metallic edge and smaller presence than ideal.
