The 72 preludes in "72 Angels" are interconnected and performed without pauses, creating a continuous composition rather than separate short pieces.
Performer Biography
The Raschèr Saxophone Quartet has inspired over 350 composers to dedicate music to them, and more than 40 new works for saxophone quartet and orchestra.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Lera Auerbach, the composer, intended for "72 Angels" to focus on shared themes among different cultures' religious, spiritual, esoteric, and mythological traditions.
Composer Biography
Lera Auerbach, the composer, is a versatile artist who is also a virtuoso pianist, conductor, visual artist, and writer, with over 130 published works.
Compositional Technique
The 72 three-letter sequences forming the angel names are revealed by aligning three verses from Exodus and reading them boustrophedonically (alternating directions).
Recording & Production
This album is dedicated in loving memory of Kenneth Coon, the Raschèr Saxophone Quartet's baritone saxophonist for almost three decades, who passed away in 2019.
Composition History
The 72 names for the angels in this work are derived from an arcane interpretation of Exodus 14:19-21, found encoded in 72 three-letter sequences.
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