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Description
The title of alto saxophonist/composer Roger Hanschel’s Niederschlagsmengen, for saxophone and string quartet, roughly translates into English as “Rainfall� or “Amounts of Precipitation�. Either way, the work’s seven extended movements add up to 66 minutes’ worth of engaging, stylistically eclectic music.
The opening section, Regeneration & Blend, features sequences of churning arpeggiated chords and healthy stretches of varied string backdrops for Hanschel’s inventive improvising.
Hanschel’s experience in Indian classical music reveals itself throughout thes works on this disc which features saxophone lines that are reminiscent of Jan Garbarek’s early work on the ECM label.
Hanschel is his own best interpreter, judging from his commanding technique, his colorful, flexible sound, and his willingness to blend into the ensemble when appropriate.
Given the Auryn Quartet’s more traditional repertoire, it might seem unusual to find them playing music that blurs boundaries between contemporary classical, jazz, world music, and a smidgen of pop. Yet they clearly relish “playing against type�, so to speak, and turn in immaculate, fluent, and committed performances.
Tracklisting
Markus Bronnimann
Christoph Ullrich
Evgeni Koroliov
Matthias Lingenfelder, Peter Orth
Concerto Budapest, Andras Keller
Christoph Ullrich
Ensemble Peregrina, Agnieszka Budzinska-Bennett
Concerto Budapest, Andras Keller
Tomas Vrana, Janacek Philharmonic Ostrava, Gabor Kali
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra|Riccardo Chailly
The Choir of Merton College, Oxford, Britten Sinfonia, Benjamin Nicholas
Tamar Halperin
Renato Criscuolo|Aldo Criscuolo
Ragna Schirmer, Hofkapelle Munchen, Rudiger Lotter
Piercarlo Sacco|Andrea Dieci
Peter Hanson (violin); Andrew Arthur (fortepiano)
