French saxophonist Pierre-Stephane Meuge presents Monodies, a mesmerising musical journey through a century of monologues in a variety of styles, punctuated by the universal reference to JS Bach and played on various saxophones. We hear adaptations of seminal flute works such as Varese’s Density 21.5 and Debussy’s Syrinx (the fingerings of saxophone and flute are remarkably similar), and two Messiaen rarities: theMonodie in quarter tones for ondes Martenot and Monodie for organ. There is a Sonata by John Cage and the Three Pieces originally for solo clarinet by Stravinsky, alongside two works by Paul Mefano, a composer who has long wished for Meuge to record his music. Sigfrid Karg-Elert’s 25 Caprices allude to Baroque precedents, in keeping with the Bach pieces threaded through the whole programme, as does Tom Johnson’s Tilework, which, like Bach, gives the impression of polyphony on a single instrument. Pierre-Stephane Meuge is an artist with an unconventional and refreshing background: after studying piano, saxophone, double bass, viola, harmony, counterpoint, analysis and conducting, he was appointed professor at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg at the age of 20, but he soon moved on to a more fluid form of education, meeting and collaborating with an array of artists. In 1988, the ‘Internationales Musikinstitut’ commissioned him to occupy the very first saxophone chair at the ‘Ferienkurse’ in Darmstadt, where for several years he met many composers and performers from a variety of backgrounds, and his career since has reflected this versatility.
