CENTERblog

Amstel Saxophone Quartet

by Arielle Young - University of Alaska Anchorage

The Amstel Saxophone Quartet came out from behind the curtain at the Discovery theatre, inconspicuously dressed all in black. Two of the musicians looked no older than twenty-years old, but as soon as they began their first song, Grave et Presto by Jean Rivier, it was obvious to everyone in the audience that we were in the presence of some very talented musicians. A hush descended over the audience as the gentlemen began to play, and there was nearly no sound to be heard throughout the entire performance, save the four saxophones. When the four harmonized, it was beautiful, but it was when they broke out of harmony and begin each playing their own melody that the magic happened, and they managed to give the impression that far more instruments were being played than actually were.

After the piece by Rivier, the quartet launched into Mozart’s “Dissonant,” which, while a beautiful piece that they played wonderfully, is not the liveliest of pieces, and I could see heads nodding around me in the darkened cozy theatre. Also, despite the title of “Dissonant,” it was hard to distinguish between each section of the piece, as it felt like they all blended together quite well, and I could feel my own head begin to nod as well. I think the Torke piece may have been a better choice for their second song because it’s a bit more lively and modern and I think the audience, myself included, would have stayed more tuned in for the rest of the performance. As the night wore on, I could see others around me getting a bit fidgety, which is a shame because the pieces were all performed brilliantly. I just think they could have chosen more Allegro pieces and fewer Adagios to keep the audience intrigued. While I’m sure the classical music buffs in the audience were completely entranced the entire evening, unfortunately those of us who probably aren’t as well-versed in the subject, such as myself, my date, and a family of children sitting directly next to me, may have felt a bit lost and distanced from the performance as it went from the comparatively hopeful modern piece by Rivier and descended into the overtly-relaxing Mozart, the oddly juxtaposed Wagner piece and finally came back to modern and upbeat Torke piece. I think a different order of music would have changed the feel of the experience greatly, and while this lovely quartet would make great listening for an evening at home with a glass of wine and a fireplace, it wasn’t exactly the most exuberant way to start a night out on the town.

Amstel Saxophone Quartet

Anchorage Concert Association

Friday, October 29, 2010 at 7:30pm

Discovery Theatre