Duo Ultima - Dances And Delights

Following the success of their Odradek Records releases, 'Flashback' and 'French Connection', Duo Ultima returns with an irresistible programme of 'Dances & Delights' for saxophone and piano, including pieces by Ibert and Piazzolla.

Guido Baumer (saxophone) and Aladar Racz (piano) have chosen a delectable selection of pieces for this album, each of them exhibiting elements of dance or comedy. There are two Bozza pieces inspired by the 'Commedia dell'arte': 'Scaramouche' and 'Pulcinella', and a suite of sweets by Delvincourt, whose 'Croquembouches', dating from the 1920s, features an array of movements inspired by different desserts.

As Guido B�umer describes in the album booklet, Pascal's 'Sonatine' is one of the great virtuoso works of the classical saxophone literature, a bravura piece that is an expression of French 'savoir-vivre', and in the 'Pi�ces Fran�aises' by Decruck, the landscapes, smells and images of France come to life via many facets of saxophone technique� Ibert's 'Aria' dates from 1930 and was originally written for mezzo-soprano and piano. Its enchanting melody has since been arranged for numerous different instrumental combinations, including saxophone and piano.

Piazzolla's 'Etudes Tanguistiques' were written in 1987; originally for solo flute, they follow the lineage, from Biber to Bach to Berio, of solo works that display 'contrapuntal' characteristics, creating a sense of more than one line in the context of a solo work.

Praise for Duo Ultima's 'French Connection' on Odradek:

These two musicians are clearly in fine synergy with each other, and this is an excellent place for expanding your collection of saxophone music. Music Web International