La création du monde
John WILLIAMS (b.1932)
Catch Me If You Can (arr. Jay Bocock for alto sax and band) [6:52]
Darius MILHAUD (1892-1974)
La création du monde [16:13]
Roger BOUTRY (b.1932)
Divertimento for alto sax and wind band [8:48]
Paul CRESTON (1906-1985)
Alto sax concerto, Op. 26b [19:04]
Anders EMILSSON (b.1963)
Salute the Band [11:57]
Ástor PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992)
Escualo (arr. Teho for alto sax and band) [4:03]
Claude Delangle (alto saxophone) (Williams, Boutry, Creston, Piazzolla)
Swedish Wind Ensemble/Christian Lindberg
rec. May 2007 (Milhaud, Emilsson), October 2007 (everything else), Nacka Aula,
Stockholm
BIS-CD-1640 [67:57]
Here’s a colorful, sophisticated program showcasing the marvelous alto
saxophonist Claude Delangle, who’s collaborated with Piazzolla, Boulez,
Berio, Takemitsu, and Salonen and who has been singled out for praise on
MusicWeb International before. His new album with the Swedish Wind Ensemble
is consistently ear-catching.
The appetizer is a suite of three numbers from John Williams’ film score
Catch Me If You Can, one of my favorites of Williams - it avoids cliché
and captures the movie’s spirit well. Then it’s on to the title
work, Darius Milhaud’s La création du monde. Delangle
is absent, but some friends of the players join for the string parts. It’s
a delightful, jazzy performance with spirited solos.
Roger Boutry’s Divertimento for saxophone and band has a seductive
French swagger and incredible songlike slow movement which make its appeal
instant. Boutry arranged the piece for this recording; it was originally for
sax and strings, and the rescoring includes great touches like muted trumpets
in the andante.
The introduction to Paul Creston’s concerto makes it sound like the
American response to Khachaturian (xylophone!), but the solo saxophonist’s
lyrical instincts take over the proceedings, including a great duet with flutes.
The finale is bursting with wit; it feels like something I know and love and
can’t quite put my finger on.
Anders Emilsson’s Salute the Band is the odd piece out, a mosaic
of ideas: some pulsate, some clash, some have Elgarian pomp, some are tense,
some are grindingly dissonant … and Piazzolla’s Escualo
is a wonderful encore.
With good sound and BIS’s usual classy presentation - although this
is not an SACD hybrid - I find this absurdly easy to welcome. Anyone interested
in the saxophone or jazzy, snappy modern repertoire will find much to enjoy.
It’s a cosmopolitan, sophisticated album to put on while enjoying a
glass of red wine and some witty conversation.
Brian Reinhart
Four alto saxophone showpieces and Milhaud’s famous ballet combine for
a cosmopolitan album that will add class and winking humour to any occasion.
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