Deviations - Diane Hunger & Dan Sato
While Diane Hunger often collaborates with composers on new music for the saxophone, she is also devoted to exploring masterworks from earlier time periods. Though deviating from the composers' orginal instrumentations, she aims to make these pieces befitting the saxophone or the 'Voice of Sax' (SAX from Adolphe Sax the inventor and PHONE from the ancient Greek meaning 'voice'). These transcriptions are published by ESURIO Media. Schumann's Adagio and Allegro (originally for horn or cello) and Brahms' Violin Sonata No. 1, Op. 78 are among Diane Hunger's latest transcriptions. This version of the Brahms Sonata adapted for tenor saxophone is a combination of the original for violin and Paul Klengel's (a contemporary of Brahms) arrangement for cello. The key of D major has been retained from Klengel's version, while restoring several motives and phrases from the violin sonata that are not present in the cello arrangement. Maurice Whitney's Introduction and Samba was originally written for saxophone and band, and later arranged by the composer for saxophone and piano. Order CD or digital download here.
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The Mana Quartet - Vide Supra
Published by Mark's Records, the Mana Quartet’s debut release, Vide Supra, features four brand new works dedicated to the ensemble by American composers and was deemed Grammy Nomination Eligible by the Grammy Committee. Representing the group’s highly successful Sight & Sound project, three of the four works (Minchew, Stillabower, Villalta) were composed as aural sketches of paintings by Julie Mehretu, Jackson Pollock, and Salvador Dali. Having extensively toured the project across the United States and abroad, these three well-tested works offer a compact look at Mana’s multi-sensory concert experience: engaging audiences with expressive, flexible repertoire that can be paired with projected imagery, dance, film, and interactive media. After nearly 50 performances in recent seasons, Mana has elected to record Stephen Dankner’s largescale neo-romantic Quartet as a beautiful contrast to the progressive programming of Sight & Sound.