Playing „Šach“ with Mr. Bach
We attempted to create something worthy of one of the greatest composers of European music, inspired by his motifs, while reflecting contemporary times through our own perspectives and views. We commissioned three contemporary composers to write pieces whose central theme would be the legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach. They were given complete creative freedom to decide whether to adapt an entire composition for our ensemble, incorporate specific motifs, or compose entirely new works. We placed particular emphasis on the baritone saxophone, for which there are relatively few works even in the global saxophone repertoire. We also invited guests: singer Eva Šušková and cellist Boris Boha. The result is a program through which we seek to convey the legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach.
FRENCH IMPRESSIONS
The project’s dramaturgy reflects the fact that the saxophone was invented in mid-19th century Belgium and first found use in France. Among its supporters was Claude Debussy, for example. The ensemble seeks to reflect France’s role as the cradle of classical saxophone by including French Impressions from significant French composers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in its program. Original compositions by contemporary Slovak composers also take this into account and were written to fit seamlessly into this project. Lento Ad Astra aims to bring a fresh perspective on interpretation, selection, and subsequent processing of the repertoire. Through arrangements and collaborations with guests, a new approach to this literature emerges, characterizing the ensemble’s artistic stance.
CHILDREN SONGS AND workshopS
We also create programs for the youngest children in kindergartens. In a playful way, it interactively involves them in the musical process and introduces them to various wind instruments and songs with piano accompaniment. At workshops for art schools, it presents the teaching concept from Erik Rothenstein’s textbook Progressive Saxophone Playing School and performs pieces from the saxophone anthology Children’s Songs, which features contributions from several Slovak composers. For older children and more advanced musicians, the workshops explain various music styles, their interpretation, and showcase compositions from world literature as well as works by Slovak composers.