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PROJECT FUSION

J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

1) Chorale: Durch Adams Fall, BWV 18 (1713/15) (1:32)

Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936)

Saxophone Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 109 (1932) (23:53)

2) I. Première partie (7:04)

3) II. Canzona variée (10:24)

Canzona; Variation I; Variation II; Variation III: A la Schumann

Variation IV: a la Chopin; Variation V: Scherzo

4) III. Finale (6:25)

Eugène Bozza (1905-1991)

Andante et Scherzo (1938) (7:38)

5) I. Andante (4:39)

6) II. Scherzo (2:59)

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p and c 2021, Bridge Records, Inc. • All Rights Reserved • Total Time: 58:38

David Maslanka (1943-2017)

Recitation Book (2006) (25:38)

7) Broken Heart: Meditation on the chorale melody

Der du bist drei in einigkeit (You who are three in one) (5:01)

8) Prelude/Chorale: Meditation on the chorale melody

Jesu meine Freude (Jesus my joy) (4:48)

9) Ecco, morirò dunque (Look! My Death is Near!)

– Carlo Gesualdo (1596) (1:23)

10) Meditation on the Gregorian Chant

O Salutaris Hostia (O Salvation’s Victim) (3:37)

11) Fanfare/Variations on the chorale melody

Durch Adams Fall (Through Adam’s fall) (10:49)

Dannel Espinoza, soprano saxophoneMatthew Amedio, alto saxophoneMichael Sawzin, tenor saxophone

Matthew Evans, baritone saxophone

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Connecting and Breaking

Four Snapshots in the Evolution of the Saxophone Quartet

Music, as life itself, is a kingdom of inherent unfairness. The pairing

of a great composer with the right instrument, or set of instruments,

rarely coincides, at least when seen with the benefit of hindsight.

More often than not, the great composers have been at odds with

the instrumentarium available in their own times, and wrote not sole-

ly for what was capable at the moment but also what may lie be-

yond the range of the day’s performers and their tools, with a view

to expanding the realm of the possible. In this way, the previous gen-

eration’s impossible inevitably becomes the current one’s standard

operating procedure.

What, then, is the fate of the saxophone, much less the saxophone

quartet, when the instruments in question are less than 200 years

old and the saxophone quartet as an established medium is better

measured in mere decades? Must saxophonists in quartet formation

be reduced to playing notes written for other instruments, or settle

for recent music by composers an echelon or two lower than “great”?

No and no, fortunately.

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As with other 20th-century innovations of musical performance,

whether the accordion as a solo instrument or the guitar quartet or

the ensemble of Pierrot-plus-percussion, the proper answers are to

forge connections with existing repertoire for other forces, repurpos-

ing it in the process, while simultaneously breaking from the practice

of re-creating by encouraging composers to explore and create piec-

es tailored specifically for the chosen instruments – and typically for

precisely the performers involved. Many of the pieces written as a re-

sult will not endure, but when has permanence ever been the decisive

criterion for keeping music active as a breathing tradition instead of a

sterile display case? Time will sift, as it always does.

Despite the disadvantage of its recent invention, the saxophone quar-

tet, as this recording demonstrates, fares better than a skeptic may

imagine, now encompassing composers of all stylistic orientations.

The body of works on offer here is emblematic of the duality that is

the birthright of the saxophone quartet, both a continuum standing

outside any era and a novelty reminding listeners of the here and now.

Johann Sebastian Bach made extensive use of the oboe family in his

vocal and instrumental music, so an outing of the chorale Durch Ad-

ams Fall ist ganz verderbt, linking the fall of Adam to the fall of all

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mankind, played with a simple transposition, on a set of instruments

not far away from oboes in pitch seems both idiomatic and symp-

tomatic. The air of solemnity remains intact, and any instrumental

group stands to benefit by turning to J. S. Bach in providing a fount

of material.

This chorale predates Bach by nearly two centuries, and the compos-

er of the melody accompanying its text by Lazarus Spengler is un-

known; Bach’s version is usually played on organ, and is one among

many surviving incarnations by Bach’s contemporaries. There is an

additional reason for its inclusion as a prelude, as will become clear

in due time.

After old wine in new bottles, the next stop in this survey of the

medium’s way forward is one of its first significant compositions.

When Marcel Mule and three colleagues from the Garde Républic-

aine formed a saxophone quartet in the late 1920s, most of the music

played was in the form of Mule’s transcriptions, since apart from a few

19th-century military pieces, the saxophone quartet was terra incog-

nita, awaiting the attention of concert composers. All credit, then, to

Mule for the tenderness of his playing, the ultimate gift of persuasion,

as within a few years he had various French, and French-based, com-

posers supplying him with original pieces.

Alexander Glazunov, the former prodigy now in exile and nearing 70,

was smitten with the saxophone, in a modern variation on the story of

Johannes Brahms and the clarinet that restoked his creative energy

late in life. Glazunov’s infatuation with the development then infusing

Paris would lead to the quartet recorded here and to a subsequent

concerto for alto saxophone with string orchestra, both of which re-

main firmly anchored components for aspiring saxophonists.

Cast in three movements, and lasting 24’, his Quartet in B-flat major,

Op. 109 (1932) has a symphonic scope, and indeed like his sixth sym-

phony, includes a theme with variations, in this case five, at its core.

In line with the military beginning of saxophone bands, themselves

aligned in principle if not sound with the Russian military bands that

Glazunov knew well through his teacher Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov,

the charming qualities of this work tend to be harmonic rather than

melodic in nature, with ample unisono writing, and with a bearing

aligned more with the formality of a bygone age than the jazz or

blues that younger composers readily absorbed. Glazunov’s incor-

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poration of dance- or jazz-inspired moments has been sublimated to

the point of blurring if not eliminating their source.

The opening allegro, for instance, is waltz-like, in a steady if stately

3/4, with the soprano leading the proceedings until the other three

become livelier as the waltz grows, but despite alternating keys and

occasional ebbs in the flow, the unbending pace never allows a lithe

spirit to emerge. Waltz here is an aesthetic concept, not a terpsicho-

rean practice.

The ensuing Canzona variée switches to E-flat major, later the key

of Glazunov’s concerto, as its home key, though with deviations. The

canzona is a basic, almost threadbare, theme, subjected to a kalei-

doscope of treatments, of which the second highlights the baritone

and the third, À la Schumann and marked Grave, heaves trills to the

forefront of a cascade of generally ascending, and frequently agitat-

ed, phrases, in the vein of Schumann’s alter ego plumbing the depths

of his psyche. The fourth, by contrast, is À la Chopin, in 6/8 and sum-

moning, but again only theoretically, the Chopin of salon dances,

thereby two steps removed from any literal dancing.

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Rounding off the quartet is an Allegro moderato with a welcomed

lightness of touch after the mood swings of the middle movement,

its character a continuation of the scherzo quality of the final vari-

ation that preceded it. The main motifs exude more than a hint of

rustic origins.

Moving ahead only six years, but to a composer at the other end

of his career, the Andante et Scherzo by Eugène Bozza is an ear-

ly flowering of the composer’s abiding interest in saxophones, es-

pecially the alto, and in wind instruments overall, whose reper-

tories he broadened. The fact that the young composer was not

yet in possession of a distinctive style does not diminish its value.

A tenor cantilena leads off, and the Andante passes through sever-

al moments of repose and activity in alternation, the ghost of Mau-

rice Ravel hovering overhead. The Scherzo, by contrast, boasts a

barrage of triplet figures melded in a brew of Igor Stravinsky and

traces of motoric energy that resembles Albert Roussel, surround-

ing a central section of surprising introspection. Both Ravel and

Roussel had died soon before Bozza wrote the Andante et Scherzo,

though whether such influence is by chance or design is not known.

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Entering the 21st century in deed if not sound is veteran band com-

poser David Maslanka’s Recitation Book. Drawn on a large scale and

completed in 2006, this suite of five tableaux, all aimed in the di-

rection of death and departure, proves to be an ideal way to finish

this presentation, as it encapsulates the trajectory of the saxophone

quartet itself, and of music at the turn of the century, in a smoothed-

out postmodernism where ancient and modern peaceably coexist.

Far from bleak, it is an homage, a tribute, a resignation.

Neither composition nor arrangement nor transcription nor collage,

but rather an amalgamation of musical and spiritual clues close to

the composer’s heart, Recitation Book contains five movements of

varying import and duration.

In the first, Broken Heart: Meditation on the chorale melody “Der

du bist drei in Einigkeit” (You who are three in one), an incantation

for solo soprano picks up force, and accompaniment, before winding

back to what appears to be, yet is not, its point of departure.

Prelude/Chorale: Meditation on “Jesu meine Freude” (Jesus my joy)

ends with the Bach realization of the melody as used in his motet of

the same name, augmented by ever-increasing silences, but begins

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with an alto and tenor duet of mesmeric quality, beneath which a

pedal-like baritone figure gradually descends.

An intermezzo, Ecco morirò dunque (Look! My death is near!), based

on Carlo Gesualdo, steers the course briefly into the realm of the pro-

fane, before the Meditation on “O Salutaris Hostia” (O Salvation’s

Victim) – Gregorian Chant restores the sacred. The latter sets off with

a tenor solo, then a soprano and tenor duet before the other voices

complete the ensemble in preparation for “the grand finale”, a term

used justifiably in this case.

The Fanfare/Variations on “Durch Adams Fall” (Through Adam’s

Fall) serves both to explain the earlier Bachian appearance on this

disc, and to crown the Recitation Book with its most ambitious re-

flection, inverting a somber sequence with music that at times ap-

proaches boisterous and celebratory. If death there must be, and

there must, this one is gratefully undertaken.

All that remains, then, is to hope that the future of the saxophone

quartet will see a prolongation of its twisting and unexpected path,

for it is surprise, as much as variety, that helps to ensure its survival.

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Matthew Amedio serves as the Assis-

tant Professor of Saxophone and Clari-

net at the Great Batch School of Music

at Houghton College, Adjunct Professor

of Saxophone at Alfred University, and

Instructor of Saxophone at the Roberts

Wesleyan Community Music School. Matt

graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a Master's Degree

in Saxophone Performance and Literature under Professor Chien-

Kwan Lin. Previously, he earned a dual Bachelor’s Degree at East-

man in Saxophone Performance and Music Education. He was also

the recipient of a Performer’s Certificate, the highest performance

distinction, from Eastman. A prize-winning soloist and chamber mu-

sician, Matt's international performances have brought him to China,

Canada, Germany, France, and the Czech Republic, and he has been

seen performing state-side with the New World Symphony under the

baton of Michael Tilson-Thomas. Matt resides in Rochester, NY with

his wife Rianne and their little black cat, Luna.

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A native of south Florida, Dr. Dannel

Espinoza is currently the Assistant Pro-

fessor of Saxophone at the University of

Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS.

Described as having an “effective sense

of phrasing and dynamic sensitivity”

(Florida Classical Review), Dannel has

performed for audiences throughout the world as a soloist and cham-

ber musician with various ensembles including the Kontra Duo with

his wife, harpist Dr. Kristina Finch. Dannel completed his DMA in Sax-

ophone Performance and Literature with a minor in conducting at the

Eastman School of Music. His Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees were

earned at Northern Arizona University and Florida State University,

respectively. www.dannelespinoza.com

Dr. Matt Evans is an award-winning so-

loist, chamber musician, educator, and

arranger who has performed and taught

across the globe. Currently a saxophonist

in the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,”

Matt also serves as Instructor of Saxo-

phone at Virginia Commonwealth Univer-

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sity. Matt studied at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

and the Eastman School of Music, earning a Performer’s Certificate

– the highest performance distinction awarded – at both institutions.

Matt is a Yamaha Performing Artist, and an Artist-Clinician for D’Add-

ario Woodwinds. www.mevanssax.com

Michael Sawzin is the Director of Per-

forming Arts and Instrumental Music

Teacher at the Ursuline Academy in Cin-

cinnati, Ohio. At the Eastman School, he

earned a dual Master of Music degree in

Saxophone Performance and Literature

under Chien-Kwan Lin and Music Edu-

cation under Dr. Richard Grunow. He completed a dual Bachelor of

Music degree with Honors in Music Education and Saxophone Per-

formance with Dr. Shelley Jagow from Wright State University. He

has performed internationally with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, The

Sound of America Band, and the Avion Saxophone Quartet. Michael

resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with his cats, Fiona and Morty. www.mi-

chaelsawzin.com

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Formed in 2010 by graduates of the Eastman School of Music,

Project Fusion captured the Gold Medal at the 40th Fischoff Cham-

ber Music Competition and First Prize at the Music Teachers Nation-

al Association Chamber Music Competition, and was the first saxo-

phone quartet to win the Grand Prize, as well as the Audience Choice

Award, at the 6th Plowman International Chamber Music Competi-

tion. Comprised of passionate teachers, Project Fusion is dedicated

to public arts outreach, and has presented convocations, clinics, and

workshops in numerous schools, as well as recitals, residencies, and

masterclasses at colleges and universities throughout the United

States. The ensemble has recently appeared at the Kingston Cham-

ber Music Festival, Chamber Music Yellow Springs, and the Bridge-

hampton Chamber Music Festival.

Producer, Engineer, Editor, Mastering & Mixing: Adam Abeshouse

Assistant Recording Engineer: Nicholas Marks

Recorded at Academy of Arts and Letters, 633 W 155th St, New York, NY 10032

on April 26-28, 2019

Annotator: Dan Albertson

Bios: Steve Amedio

Photographer: Ryan Brandenburg

Graphic Design: Casey Siu

Executive Producers: Becky & David Starobin

Special Thanks: Ardith Holmgrain, Deputy Director at the American Academy of

Arts and Letters; Astral Artists; Kristina Finch, Kickstarter Manager; Dan Visconti,

Artistic Advisor, Astral Artists

Kickstarter Backers: Anonymous, Steve Amedio, Barkada Quartet

Debbie & Larry DerGurahian, Rich & Julia Evans, Manuel Espinoza

Myrna Varela Espinoza, Kristina Finch, Kelly French, Wesley Kane

Carolyn Logan Gluck, Laura Peters, Stephen Sawzin & Dorothy Gurtzweiler

Sharon Schwanitz, Tim Sutfin, Elisha Taylor, Bruno Yoshioka, Wei-Han Wu

For Bridge Records: Barbara Bersito, Ian Striedter, Casey Siu, and Robert Starobin

Robert Starobin, webmaster | Email: becky@bridgerecords.com

Bridge Records, Inc. • 200 Clinton Ave • New Rochelle, NY • 10801

www.BridgeRecords.com