Berlage Saxophone Quartet - In Search of Freedom (2017)

After the phenomenal success of their Saxofolk debut album, the members of the Berlage Saxophone Quartet now explore entirely different terrain. Five famous composers who found themselves at odds with the political circumstances of their times produced key works of great intensity viewed here from a completely new perspective in these virtuosic arrangements for four saxophones.

In Search of Freedom advocates the freedom of art, which manages to survive even in situations of limited personal liberty. For various reasons Hanns Eisler, Kurt Weill, and Erwin Schulhoff fell into disfavour under the National Socialist regime.

Arvo Pärt earned his place of dishonour on the index of the Soviet authorities when he turned to music of religious and meditative character. Fratres is one of his first pieces of this kind. Vineta Sareike, the first violinist of the Artemis Quartet, plays the violin part, which creates the impression of simplicity but in fact is very demanding. When performed by a saxophone ensemble the harmonic dimension produces an absolutely hypnotic effect –magnificent!