The sonic.art Saxophone Quartet, founded in 2005, has won numerous awards, including the Grand Prix of the International Chamber Music Competition for Contemporary Music in Krakow.
Cultural Impact
In the 1930s Soviet Union, jazz was temporarily allowed and even encouraged, leading to a campaign to develop a 'Soviet jazz' style, which Dimitri Shostakovich contributed to with his Jazz Suites.
Interpretation
Arranging a work for saxophone quartet, especially from an orchestral piece, requires significant creative work to transfer the musical material and sound world while maintaining listenability.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Hanns Eisler, a composer interested in applied music, aimed to challenge the shallow, late-romantic film music of his time by exploring new approaches in his film scores.
Historical Context
Alexander Mosolov's Three Little Pieces (1927) reflect the early optimism of Soviet artists after the October Revolution, before the Stalinist purges began.
Composition History
Max Butting's Heitere Musik op. 38 (1928) was composed directly for early radio, using wind instruments (including saxophones) because string sounds were difficult to record and transmit without loss.
Recording & Production
MDG recordings are produced in the natural acoustics of specially chosen concert halls, avoiding artificial reverberation, sound filters, or limiters.
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