Aurelia Saxophone Quartet - Bach: Fugue In C Of Dog (2006)
Artist: Aurelia Saxophone Quartet
Title: Bach: Fugue In C Of Dog
Year Of Release: 2006
Label: Challenge Classics
Genre: Classical
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Total Time: 2:04:28
Total Size: 566 MB
WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist:Title: Bach: Fugue In C Of Dog
Year Of Release: 2006
Label: Challenge Classics
Genre: Classical
Quality: FLAC (tracks)
Total Time: 2:04:28
Total Size: 566 MB
WebSite: Album Preview
Disc 1
1. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus I (03:39)
2. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 3 (01:49)
3. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 5 (03:46)
4. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 8 (04:27)
5. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus Invs. 12 (02:56)
6. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Canon Alla Decima in Contrapunto Alla Terza (04:49)
7. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 10 Alla Decima (02:46)
8. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 6 in Stylo Francese (05:09)
9. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 7 Per Augment Et Diminut (03:11)
10. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Canon Per Augmentationem in Contrario Motu (05:16)
11. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 11 (04:23)
12. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Fuga a 3 Soggetti (07:39)
13. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 4 (03:14)
14. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Canon Alla Ottava (04:20)
15. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus Invs. 13 (02:06)
16. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Canon Alla Duodecima in Contrapunto Alla Quinta (05:22)
17. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 2 (02:08)
18. Die Kunst Der Fuge, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 9 Alla Duodecima (02:16)
Disc 2
1. Fifteen New Fugues: I. Lessons of the Master (04:25)
2. Fifteen New Fugues: II. Imbroglian Fugue (05:24)
3. Fifteen New Fugues: III. Fugue in C of Dog (05:50)
4. Fifteen New Fugues: IV. De Meesterfout (05:31)
5. Fifteen New Fugues: V. Dream Fugue (03:36)
6. Fifteen New Fugues: VI. Ensemobile II (03:26)
7. Fifteen New Fugues: VII. Inventie Over Bach's "Laatste" Maten (04:00)
8. Fifteen New Fugues: VIII. Punctus Einz (02:48)
9. Fifteen New Fugues: IX. Stretto Fugue (04:48)
10. Fifteen New Fugues: X. Windows II (02:30)
11. Fifteen New Fugues: XI. Als, Een, Scha, Duw, Heen (02:48)
12. Fifteen New Fugues: XII. La Fugasita (02:20)
13. Fifteen New Fugues: XIII. Fugue State (02:53)
14. Fifteen New Fugues: XIV. Contre Bruit (02:32)
15. Fifteen New Fugues: XV. Fading Fugue (02:05)
This 2005 double-disc from the Aurelia Saxophone Quartet on Challenge Classics has its obvious quirks: Die Kunst der Fuge, as played on soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes, is guaranteed to sound a little outré; and the 15 contemporary works that follow it, riffing in various ways on J.S. Bach's monument to fugue, may well run counter to expectations. But that is the charm of Fugue in C of Dog by this creative Dutch saxophone ensemble, which previously put out innovative recordings of Debussy's and Ravel's string quartets, and lively arrangements of Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas. Not that these unusual offerings are intended to be jokes. The level of musicality in Aurelia's rendition of Bach's contrapuntal masterpiece is astonishingly high, and the contemporary meditations and take-offs are emotionally compelling as often as they are witty or aesthetically challenging. Bach's fugues and canons require a serious commitment to line, a smooth execution, and an evenly blended tone from the group, and the complexity of some of the contrapuncti brings out the musicians' deep virtuosity. The second disc of modern pieces -- by an international symposium of composers asked for their own reflections on Bach's polyphonic compendium -- may be best appreciated by connoisseurs of jazz and avant-garde chamber music, since the expressions and techniques of the pieces are decidedly more adventurous than imitative of the late Baroque. The audio reproduction is vibrant and warmly lifelike, and levels are at times fairly hot, so some volume adjustments may be necessary, especially on disc 2.
