WATER & FIRE / Handel revisited

Eric Sleichim (leader of BL!NDMAN) and Dutch organ player Reitze Smits arranged the Water Music suite and Music for the Royal Fireworks for saxophone quintet BL!NDMAN [sax] + Eric Sleichim (here again on alto) and grand organ. Saxophones and organ have been combined several times in new music before and their sounds and dynamics mix splendidly. The monumental character of Handel?s orchestral score is emphasized in this unique instrumentation.

Handel’s iconic orchestral suites flank the opening movement of Jean-Féry Rebel’s Les Elémens, a musical punch-in-the-face long ahead of its time, and Olivier Messiaen’s Le Verbe, excerpt from La Nativité du Seigneur.

CREDITS
Concept, arrangements & artistic direction: Eric Sleichim & Reitze Smits

BL!NDMAN [sax]
Soprano saxophone: Koen Maas & Pieter Pellens
Alto saxophone: Eric Sleichim
Tenor saxophone: Piet Rebel
Baritone saxophone: Raf Minten

Organ: Reitze Smits

Recorded at Grote Kerk Vianen (NL)
Production supervisor: Peter Van Bouwel
Recording engineer: Dries D’Hondt
Editing: Peter Van Bouwel, Eric Sleichim & Dries D’Hondt
Mixing & mastering at Igloo Studios by Daniel Léon & Eric Sleichim
Production management: Tanja Vrancken
Coordination: Brigitte Ghyselen (Warner Music)

WATER & FIRE / HANDEL REVISITED is a production of BL!NDMAN & Stichting Voor de Wind,
with the cooperation of MA Festival Brugge

BL!NDMAN is supported by the Ministry of the Flemish Community’s Arts Administration Department & by the Flemish Community Commission of the Brussels Capital Region
BL!NDMAN [sax] play Selmer saxophones and D’Addario reeds

Thanks to all generous supporters of our crowdfunding campaign, Stichting Kunst & Cultuur Grote Kerk Vianen

Special thanks to An-Katrien Van Laer & Paul Beyl (PANKAT)