French saxophonist Pierre-Stéphane Meugé presents Monodies, a mesmerising musical journey through a century of monologues in a variety of styles, punctuated by the universal reference to J.S. Bach and played on various saxophones. We hear adaptations of seminal flute works such as Varèse’s Density 21.5 and Debussy’s Syrinx (the fingerings of saxophone and flute are remarkably similar), and two Messiaen rarities: the Monodie 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 Meugé 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.
