Hollywood Songbook. Signum Saxophone Quartet at City Recital Hall.
Photo by Peter Hislop.
Berlin’s Signum Saxophone Quartet face the same challenge as any cover band. How do you stay true to the original and push the boundaries enough to say something new? The quartet’s performance at City Recital Hall with celebrated Australian soprano singer Ali McGregor was a masterclass in finding this balance.
In their second tour of Australia with Musica Viva, the four saxophonists have focused on performing pieces that don’t traditionally feature their instrument. In doing so, they have created a dazzling repertoire of musical reinventions that add a playfulness to well-known classics.
The opening Stravinksy piece, Circus Polka, began with an eruption of energy that would set the tone for the remainder of the show. It pulled the audience in from the very first bars with its pumping bassline, played by baritone sax David Brand, and lively mid-voice melody, played by alto Jacopo Taddei and tenor Alan Lužar. All four players moved with a rhythmic expression that was hypnotic to watch. It was clear even from these first moments that the audience was in the presence of true virtuosos.
This musical vivacity was carried into the second piece, an interpretation of Schulhoff’s Five Pieces for String Quartet. The three movements traversed the full spectrum of the players’ skills of musical expression, from the theatrical dynamic contrasts of the ‘Alla Czeca’, to the more sultry mood of the ‘Alla Tango’. In this movement, it was the soprano saxophone’s moment to shine with the group’s Blaž Kemperle stealing the show with his indulgent cadenza. The final movement lived up to its name ‘Alla Tarantella’ in its break-neck speed which required absolute synchronicity from all members. What was clear from this Schulhoff performance was the group’s effortless ability to listen and respond to each other, making the music sound more like an easy conversation among friends than a strictly rehearsed sonata.
The quartet’s collaboration with Ali McGregor was equally breathtaking. McGregor was captivating with a cabaret sparkle that was buoyed by the accompanying saxophone swing rhythms and glissandos. In her first performance, One Life to Live, she sang with a breathy, recitative style as breezy as the lyrics themselves. The purpose of life, according to the song’s lyricist Ira Gershwin, is to “just have fun.” But the second song I’m a Stranger Here Myself offers a striking contrast to this carefree mood. With her dazzling soprano vibratos that drew gasps from the audience, McGregor showcased her extensive operettic experience.
Hollywood Songbook. Signum Saxophone Quartet and Ali McGregor.
Photo by Peter Hislop.
The show’s most memorable performance was a reimagining of Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev. What was most impressive in this performance was the way that these four players could mimic the harmonic complexity of Prokofiev’s full ballet orchestra. While the quartet’s version certainly added a warmer timbre to the original, this change was more than welcomed. When the famous ‘Dance of the Knights’ began with its romping bass rhythms, the audience became a sea of bobbing heads and tapping feet. At one point, there were even giggles when the main melody was passed from the baritone to the soprano like a playful musical relay.
Over the Rainbow provided the concert with its finale showstopper. While the piece ran the risk of sounding cliched given its long association with high-school music ensembles, the quartet managed to add a level of complexity with their jazzy syncopation and rich bluesy harmonies.
And this is the true gift of groups like Signum Saxophone Quartet. By reimagining old works that have become tired, we can hear musical masterpieces as if for the very first time.
Signum Saxophone Quartet and Ali McGregor will perform “Hollywood Songbook” in Newcastle on 14 May, Perth on 17 May and Sydney on 15 May.
