{"product_id":"v1-4-londeix-portrait","title":"V1-4: LONDEIX PORTRAIT","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eJEAN-MARIE LONDEIX: PORTRAIT \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Jean-Marie Londeix (sax, cond); Ens International de Saxophones;\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e15 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eJacques Murgier,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Marius Constant,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Edouard Ciavane,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e3\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e André Ameller,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e4\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Marc Boneur,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e5\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Pierre-Max Dubois,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e6\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Pierre-Philippe Bauzin, cond; \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e7\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Unknown orchs \u0026amp; ensembles; \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e8\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Lucie Robert,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e9\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Anne-Marie Schielin,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e10\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Carmen Picard,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e11\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Maurice Chancelade,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e12\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e France Jénicot\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e13\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e (pn); Marc Eychenne (vn);\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e14\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Ens Jean Courtioux\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e15 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e MDG 642 1416 (4 CDs: 283:06) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eMUGIER \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eConcerto.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eCONSTANT \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eConcertante.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eMAURICE \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eTableux de Provence.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e3 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eAMELLER \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eConcertino, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eop. 125.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e4 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eBERNIER \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eHommage à Sax.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e5 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDUBOIS \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eConcerto.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e6 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eBAUZIN \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003ePoème,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e op. 20.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e7 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eSaxophone Sonata.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e7 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eKOECHLIN \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eEtudes,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e op. 188\/8,2,9,3.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e9 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDESENCLOS \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003ePrelude, cadence et final.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e10 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eHINDEMITH \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eSonate.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e11 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDENISOV \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eSonate.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e11 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eGOTKOVSKY \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eBrillance.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e11 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eROBERT-DIESSEL \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eCadenza.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e10 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eEYCHENNE \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eCantilène et danse.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e12, 14 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eALLA \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003ePolychrome for 12 Saxophones.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e15 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eMARKOVICH \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eComplainte et danse.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e10 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eLACOUR \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eDivertessement.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e15 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDUBOIS \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eLe lièvre et la tortue.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e4\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003e Les ecureuils.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e10 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDELVINCOURT \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003e3 croquebouches.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e10 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eMILHAUD \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eScaramouche.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e10 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eBERNIER \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eCapriccio.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e13 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eCRESTON \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eToccata.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e13 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eREUFF \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eChanson et passepied.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e10 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eAUCLERT \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eComme un vieux.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e10 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eNoël. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eSCHMITT \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eSonge de coppelios.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e10 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eIBERT \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eL’age d’or.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e10 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eBONNEAU \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eCaprice en forme de valse. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDEBUSSY \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eSyrinx\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e (trans. Londeix) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe history of music is dotted with virtuosos who legitimized their instruments as serious concert vehicles by realizing their hitherto unimagined possibilities. In Mozart’s time, the clarinet was thought to be a utilitarian band instrument whose tone was considered too stridently common for orchestral work. Enter Anton Stadler, a clarinetist who was able to produce an eerily beautiful tone which was said to have approximated the sound of the human voice in its variegated colors and suppleness. Mozart was inspired, and the result was his Quintet for Clarinet and Strings and his incomparable Clarinet Concerto. Roughly a century later, a “retired” Brahms was coaxed back into composition by clarinetist Richard Mülfeld who proved to be the catalyst for Brahms’s autumnal op. 114 Clarinet Trio, his op. 115 Clarinet Quintet, and his two Clarinet Sonatas, op. 120. Instrumental virtuosos need music to serve as concert vehicles, and composers need virtuosos to champion their works. Closer to our own time, Pablo Casals and later Mstislav Rostropovich did much the same for the cello, as did André Segovia for his beloved guitar. The latter was a particularly active commissioner of new works for his instrument. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe saxophone has had a less than checkered career. Conceived by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax around 1840 as an instrument that would bridge the gap between the woodwinds and the brass, it ended up neither there nor there. A few French composers used it fleetingly—Bizet in his incidental music for Daudet’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eL’arlésienne\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, Debussy in his Rhapsody for saxophone and orchestra (which he grudgingly composed and never got around to orchestrating, that was done by Roger Ducasse), and Ravel in “The Ancient Castle” from his orchestration of Mussorgsky’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ePictures at an Exhibition.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e A few Russian composers toyed with it, most notably Glazunov in his Saxophone Concerto of 1931. So much for the composers of that generation. They could be counted, as Nabokov said in one of his novels, “on the fingers of one maimed hand.” The saxophone was quickly adopted as a band instrument and later became a mainstay in the worlds of jazz and big band. And so it seemed to remain, until this enlightening release crossed my desk. As is apparent from the headnote, the French have subsequently proven to be the saxophone’s best advocate. Apparently, I speculate, they never saw jazz as a lowly art form. Composers as far back as Debussy, Satie, and Ravel saw and paid homage to its musical validity. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eJean-Marie Londeix’s articulation, tone coloration, control of dynamics, and sheer musicality are mind-boggling. The fact that virtually each piece on this four-disc release has either been premiered by or written for him shows that the composer\/instrumentalist synergy alluded to above is still blessedly in force. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe stylistic range of this release is impressive—from Paule Maurice’s disarmingly tuneful \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eTableaux de Provence\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, Pierre-Philippe Bauzin’s Chaussonesque \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ePoème\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, op. 20, and Ibert’s sweetly melodic \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eL’age d’or\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, to Thiery Alla’s post-Darmstadt-inspired \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ePolychrome\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e for 12 saxophones (employing quarter tones). In between one finds such magical scores as Marius Constant’s Concertante, Pierre Max Dubois’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLe liévre et la tortue\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, Jeannine Reuff’s Le Six-like \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eChanson et passepied\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, and Ida Gotkovsky’s beyond brilliant \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eBrillance\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, whose demands in rapid legato articulation are effortlessly met by Londeix—to give just four random citations. Of the non-French composers, Hindemith makes a fine showing in his Sonate of 1943 which swings between vervy virtuosity and poignant \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eInnigkeit\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, and Paul Creston’s Toccata from his Suite, op. 6 sounds, given Londeix’s account, quintessentially American. On a historical note, Edison Denisov, a composer quite dear to me, composed his sassily spiky Sonata for Saxophone for Londeix, who premiered it in Chicago in 1970 and has championed it ever since, bringing Denisov out of the Soviet musical gulag and to our “decadent” Western ears. What a gift! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eA caveat: these are all private recordings made between 1957 and 1995 in a variety of locations on both sides of the pond. To be expected, the quality is variable—the undocumented orchestras often sound a bit dull and remote and the piano accompaniments will be, from time to time, shallow and percussive. Whatever the sonic shortcomings, Londeix’s sound—not merely that of a surrogate human voice, but of a transcendently musical one—comes through whatever the limitations of the recording media; and his accompaniments, orchestral and piano, prove to be completely simpatico. Given the widely varying times and places of these recordings, MDG has, in its subsequent re-mastering, achieved an admirable and highly communicative consistency. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eMy advice to the purchaser of this release, given its hugeness and the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eterra incognita\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e quality of so many of its composers: go to the fourth disc, program Londeix’s transcription of Debussy’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eSyrinx\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e followed by Ibert’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eL’age d’or\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e and Milhaud’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eScaramouche\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e. Sit back and play them. It will only cost you about 17 minutes of your life. Now that your ears are adjusted to the largely French glories of this offering, either select any work whose title or composer captures your fancy, or just go back to the first disc and play the whole thing in sequence. I dare say, for many of you, it may prove to be a life-altering experience. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: William Zagorski \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"MDG","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49608080982296,"sku":"760623141626","price":65.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1095217.jpg?v=1777950455","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/products\/v1-4-londeix-portrait","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}