On four saxophones and a piano, the Alliage Quintett interprets masterpieces from all eras in their own unique way. Since its formation, the high-caliber ensemble has earned a place among the international elite of saxophone music. In their current program, the ECHO Klassik Prize winners combine A. Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" with elements of jazz and give J. S. Bach a new sound in their extraordinary lineup. The unique interpretations by Daniel Gauthier, Lutz Koppetsch, Koryun Asatryan, Sebastian Pottmeier, and their pianist Jang Eun Bae were recently released under the title "Masquerade" on their third CD by SONY Classical.
Biography
Daniel Gauthier - Soprano Saxophone
Lutz Koppetsch - Alto Saxophone
Koryun Asatryan - Tenor Saxophone
Sebastian Pottmeier - Baritone Saxophone
Jang Eun Bae - Piano
Stylistic diversity, but especially the fusion of different styles is the hallmark and program of the Alliage Quintet. This is also reflected in its ambiguous naming. The French word "alliage" refers to the physical concept of alloy. Thus, the saxophone itself is made of an alloy of different metals, namely copper and zinc; the image of fusion also describes the musical ideal of the five musicians as a homogeneous sound body and a perfectly coordinated playing culture, united by exhilarating musical joy.
The founder of the ensemble is Daniel Gauthier; he holds the only professorship for classical saxophone in Germany (at the Cologne University of Music) and is the first violinist on the soprano saxophone. He is joined by some of the best soloists of classical saxophone today: Lutz Koppetsch (winner of the ARD Music Competition), alto saxophone, Koryun Asatryan (winner of, among others, the Eurovision Competition), tenor saxophone, and Sebastian Pottmeier, baritone saxophone. The Korean pianist Jang Eun Bae is an experienced and skilled chamber musician, adding to the classical quartet lineup as a constant fifth member of the quintet.
At the core of Alliage's repertoire are famous masterpieces from all periods in exceptionally sensitive and refined arrangements, tailored perfectly to the ensemble: Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," for example, or Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade," excerpts from Bizet's "Carmen" and Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess." In addition to adaptations and arrangements, original works from the standard repertoire for the classical saxophone quartet play an important role in Alliage's repertoire. This includes the major quartets from Alexander Glazunov and Florent Schmitt, as well as works of contemporary music by Georges Aperghis and Iannis Xenakis.
With its unique repertoire, the quintet successfully navigates the narrow path between subtle chamber music and sophisticated entertainment, conquering the major concert halls of Germany and Europe. In addition to numerous radio recordings, the ensemble has released two CDs, one of which ("Una voce poco fa") was awarded the coveted ECHO Klassik in 2005. With the second CD, "A la recherche du rêve perdu," the five musicians embark on a journey back to the time of the inventor of the saxophone, Adolphe Sax, and confront his instrument with masterpieces of his contemporaries Mendelssohn and Schumann. A new CD featuring re-compositions of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and some arrangements by J. S. Bach will be released in September 2008 under the title "Masquerade" on "SONY classical."
The saxophonists of the Alliage Quintet play Saxophones by Henri SELMER, Paris and
Reeds by the company RICO.
Website: http://www.alliage.de