IF IT’S NOT GOD AT LEAST MAN

The journey begins at the origins of pur Christian and liturgical music, describing a world in which man is part of a society that worships a divinity that represents "everything" (his creator and reason for existence) and which gives deep meaning to his life. The reflection of this artistic idea is expressed in 1st, 2nd and 4th movement of David Maslanka's Recitation Book (original piece for saxophone quartet, based on Bach chorales and Gregorian chants). After these sacred pieces comes the moment that narrates the break with God, musically rendered in the fifth movement: Durch Adams Fall, which symbolises the moment when man is banished to earth and becomes mortal.

In the continuation of the journey, man begins to throw off this divine burden and focuses more on what is happening inside himself and around him. This also brings unrest and despair. For now that man is no longer protected by a God, he is in full ownership of his decisions himself. This sense of despair is expressed in heartbreaking fashion in Carlo Gesualdo's madrigal Eccò morirò dunque (composed immediately after Gesualdo caught his wife with a lover in their marital bed and subsequently killed them).

The music keeps developing when a moment of remembrance of the divine period is brought up. The piece that represents this moment is the second movement of Glazunov's saxophone quartet Canzona variée. Musically, this shows an evolution from Russian Orthodox chant, through various 'humanising' stages to a 'scherzo' of a worldly nature.

Then the journey continues into Romanticism. As we all know, humanity can be extremely cruel and ruthless, but also beautiful, tender and full of love as can be heard in Songs Without Words by Fanny Mendelssohn (originally for piano and arranged for saxophone quartet by the Quartet itself).

Thereafter we move to folkloric music representing the moment in which humanity feels proud and deeply connected to the culture they themselves have created.This is expressed in the piece Sólo el misterio by the young Spanish composer Joan Pérez-Villegas. This piece is special not only for its folkloric aspect, but also because it honours a human being. Just as Maslanka honoured God through Bach pieces, Villegas pays homage to poet and playwright García Lorca.

The journey comes to an end when music seeks again that higher astral plane, but now through modern and artificial art. For this climactic moment we will premiere the piece Nocturne by the even younger Dutch composer Arjan Linker: a work that will employ electronic music in which the four saxophones will immerse, giving rise to a musical explosion that will transport us to the world of techno. This music brings people together as a community and takes the human being to a spiritual state so we can say that our journey is ending because humanity found a new religion in music and art.

Diego Dávila, soprano saxophone
Fátima Alcázar, alto saxophone
Inés González, tenor saxophone
Ricard Martínez, bariton saxophone

PROGRAM:
David Maslanka (1943-2017) - Recitation Book (2006)
I. Broken Heart: Meditation on the chorale melody Der du bist drei in einigkeit (You who are three in one)
II. Prelude/Chorale: Meditation on the chorale melody Jesu meine Freude (Jesus my joy)
III. Ecco, morirò dunque (Look! My Death is Near!) – Carlo Gesualdo (1596)
IV. Meditation on the Gregorian Chant O Salutaris Hostia (O Salvation’s Victim)
V. Fanfare/Variations on the chorale melody Durch Adams Fall (Through
Adam’s fall)
Alexander Glazunov - Saxophone quartet op.109 (1932) Il. Canzona varié
Fanny Mendelssohn - (Arrangement: Osimun quartet) 4 Lieder ohne Worte für Klavier op. 8: (1829-1845) Il. Andante con espressione
III. Larguetto
Joan Perez Villegas - Sólo el misterio (2021) Arjan Linker - Nocturne (2024)*