MOZART MACHINE

In Mozart Machine, vocal canons and instrumental fugues are threaded together to form a chain which, like a virtual oratorio, tells of Wolfgang’s fortunes and states of mind.
From his earliest experiments in 1764, when as a child prodigy he wrote his first fugue (KV15) in London, to his last masterpiece (KV626), which he conceived in Vienna during the final days of his life, we accompany Mozart on his journey of fascination for the then long outmoded polyphonic style.

When Amdeus became acquainted with the work of J.S. Bach, which was not until 1782, it led to a serious upheaval in his creative process. He threw himself with a fury into the composition of canons and fugues and in a very short time succeeded in masterfully integrating the archaic style into his own art.
The works played here indicate how exceptionally well this glorious composer was able to unite form and passion.

BL!NDMAN and Mozart

Initially it seemed that Mozart was absolutely forbidden territory for a saxophone quartet. With BL!NDMAN we sought sound combinations to render the musical structures as transparently as possible and to interpret the spirituality of his work with contemporary instruments.
In the fugues the bronze-like sound of the saxophones makes reference to the organ – which Mozart considered ‘the king of instruments’ – while together with the high female voices in the canons it is reminiscent of the basset horns he loved so much.
Our focused search through the mastery of his polyphonic work led us to a moving encounter with this musical genius whose death came far too early.

This anthology is the direct result of two previous recordings with the BL!NDMAN saxophone quartet: choral partitas on BL!NDMAN plays Bach and the retrospective of three centuries of the polyphonic repertoire on Multiple Voice.

tracklist

1. Caro bell’idol mio KV 562 (3’18) Vienna 1788, 4 sopranos 2 saxophones
2. Untitled KV 15z (2’06) London 1764, saxofoonkwartet
3. Kyrie KV 89/73k (4’51) Rome 1770, 3 sopranos 2 saxophones
4. Chorale KV 620 (3’00) Vienna 1791, saxophone quartet
5. Leck mich im Arsch KV 231/382c (1’34) Vienna 1782, 4 sopranos 2 saxophones
6. Alleluia KV 553 (1’41) Vienna 1788, 4 sopranos 2 saxophones
7. Gigue KV 574 (1’45) Leipzig 1789, saxophone quartet
8. Lacrimoso son’ io KV 555 ((1’36) Vienna 1788, 4 sopranos 2 saxophones
9. Nascoso è il mio sol KV 557 (2’00) Vienna 1788, 4 sopranos 2 saxophones
10. Difficile lectu mihi mars KV 559 (1’50) Vienna 1788, 4 sopranos 2 saxophones
11. Fugue KV 401/375e (6’04) Salzburg 1773, saxophone quartet
12. Heiterkeit und leichtes Blut KV 507 (0’46) Vienna 1786, 4 sopranos 1 saxofoon
13. Auf das Wohl aller Freunde KV 508 (0’35) Vienna 1786, 4 sopranos 1 saxofoon
14. Ach! zu kurz KV 228/515b (1’30) Vienna 1785, 4 sopranos 2 saxophones
15. Zwei kleine Fugen KV 154a/Anh. A61, A62 (1’06) Salzburg 1772, saxophone quartet
16. Vier Rätselkanons KV 89a II/73r (4’07) Bologna 1770, 4 sopranos 2 saxophones
17. Fugue KV 394/383a (4’15) Vienna 1782, saxophone quartet
18. Selig, selig KV 230/382b (2’30) Vienna 1782, 4 sopranos 2 saxophones
19. Ouverture KV 399/385i (2’37) Vienna 1782, saxophone quartet
20. Sie ist dahin KV 229/382a (3’08) Vienna 1782, 3 sopranos
21. Kyrie KV 626 (2’29) Vienna 1791, saxophone quartet
22. V’amo di core KV 348/382g (2’17) Vienna 1782, 4 sopranos 2 saxophones
23. Adagio KV 410/484d (3’05) Vienna 1782, 3 saxophones
24. Vierstimmiger Kanon KV deest (5’03) Vienna 1786, 4 sopranos

total time 1’16

credits

concept and arrangements
Eric Sleichim

soprano voices
Els Van Laethem, Emilie De Voght, Sarah Abrams, Griet De Geyter

saxophones
Koen Maas / soprano saxophone, Eric Sleichim / alto saxophone, Piet Rebel / tenor saxophone, Raf Minten / baritone saxophone

universal music, 2006, ref 476 3135