Search - Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez, Anton Webern :: Dialogue, Chemins, Récit...

Stunning Playing, Fantastic Programming

Daniel Graser | Wappingers Falls, New York United States | 04/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Vincent David really is a phenom and this disc (at last) is proof. The two Chemins performed here really are fantastic pieces and display the Sequenzas in a new light with new colors. Essentially these are the sequenzas with added ensemble interjections. In the case of the soprano chemins, the first violin player echoes much of the saxophone solo which is in turn echoed by the rest of the ensemble. David's perfect intonation allows the music to pass from soloist to ensemble seamlessly with no interruption. The ensemble playing throughout is superb and David displays immaculate virtuosity and Godly control over the soprano and alto saxes. The Boulez, though quite a long piece, is given a fantastic realization on saxophone here, arranged by David. Originally written for clarinet soloist Alain Damiens, David has arranged it for soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones. If you are a fan of youtube you can see a brief clip of him performing the work, from memory! The interplay between saxophone and pre-recorded saxophone is once again seamless and the music flows naturally. The real gems on this disc for me though were the Berio duos performed by David and members of the ensemble. These short simple pieces are given superbly controlled and nuanced performances with flawless intonation. The Webern quartett here is a nice added treat and is played to stun. Though I still prefer his teacher (Claude Delangle) on this piece, his tenor saxophone playing is of the very highest quality. In short, David's playing is of a high enough level that you can forget you are listening to "classical" saxophone or contemporary "difficult" music and just hear this as brilliant music performed by master players. Highest Recommendation."