See also <a href="spotify:playlist:3RcYn4hBxXBRoRlUoFmogF">Intro</a>, <a href="spotify:playlist:4HCJz9q9DVXJDWYI8HaIiP">Pulse</a>, <a href="spotify:playlist:16pShPDSoENqhQ89qZcwJd">♀Filter</a> or <a href="spotify:playlist:60uD1wmDQ5HgT8x0LgLEGQ">2023</a>;

The Sound of Classical Saxophone

Song

Mvt. 1. Song: Fire in the Earth, Maslanka Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble

Paul Creston Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: 1st Movement

Live Performance by Li-Chun Hsiao and Alpaca String Ensemble.

Philip Glass: Façades (1981)

Sardinian saxophonist Andrea Mocci, one of the most accomplished musicians of his generation, and the brilliant Japanese pianist Megumi Nakanomori, form Duo Vagues, and present their debut album Légende. Their cultural backgrounds and personalities are as distinct as the contrasting colouristic palettes of their instruments; the saxophone itself straddles the worlds of classical and jazz. Yet this CD represents a fusion of all these apparently conflicting elements, highlighting music’s power to unify cultures, timbres and genres.

Florent Schmitt’s Légende is at the heart of this disc and their formation as a duo. Its continuous motion, rising from moments of profound calm to ebullient overflowing crests, suggests “vagues” – waves, inspiring their choice of name.

Schmitt’s Légende spans lyricism and impetuosity, the saxophone’s long-breathed, virtuosic flourishes occasionally slipping into the smoky world of jazz, while the piano’s rich harmonies anticipate Messiaen. Jolivet’s Fantaisie-Impromptu reflects his immersion in both atonality and jazz, its sinuous saxophone line and enigmatic, tonally-ambiguous piano gestures juxtaposed with jaunty, jazzy material reminiscent of Gershwin. Milhaud, a master of comic irony, takes us on a witty adventure to South America in Scaramouche – the piece with which Andrea Mocci made his professional debut, in the prestigious Sala Verdi in Milan, in 2011. In common with Milhaud’s piece, Françaix’s 5 Danses Exotiques, dedicated to Marcel Mule (who premiered Schmitt’s Légende) embrace Latin American styles.

Creston’s debonair, vivacious Sonata is a piece which Duo Vagues has been playing for years, yet which always yields something new. Hindemith famously wrote sonatas for almost every orchestral instrument, although the Sonata recorded on this disc began life as a piece for alto horn. The saxophonist is called upon to read a poem by Hindemith during the piece, after which the two instruments are engaged in fascinating dialogue, and it is this sense of dialogue, between saxophone and piano, between different styles, and between the musicians themselves, that is so integral to this debut disc from Duo Vagues.

15 - Paul Creston - Sonata Op. 19 - I. With Vigor

Fernande Decruck - Sonata in C# (tres modere, espressif)

Performed in collaboration with pianist Xavier Suárez.

Recorded live on 11.11.2019.

Jacques Ibert: Concertino da Camera - i. Allegro Con Moto

Described by New York Concert Review as “A knockout performance”, classical saxophonist Wonki Lee has distinguished himself as one of leading saxophonists of his generation. Feeling equally at home in traditional and contemporary repertoire, Mr. Lee has won the top prize at Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition. His musical exploration has encompassed fascinations with history of saxophone repertoire and interpreting original works for saxophone with new insights and understandings. As a soloist, Mr. Lee has given recitals and solo performances across the globe including recitals at La Plantation in Beijing, Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Yamaha Osaka in Japan, and the Lincoln Center in New York. In collaboration with Yamaha Japan, Mr. Lee has given recitals that spotlights Yamaha custom saxophones and explores its potential through performing significant works for saxophone as he exclusively plays the Yamaha Custom 875 EX saxophones. Mr. Lee has released two solo albums. The debut album American Sonatas focuses on original works for saxophone written by American Composers. His second album Air – Songs for the Saxophone showcases the beauty and lyricism of the saxophone through well-known classical works. As well as solo performances, Mr. Lee is an avid orchestral saxophonist. He has collaborated with numerous conductors such as Leonard Slatkin, Robert Spano, and Philippe Entremont. He has appeared with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Wind Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony Orchestra, and Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra. Currently, Mr. Lee serves as a principal saxophonist of the New York Wind Orchestra. As an educator, Mr. Lee has given masterclasses and lectures in China, Korea, Japan, and the U.S. His private saxophone studio has expanded internationally via online platforms, and he teaches students from Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Japan, Canada, and the US. Currently Mr. Lee serves as a faculty member of Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division. Born to Korean parents living in Tokyo, Mr. Lee began to study the saxophone at age thirteen and soon moved to New York City where he received his training at Manhattan School of Music. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Lee is an artist of Price Attraction Management and Si-Yo Music Society and Foundation. www.wonkilee.com

Paul Creston Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: 1st Movement

Wonki Lee Saxophonist