French Saxophone Concertos

Daniel Gremelle (saxophone), Antoine Cure (trumpet) and the Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra

THERE is an old joke about naming 10 famous Belgians. You know the one - there's Poirot and then.....er?

Well, here's one not everyone would think of - Adolphe Sax.

Sax was born in Belgium, but admittedly invented one of the most evocative instruments of all time - the saxophone of course - when he set up business in Paris in the middle of the 19th Century.

The saxophone soon found a place in French military bands and in the opera house, before becoming the stalwart of the 20th Century's smoky jazz clubs, and progressing to modern symphony orchestras.

Because it was invented in France, many French composers have created works for the saxophone, and three "modern" examples are included here on this CD from Marco Polo.

What is shows more than anything else is the interesting music which can be created for what is essentially seen as a "jazz" instrument.

I'm not sure I would choose to listen to a whole evening of these contemporary(ish) concertos, but you should always open your mind to new experiences and the works - by Dubois, Rivier, and Sciortino, are all listenable.

Dubois actually wrote the Concerto No2 for alto saxophone and orchestra in 1995 for soloist Daniel Gremelle who performs it on the recording, and you can't get better than that. - Rather like seeing a dancer for whom a work has been specially created.

It is a restrained piece with a pastoral feel to it, and is surprisingly melodic for a 20th Century work.

The other pieces, Rivier's Concerto for alto sax, trumpet and orchestra, and Sciortino's Sonances, are also interesting works which show the full range and scope of a remarkably restrained saxophone.

So put your preconceptions - about the saxophone, and hey, why not, about Belgians - aside and you could discover something new.

Marco Polo 8.225127