- Performer: Smith Quartet
- Composer: Various Artists
- Audio CD (10 Oct 2011)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: First Hand Records
- ASIN: B005O3XWAS
- Other Editions: MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 156,645 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is saxophone playing of great beauty. The music is well chosen for both the Alto and the Soprano saxophones, and is memorable,moving, haunting and hypnotic by turn.
The 17 pieces are very accessible to the listener, some being written specifically for the saxophone :Bozza 'Aria', Cowie 'Romances', Karen Tanaka 'Night Bird' and Michael McGlynn 'Aisling', 'Behind the Closed Eye' and 'From nowhere to nowhere'. Proving that 'modern music ' does not have to sound like a "squeaky gate".
Other pieces are arranged by Gerard McChrystal..Handel 'Largo', Villa Lobos 'Cantilena', Debussy's 'Syrinx' and Faure 'Les berceaux' , are simply stunning when played on saxophone.
The other artists on the recording : Shiroma de Silva (piano) Craig Ogden (guitar), The Smith Quartet, Trinity Laban String Ensemble and the chamber choir 'Codetta' all accompany sympathetically and blend beautifully with saxophone.
In his CD notes, Gerard McChrystal states " ..beautiful music has the power to touch us to our cores."....This CD really does just that. This is stunning saxophone playing, I can thoroughly recommend it!
The 17 pieces are very accessible to the listener, some being written specifically for the saxophone :Bozza 'Aria', Cowie 'Romances', Karen Tanaka 'Night Bird' and Michael McGlynn 'Aisling', 'Behind the Closed Eye' and 'From nowhere to nowhere'. Proving that 'modern music ' does not have to sound like a "squeaky gate".
Other pieces are arranged by Gerard McChrystal..Handel 'Largo', Villa Lobos 'Cantilena', Debussy's 'Syrinx' and Faure 'Les berceaux' , are simply stunning when played on saxophone.
The other artists on the recording : Shiroma de Silva (piano) Craig Ogden (guitar), The Smith Quartet, Trinity Laban String Ensemble and the chamber choir 'Codetta' all accompany sympathetically and blend beautifully with saxophone.
In his CD notes, Gerard McChrystal states " ..beautiful music has the power to touch us to our cores."....This CD really does just that. This is stunning saxophone playing, I can thoroughly recommend it!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
A great album which really does justice to and honours the saxophone. Gerard has THE soprano sound, and the album has a good mix of beautiful alto and soprano playing accompanied by some fabulous musicians. There is such creativity and honesty in this music. There are original works for saxophone as well as exciting arrangements and transcriptions, from Handel to the French Ravel and Bozza to Philip Glass, Michael Nyman and Karen Tanaka. The CD has several works that were composed for Gerard McChrystal and I think we're very fortunate to hear him play them here.
Great, enjoyable listening. Music of beauty and substance.
Great, enjoyable listening. Music of beauty and substance.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It's arguable whether the saxophone's particular qualities are better employed serving the dynamic freedoms of jazz than the tonal rigours of classical music, but McChrystal here makes a good case for classical composers to write more for the instrument.
The 17 pieces range widely in time, from a Handel's "Largo" on which the stately soprano sax line is cushioned by string ensemble, to modern compositions by Nyman, Glass, McGlynn and Tanaka - for whose "Night Bird" McChrystal conveys the absorbing, crepuscular mood of a duduk recital by Djivan Gasparyan. Elsewhere, the lilting calm of Fauré's "Les berceaux" and the enigmatic yearning of Debussy's "Syrinx" adapt beautifully to the saxophone, while Glass's haunting "Façades" already has the standing of a standard.
Reviewed by Andy Gill
The 17 pieces range widely in time, from a Handel's "Largo" on which the stately soprano sax line is cushioned by string ensemble, to modern compositions by Nyman, Glass, McGlynn and Tanaka - for whose "Night Bird" McChrystal conveys the absorbing, crepuscular mood of a duduk recital by Djivan Gasparyan. Elsewhere, the lilting calm of Fauré's "Les berceaux" and the enigmatic yearning of Debussy's "Syrinx" adapt beautifully to the saxophone, while Glass's haunting "Façades" already has the standing of a standard.
Reviewed by Andy Gill
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
"Aria" promo video featuring great tracks from a fabulous album
Customer Video Review
Length:
9:05
Mins
Published 7 months ago by C. Ireland
Aria Excellence
Superb compilation of a contrasting selection. The Soprano and Alto Sax playing was superb.
Buy this CD and enjoy wonderful music.
Buy this CD and enjoy wonderful music.
Published 7 months ago by Allegro
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