This interesting collection of French music presents, in addition to a handful of transcriptions, some of the best original pieces ever written for Adolphe Sax’s invention. Furthermore, Claude Delangle plays on four different instruments–among them a beautiful alto saxophone from around 1900 that perfectly suits André Caplet’s Légende and Vincent D’Indy’s Choral varié. Whether mysterious and dreamy in Debussy’s Rapsodie, sensual and lascivious in Florent Schmitt’s oriental Légende, introspective in D’Indy’s Choral varié, or elegiac in Caplet’s similarly titled piece, as represented in this program the saxophone incarnates the voice of melancholy and ancient forgotten tales. With the help of his wife Odile, Delangle emphasizes this nostalgic facet, thanks to careful breath control and a soft-edged, velvety tone. Only Ravel’s Sonatine, though skillfully adapted for soprano saxophone and piano, seems to lose some of its innocuous charm; and here Delangle’s high notes display a rather aggressive, piercing quality. BIS’ solid engineering faithfully captures the tonal variations of the vast array of saxophones. [1/15/2000]
