Zahir

The four saxophonists of the Quatuor Zahir set the scene for this second recording, which brings together the emblematic composers of twentieth-century France and their masterpieces. Ravel's Pavane pour une infante défunte and Trois Chansons, Nadia Boulanger's Trois Pièces, Poulenc's Chemins de l'amour, Charles d'Orléans's Trois Chansons, Debussy's Petite Suite and Rêverie all take on the warm timbres of their instruments in these arrangements for saxophone quartet, revealing new colours. They are echoed by two premières, Graciane Finzi's Petite Suite and Fabien Waksman's Les Lunes galantes, conceived as a fifth movement to Debussy's Petite Suite. Here the Quatuor Zahir is reaffirming its commitment to creation, its virtuosity too, but above all the singularity of its unique musical identity.

This first opus from the Quatuor Zahir is constructed like an opera overture: one finds a succession of subjects, of themes and of colours which, as the quartet follows its path, will most definitely be nourished and developed. The ease with which these saxophonists navigate between the archipelagos of transcription, improvisation, 'savant' music, contemporary repertoire or music inspired by popular culture, presents us with, in addition to this rich diversity, the playing palette of a saxophone quartet that is quite extraordinary.

Ce premier opus du Quatuor Zahir est construit comme une ouverture d’opéra : on y trouve une succession de sujets, de thèmes, et de couleurs, que l’avenir, au fil de la narration du quatuor, saura à coup sûr, nourrir et développer.
La facilité avec laquelle ces quatre saxophonistes naviguent entre les archipels de la transcription, de l’improvisation, des musiques savantes, contemporaines ou d’inspirations populaires, nous livre, au-delà de cette riche diversité, la palette de jeu d’un quatuor de saxophones hors norme et hors cadre.

The present release is the result of a determined and independent search for sound. It represents a commitment shared between the composer, performer and producer to popularize a little known musical repertoire; one which has been largely ignored in recent contemporary Spanish compositional history, but one that is nevertheless deserving of recognition. In the search for this sound, we began with the composer Luis de Pablo (b. Bilbao, 1930), that indefatigable seeker with the wide intellectual profile. With his sterling reputation as an artist, a study of Luis de Pablo is an essential ingredient to any understanding of contemporary Spanish music.

The present release is the result of a determined and independent search for sound. It represents a commitment shared between the composer, performer and producer to popularize a little known musical repertoire; one which has been largely ignored in recent contemporary Spanish compositional history, but one that is nevertheless deserving of recognition. In the search for this sound, we began with the composer Luis de Pablo (b. Bilbao, 1930), that indefatigable seeker with the wide intellectual profile. With his sterling reputation as an artist, a study of Luis de Pablo is an essential ingredient to any understanding of contemporary Spanish music. Above all, we observed the behaviour of this leading composer; assuming, in his case, it stemmed from a deep personal conviction; one which led him to manage, promote, and disseminate contemporary creativity in all of its many expressions.