Customer Reviews

Music for Saxophone & Orchestra

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I heard Mr. Kerkezos playing live with the London Philarmonic
Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. I was impressed by his beautiful tone and mastery of the saxophone as well as his skillful arrangement of the Tango Suite for Saxophone and Orchestra by Astor Piazzolla. I found this CD by searching on the web for his name.
It consists of beautiful performances of pieces of the classical saxophone repertoire such as the Rhapsody for Saxophone by Debussy, the Glazunov concerto and Scaramouche by Milhaud. The last piece "Song of Dionyus" by contemporary greek composer, Ekaterini Karamessini showcases the versatility of Mr. Kerkezos as a saxophone performer. I highly recommend this recording both to listeners new to the classical saxophone as well as listeners familiar with that repertoire.

As a violinist, i stumbled across this cd by accident. But i am sure glad i did! I had no idea that there was so much fantastic repertoire for the saxophone and that there was such a magnificent performer of the instrument in Mr. Kerkezos. I paticulary enjoyed the villa lobos, the 3rd movement is taken at such a speed! In this he manages to make it sound so effortless and musical while playing obviously very technally difficult passages.

This CD is a huge improvement on the one released earlier (with Sohre Rabhari)- I can't remember the spelling. Anyway, this is a good CD. People familiar with other recordings of the Glazunov, Harle, Rousseau, Bornkamp etc, may find his tempi a bit unusual, but the tempo indications of the Glazunov are always a source for debate, I haven't checked them against a metronome and the score, but from what I remember, people always seem to play slightly faster than indicated.

Nonetheless, a good value buy- most things are so expensive, and hard to find (in New Zealand, anyway) All things considered, cost, quality, musical integrity etc, contribute to the high rating of this disc.

I was first drawn to this terrific collection of music from saxophone and orchestra from an interest in the Ibert Concertino, but all of the works recorded here are marvelous works for the saxophone.

The Debussy Rhapsodie (written in 1908 and orchestrated by Roger-Ducasse in 1919) is probably the best known piece on this disc and demonstrates the many shadings the saxophone is capable of reaching. Inspiration for the music supposedly came from the cries of street-hawkers. Scaramouche is presented in the original orchestration by Darius Milhaud, which is better known from its subsequent two piano arrangement. The music was composed as incidental music for a play and the saxophone adds a marvelous dimension to the melodies. This is especially true in the final movement with its Brazilian rhythm. Jacques Ibert's Concertino was composed in 1935 for an alto saxophone and 11 instruments. The music bears the influence of jazz and the solo parts demands a player of high virtuosity. The middle movement is a moody nocturne and the finale is energetic and brilliant.

The Fantasia for soprano saxophone, three horns and strings by Heitor Villa-Lobos was composed in 1948; it is a beautifully expressive work for the instrument. The opening movement is a dialogue between the saxophone and the orchestra and is followed by a mysterious nocturne that leads into the energetic finale. Glazunov wrote his Saxophone Concerto two years before his death in France. It is a concise one-movement work that is beautifully orchestrated and contains some fabulous melodies for the soloist.

Perhaps the most intriguing work on the disc is the Song of Dionysus: Concerto for saxophone and orchestra by Ekaterini Karamessini, which was written for Theodore Kerkezos in 2002. The concerto was inspired by the Greek myth of Dionysus and is written for a large orchestra. The concerto is in the standard three movements with the titles Pageant and Invocation, Metamorphoses into Apollonian Light and Ritual Dance-prayer and body-ecstasis. This movements are played without pause so the music develops with the saxophone indicating the transfiguration of Dionysus into an Apollonian spirit.

The music is beautifully played by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins. Theodore Kerkezos is a fabulous player, so if you have an interest in the saxophone, you owe it to yourself to get this CD.

I think this work is the most suitable for the advaced saxophonist to approach the composers.
Because the performer gives with accuracy,artistry and sensitivity the pieces.
It was what the audience needed to get to know the classical saxophone.
Congratulations again to the performer!!!!!!!!