CRYSTAL RECORDS – Saxophone Recordings

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CD154: BRIAN MINOR, Alto Saxophone. Leon Stein: Sextet for Alto Saxophone and Woodwind Quintet and Quintet for Alto Saxophone and String Quartet; Vincent Persichetti: Parable XI, Solo Alto Saxophone; Lawson Lunde: Sonata No. 1 for Alto Saxophone and Piano; Paul Creston: Suite for Alto Saxophone and Piano;  Bernhard Heiden: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano. UPC 009414715425  BUY NOW

with Westwood Wind Quintet, Chicago Symphony String Quartet, and pianists Lawson Lunde and Cola Heiden.

 

"lovingly shaped...perfect beauty...Scrupulously polished"  American Record Guide. This CD is a combination of Brian Minor's LPs on Crystal Records: S151 and S154, remastered digitally in 2022.   

 

CD154 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the movement shown.
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Stein  Sextet: 1.Allegro moderato   2.Adagio; Andante   3.Allegro     Persichetti: Parable XI     Lunde  Sonata No. 1: 1.Allegro   2.Andantino cantabile   3.Allegro vivace     Creston  Suite: 1.Scherzoso   2.P storale   3.Toccata     Heiden  Sonata: 1.Allegro   2.Vivace   3.Adagio; Presto     Stein  Quintet: 1.Allegro   2.Andante   3.Adagio; Allegro

 

\CD353: SEXTOUR à VENT. Harvey Pittel, Alto Saxophone; Westwood Wind Quintet.

Darius Milhaud: Scaramouche for Saxophone and Woodwind Quintet; Bernhard Heiden: Intrada for Saxophone and Woodwind Quintet; Paul Hindemith: Concert Piece for Two Saxophones (with Sunil Gadgil, saxophone); Pierre Max Dubois: Sinfonia da Camera (for Saxophone and Woodwind Quintet); Jacques Ibert: Trois Pièces Brèves (first movement) – for Woodwind Quintet; J.S. Bach: Fugue from the Well Tempered Clavier (arr. for Woodwind Trio); Gioacchino Rossini: Quartet no. 1 in F (first movement) – for Flute, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon; Paul De Wailly: Aubade for Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet; Adrien Barthe: Passacaille for Woodwind Quintet; Malcolm Arnold: Divertimento for Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet (first movement); Rimsky-Korsakov: Flight of the Bumble-Bee (arr. for Woodwind Quintet); Leo Sowerby: Pop Goes the Weasel (adapted by the Westwood Wind Quintet)  UPC 009414735324   BUY NOW       Click here for CD cover photo and details.

“Harvey Pittel [is a] master of his instrument…the most beautiful and pure tone I have ever heard from a saxophone.” New York Times.
The Westwood Wind  Quintet is “probably the best group of this kind anywhere.” New Orleans Courier “Delightful music, winningly played.” Fanfare Magazine

Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the movement shown.
Milhaud: Scaramouche  I: Vif    II: Modéré    III: Brazileira     Heiden:  Intrada     Hindemith: Concert Piece for Two Saxophones  I: Lebhaft   II: Mässig langsam   III: Lebhaft     Dubois: Sinfonia da Camera  I: Entrée   II: Gigue en rondeau   III: Variations     Ibert:   Trois Pièces Brèves (first mvmt)     Bach/arr. Atkins:  Fugue     Rossini:  Quartet no.1 in F (first mvmt)     Wailly:  Aubade     Barthe:  Passacaille     Arnold:  Divertimento (first mvmt)      Rimsky-Korsakov:  Flight of the Bumble-Bee Sowerby:  Pop Goes the Weasel   (to return to this page after listening to samples, please use your browser back button)

CD358: PAS DE TROIS. Kenneth Tse, Saxophone, Benjamin Coelho, Bassoon, Alan Huckleberry, Piano. Bernard Van Beurden: Pas de trois; Jindrich Feld: Trio Giocoso; David Froom: Arirang Variations; Perry Goldstein: Noir; Don Freund: Louder than Words.  UPC 009414735829    BUY NOW    Click here for more Kenneth Tse CDs.

Saxophone, Bassoon, and Piano is an unusual combination that creates an exciting and vibrant sound. The works on this CD represent some of the finest writing for this combination, and the performers are three of the best practitioners of their art. They are on the faculty at the University of Iowa and perform internationally

“From Crystal comes yet another program of stimulating chamber works. As usual, it is beautifully performed and recorded.”  Fanfare.

Sound samples (uses RealPlayer) Click on the link to hear up to one minute of the movement shown.
Van Beurden: Pas de trois:  Ouverture   Pastorale   Tarantella   Feld: Trio Giocoso:  Allegro   Andante   Allegro vivo    Froom:  Arirang Variations    Goldstein:  Noir    Freund:  Louder than Words:  Part I   Part II

CD359: STELLAR SAXES. Kenneth Tse and Nobuya Sugawa, Saxophones.

Paul Hindemith: Concert Piece for two alto saxophones; Jun Nagao: Paganini Lost, for two alto saxophones and piano, and Lovers on the Celestial Sphere, for soprano and tenor saxophones and piano; Masanori Katoh, Oriental, for soprano and alto saxophones; Guy Lacour, Sute en Duo, for two alto saxophones; Victor Morosco, Contemporary Etudes in Duet Form, for two alto saxophones. With Kazuo Murakami, piano.  UPC 009414735928.  BUY NOW       Click here for more Kenneth Tse CDs.

         Nobuya Sugawa and Kenneth Tse are two of the best-known saxophonists in the world. Specializing in premiere performances, they present on this CD some of the most exciting new works for two saxophones. This is Kenneth Tse’s fifth CD on Crystal Records. All have been greeted with praise from both critics and consumers.

 “two of the finest classical saxophonists in the world…truly dynamic duo…two giants of classical saxophone.” Saxophone Journal

Sound samples (uses RealPlayer) Click on the link to hear up to one minute of the movement shown. _(r)Nagao: Paganini Lost   Hindemith: Konzertstucke  Lebhaft   Massig langsam, Lebhaft    Katoh: Oriental    Lacour: Suite en duo  Allegro   Aria   Petite Fugue   Largo - Scherzetto    Nagao: Lovers on the Celestial Sphere    Morosco: Contemporary Etudes  Etude 1   Etude 2   Etude 4

 

CD651: LAURA HUNTER, SAXOPHONE.  Brian Connelly, Piano and DX7 Synthesizer. William Bolcom: Lilith; Paul Cooper: Four Impromptus; Rodney Rogers: The Nature of This Whirling Wheel;  Steven Galante: Shu Gath Manna; Arthur Gottschalk: Jeu de Chat.  UPC 009414765123BUY NOW

Bolcom is the winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Hunter is "a splendid artist." Audio. “...beautiful tone.” Wisconsin Journal

Sound samples (uses RealPlayer) Click on the link to hear up to one minute of the movement shown.
Rogers: Whirling Wheel   Bolcom Lilith:  Mvt 1(Female Demon)   Mvt 2 (Succuba)   Mvt 3 (Will-O-The-Wisp)   Mvt 4 (Child Stealer)   Mvt 5 (The Night Dance)     Cooper: Four Impromptus  Presto   Andante   Animato   Largo    Gottschalk: Jeu de Chat    Galante: Shu Gath Manna  Prologue   Silicon Dance   Threnody   Regeneration

 

CD652: AN AMERICAN TRIBUTE TO SIGURD RASCHER. Lawrence Gwozdz, Alto Saxophone. William Grant Still: Romance; Karel Husa: Elegie et Rondeau; Henry Cowell: Air and Scherzo; Carl Wirth: Jepthah and Beyond These Hills; Armond Russell: Particles; John David Lamb: Three Antique Dances; John Worley: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano. Lois Leventhal & David Evenson, piano; Michael Reimer, soprano saxophone.  UPC 009414765222 BUY NOW

"Gwozdz is an extraordinary saxophonist...a whole world of composers writing sublime music...buy this disc at once...I guarantee you will enjoy it."  Fanfare. 

Sound samples (uses RealPlayer) Click on the link to hear up to one minute of the movement shown.
Wirth Jepthah:  Mvt 1 (Invocation)  Mvt 2 (Dance)    Russell Particles:  Mvt 1 (Allegro)   Mvt 2 (Lento)   Mvt 3 (Allegro moderato)   Mvt 4 (Andante)   Mvt 5 (Allegro)     Cowell:  Air   Scherzo     Still: Romance     Lamb: Three Antique Dances  Mvt 1   Mvt 2   Mvt 3     Husa: Elegie   Rondeau     Worley: Sonata  Mvt 1   Mvt 2   Mvt 3     Wirth: Beyond These Hills

 

CD653: DUO ONE, POINT FIVE - Bill Perconti, Alto Saxophone. Alojzy Thomys: Miniatury w Roznych Stylach (sax & piano); Ryo Noda: Improvisation III (sax solo); Alan Hovhaness: Suite (sax and guitar); Gerard Massias: Suite Monodique (sax solo); Jerome Grant: Duo 1 Point 5 (sax and tape); Eugene Bozza: Improvisation et Caprice (sax solo); George Gershwin: Three Quarter Blues and Promenade (arr. Perconti for sax & piano). UPC 009414765321  BUY NOW

"...creamy smooth tone." American Record Guide. "Another first-class woodwind recital from the leading label in the field."  Fanfare.

Sound samples (uses RealPlayer) Click on the link to hear up to one minute of the movement shown.
Thomys, Miniatury:  Mvt 1(Allegro)   Mvt 2(Andante)   Mvt 3(Allegretto)   Mvt 4(Andante)   Mvt 5(Vivo Scherzando)   Mvt 6   Mvt 7   Mvt 8   Mvt 9   Mvt 10     Noda:  Improvisation No. 3     Hovhaness: Suite  Mvt 1   Mvt 2   Mvt 3     Massias: Suite Monodique  Mvt 1   Mvt 2   Mvt 3   Mvt 4   Mvt 5     Grant: Duo 1 Point 5     Bozza:  Improvisation et Caprice     Gershwin:  Three-Quarter Blues     Promenade

 

CD654: BACH AND NOODLES. Harvey Pittel, Saxophone.  New Classics Suite: Sonata 2 by J.S. Bach (arr. John Rodby) interspersed w/ Johnny Mercer, Richard Rodgers, David Gates. Plus light classics including Flight of the Bumble-Bee, Oodles of Noodles, Perpetual Motion, Scaramouche, Vocalise, Saxophobia, Caprice (Bozza), Caprice (Bonneau), and the Acrostic Song from Final Alice (Del Tredici).  Pittel, saxophone, with Gabor Rejto, cello; and Levering Rothfuss and Anton Nell, piano. UPC 009414765420 BUY NOW    Click here for CD cover photo and details.

Harvey Pittel has been saxophonist with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, etc. and is a prominent recitalist.   

"Pittel gets more range, power, and expression out of his sax than I would have thought possible. This is definitely a keeper" Fanfare

Sound samples (uses RealPlayer) Click on the link to hear up to one minute of the movement shown.
New Classics Suite:  Mvt 1 (Allegro-Autumn Leaves)   Mvt 2 (Siciliano-My Favorite Things)   Mvt 3 (Allegro-If)   Rimsky-Korsakoff: Flight of the Bumblebee     Rachmaninoff: Vocalise     Dorsey:  Ooodles of Noodles     Demersseman: Carnival of Venice     Del Tredici: Final Alice  Acrostic Song     Wiedoeft: Saxophobia     Valse Yvonee     Bozza: Lied, Badinage, and Caprice     Bonneau: Caprice     Paganini: Moto Perpetuo     Milhaud: Scaramouche  Brooms(Russian trad.): Vif   Modere   Brazileira

CD655: MOVING ALONG with Harvey Pittel, Saxophone. Ingolf Dahl: Concerto for Alto Saxophone; Jacques Ibert: Concertino da Camera; Paul Creston: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano; Paule Maurice: Tableaux de Provence; Tomasi Albinoni: Concerto "Saint Marc"; Rachmaninoff: Vocalise. All with Jeff Helmer, piano. UPC  009414765529 BUY NOW    Click here for CD cover photo and details.

"Another excellent CD by Pittel"  Saxophone Journal 

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Creston Sonata:  Mvt 1 (With Vigor)  Mvt 2 (With Tranqility)  Mvt 3 (With Gaiety)    Dahl Concerto:  Mvt 1 (Recitative)  Mvt 2 (Passacaglia)    Rachmaninoff: Vocalise     Ibert: Concertino  Mvt 1   Mvt 2   Mvt 3     Maurice: Tableaux de Provence  Farandole   Chanson pour ma Mie   La Bohemienne   Des Alyscamps   Le Cabridan     Albinoni: Concerto  Grave   Allegro   Andante   Allegro

CD656: SPARKLING SAX. Kenneth Tse, Saxophone. With Kari Miller, Piano. JIndrich Feld: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano; Bernhard Heiden: Solo for Alto Saxophone and Piano; Victor Morosco: Blue Caprice; Walter Kaufmann: Meditation; Robert Muczynski: Sonata; Warren Benson: Aeolian Song; Leonard Bernstein: West Side Story Medley.  UPC 009414765628 BUY NOW    Click here for more Kenneth Tse CDs.

"Kenneth Tse is a uniquely talented saxophonist endowed with a facile technique and a tone of great beauty, plus the ability to understand and interpret a wide range of musical styles." Says Eugene Rousseau, Eminent saxophone soloist & Professor of Saxophone, Indiana University 

"Kenneth Tse plays the saxophone with seductive tonal beauty and sheer virtuosity." American Record Guide   

Sound samples (uses RealPlayer) Click on the link to hear up to one minute of the movement shown.
Feld Sonata:  Mvt 1(Allegro Ritmico)  Mvt 2(Adagio)  Mvt 3 (Allegro Vivo)  Mvt 4 (Allegro con Fuoco)    Kaufmann: Meditation   Muczynski: Sonata  Mvt 1   Mvt 2     Benson: Aeolian Song     Heiden: Solo     Morosco: Blue Caprice     Bernstein(arr. Rousseau): West Side Story medley

CD657: AN AMERICAN EXHIBITION.  Kenneth Tse, Saxophone; Mami Nagai, Piano. David DeBoor Canfield: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano; John Cheetham: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano; Libby Larsen: Holy Roller; William Grant Still: Romance; Leonard Mark Lewis: As in Stained Light; Jay Vosk: Thaw; Walter Hartley: Sonata for Baritone Saxophone and Piano.  UPC 009414765727  BUY NOW  Click here for CD cover photo and details.

"this is about as good a saxophone recital as you're ever going to hear.  American Record Guide

   Kenneth Tse was formerly Instructor at Indiana University and professor at University of Missouri. He is presently at the University of Iowa. About his first CD on Crystal, CD656,

Sound samples (uses RealPlayer) Click on the link to hear up to one minute of the movement shown.
Canfield Sonata:  Mvt 1(Grazioso)  Mvt 2(Molto vivo)  Mvt 3(Ad libitum)  Mvt 4(Moto perpetuo)     Cheetham Sonata:  Mvt 1(Giocoso)  Mvt 2(Lento)  Mvt 3(Con moto)     Larsen: Holy Roller     Still: Romance   Lewis: As In Stained Light   Vosk: Thaw     Hartley Sonata:  Mvt 1(Andante)  Mvt 2(Adagio)  Mvt 3Allegro)

 

CD658: LYRIC SOPRANO.  Kenneth Tse, Soprano Saxophone. Alan Huckleberry, Piano.  UPC 009414765826  Antonino Pasculli: Le Api; Gabriel Faure: Trois Romances sans Paroles; Jerôme Naulais: Sax de Voyage; Isaac Albeniz: Tango Op. 165, No. 2; Denis Bedard: Fantaisie; John C. Worley: Six Dances; Astor Piazzolla: L'Histoire du Tango; Leonard Mark Lewis: Prelude (for Kenneth Tse).  BUY NOW    Click here for more Kenneth Tse CDs.

Kenneth Tse is currently the professor of saxophone at the University of Iowa. "Tse is the caliber of instrumentalist whose very sound is captivating. If Fanfare awarded grades to recordings, this would rate A+”  Fanfare 

"Tse gives a bravado, fleet-fingered performance... seduces enchantingly... is utterly beguiling... a richly enjoyable recital." International Record Review

Sound samples (uses RealPlayer) Click on the link to hear up to one minute of the movement shown.
Pasculli: Le Api    Faure Trois Romances Mvmt 1  Mvmt 2  Mvmt 3     Naulais: Sax de Voyage    Albeniz: Tango     Bedard: Fantaisie     Worley: Six Dances  Prelude   Allemande   Sarabande   Gavotte   Courante   Gigue     Piazzolla: L'Histoire du Tango  Bordel   Cafe   Night-club   Concert d'aujourd'hui     Lewis: Prelude

 

CD659: SAXOPHONE VOICES FROM FIVE COUNTRIES, featuring Keith R. Young, Soprano, Alto, and Tenor Saxophone. Heitor Villa Lobos: Fantasia; Astor Piazzolla: Tango; Rudy Wiedoeft: Saxophobia; Ron Nelson: Danza Capriccio; Charles Koechlin: Andante & Le Reps de Tityre; Paul Bonneau: Caprice en Forme de Valse; Elliot Del Borgo: Canto; Toshiyuki & Naomi Honda: Four Jazz Etudes. UPC 009414765925   BUY NOW  Click here for CD cover photo and details

"Saxophone aficionados will find this a good addition to their collection." American Record Guide

Keith R. Young was principal saxophonist with the U.S. Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. until 1998. Since then he has been an international soloist and Professor of Music at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. This collection contains some of the best recital literature for the saxophone, featuring music of composers from the U.S.A., Japan, France, Brazil, and Argentina.

Sound samples (uses RealPlayer) Click on the link to hear up to one minute of the movement shown.
Nelson: Danza Capriccio    Koechlin:  Andante    Bonneau:  Caprice en Forme de Valse   Del Borgo:  Canto    Villa-Lobos:  Fantasia  Anim_(c)   Lent   Tr_(r)s anim_(c)    Koechlin:  Le Repos de Tityre     Honda:  Four Jazz Etudes   Greeting    Fake    Interval    Session    Piazzolla:  Tango    Wiedoeft:  Saxophobia

 

CD780: SAXOPHONE PICTURES, Kenneth Tse, Saxophone.
Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition (arranged by David DeBoor Canfield); Kenneth Tse, Soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones (one player, no overdubs); Alan Huckleberry, piano. David DeBoor Canfield: Trio after Brahms in G minor; Kenneth Tse, alto saxophone; Rachel Patrick, violin; Lin-Yu Wang, piano.
Erwin Dressel: Partita for Alto Saxophone and Piano; Kenneth Tse, alto saxophone; Lin-Yu Wang, piano.  UPC 009414778024   BUY NOW       Click here for more Kenneth Tse CDs.

Tse has technique to burn, of course, and performes these works as a great singer would perform German Lieder." Fanfare

     Kenneth Tse, widely recognized as one of the leading classical saxophonists in the world, burst on the scene in 1996 as the winner of the prestigious New York Artists International Award, which resulted in an acclaimed debut recital at Carnegie Hall and being acclaimed as “a young virtuoso” by the New York Times. Tse has been an active recording artist since his first CD for Crystal Records at age 23. He has also been a frequent soloist on five continents. There are now a total of nine Crystal CDs as well as eight others on other labels. Tse is currently Professor of Saxophone at the University of Iowa, President-Elect of the North American Saxophone Alliance, and is serving his second term as Vice-President of the International Saxophone Committee. When Kenneth Tse, alternating between the four saxophones, gave the world premiere performance of this arrangement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition at the 2012 World Saxophone Congress in St. Andrews, Scotland, he and the piece received rave notice..

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Canfield  Trio after Brahms in G Minor:  Adagio con poco moto-Allegro risoluto   Adagio   Molto vivo   Presto possibile    Dressel  Partita: Prélude – Allemande   Canzone   Courante   Pavane   Gigue    Mussorgsky  Pictures at an Exhibition:  Promenade  Gnomus   Promenade II   Il Vecchio Castello   Promenade III   Tuilleries   Promenade IV   Bydło   Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle   Promenade V   Limoges   Catacombae (Sepulcrum Romanum)   Con mortuis in lingua mortua   The Hut on Fowl's Legs (Baba-Yaga)   The Great Gate of Kiev

 

CD781 — KENNETH TSE, Saxophone, with the MI-BÉMOL Saxophone Ensemble. UPC 009414778123

Jules Demersseman, Carnival of Venice; Henri Tomasi, Ballade; Richard Dudas, Fantasia on Lyun Joon Kim’s Elegy; Luis Alarcón, Concertango, 3rd mvt: fugue; Alain Crépin, Saxflight; Grigorij Markovich, Concerto Capriccio on Themes of Paganini; Darius Milhaud, Scaramouche; Giacomo Puccini, Nessun Dorma from Turandot.  UPC 009414778123   BUY NOW    

A truly unusual and exciting album. The sounds of all the saxophones is almost unbelievable in its beauty. At times it is like listening to one of the best large symphony orchestras. “This release is, in a word, stunning. [This is] a program of winners, with broad appeal. It doesn’t get much better than this: fun music, and a stellar ensemble and soloist.” (Fanfare Magazine)   Click here for more Kenneth Tse CDs.

         Kenneth Tse, with 9 solo CDs on Crystal, is one of the world’s leading classical saxophonists. Born in Hong Kong, he won the New York Artists International Award in 1996 and performed an acclaimed debut recital at Carnegie Hall, after which he was hailed as “a young virtuoso.” He since has been a frequent soloist on five continents. His CDs have been uniformly acclaimed by critics: “elegant tone...sheer virtuosity” (American Record Guide). “phenomenal saxophonist with incredible technical skills and interpretive skills. His tone is absolutely lovely.” (Saxophone Journal). “One of the world’s very finest saxophonists...astounding technical skill...virtuosity and golden tone.” (Fanfare) He currently teaches at the University of Iowa.

         The Mi-Bémol Saxophone Ensemble, founded in 1989 in Japan, has established itself as probably the world’s premiere professional saxophone ensemble. Under the direction of Masahiro Maeda, the group has more than 20 saxophones, including alto, tenor, baritone, bass saxophone, and tubax. With its truly amazing sound, the ensemble performs regularly in Europe, Asia, and North America, including Carnegie Hall. “Mi-Bémol has become well-known for its extraordinary musicianship and the distinctively rich, articulate orchestral sound it produces.”    Fanfare

CD781 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the movement shown.
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Demersseman   Carnival of Venice    Tomasi   Ballade    Dudas   Fantasia on Lyun Joon Kim’s Elegy    Alarcón   Concertango,3^rd mvt: Fugue    Crépin   Saxflight    Kalinkovich   Concerto Capriccio on Themes of Paganini    Milhaud  Scaramouche   Vif   Modéré   Brazileira    Puccini   Nessun Dorma from Turandot

 

BONUS: To have a little joy, hear the entire Carnival of Venice played by Kenneth Tse and the Mi-Bémol Saxophone Ensemble.

 Demersseman Carnival of Venice

 

CD782: The Voxman Project. Featuring Kenneth Tse, Saxophone, and faculty and staff from the Voxman School of Music, University of Iowa, conducted by Richard Mark Heidel.  UPC 009414778222   BUY NOW

Kirk O’Riordan, Ductus Figuratus, Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Chamber Ensemble; Darius Milhaud, La Création du Monde; Kurt Weill, Little Threepenny Music

Recorded in the Voxman Music Building (cover picture), University of Iowa. The impressive Voxman Bldg. houses equally impressive music faculty, staff, and students. This CD features the playing of these fine musicians.

Click here for more Kenneth Tse CDs.

“beautifully programmed hour of music for mixed ensemble …O’Riordan writes with both fluidity and intelligence…Darius Milhaud’s riotous La création du monde is a glorious celebration of polytonality as a means of representing primordial chaos…[in the Weill], what character there is to “Mack the Knife,” while the “Tango-Ballad,” with its evocative sax solos, is a triumph. This is stimulating repertoire, superbly performed and well recorded. Another gem for Crystal Records’ catalog.”  Fanfare (Colin Clarke, Sept/Oct 2021)

O’Riordan’s Saxophone Concerto has “a lot of clever and effective writing, and Tse is a splendidly fluent and masterful advocate for this new concerto…[The Weill] is a most credible performance which stands comparison with the best in the field.”  MusicWeb (Marc Rochester, July 2021)

“The Voxman Ensemble gives robust performances…The Milhaud and Weill are solid, and all the lyrical passages are especially heartfelt. Tse is excellent all through, easily handling all the challenges of the O’Riordan and delivering elegant and expressive phrasing in the Milhaud and Weill.” American Record Guide (Hanudel, Sept/Oct 2021)

CD782 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the movement shown.
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O’Riordan Ductus figuratas, Concerto for Alto Saxophone  Mvt. 1 Cadens   Mvt. 2 Abeo   Mvt. 3 Tripudio   Mvt. 4 Demum     Milhaud La Création du Monde  Mvt. 1 Overture   Mvt. 2 Chaos Before Creation   Mvt. 3 Birth of Flora and Fauna   Mvt. 4 Birth of Man and Woman   Mvt. 5 Dance of Desire   Mvt. 6 Spring or Appeasement     Weill Little Threepenny Music  Mvt. 1 Overture   Mvt. 2 Mack the Knife   Mvt. 3 The Instead-of Song   Mvt. 4 Ballad of the Easy Life   Mvt. 5 Polly’s Song   Mvt. 6 Tango-Ballad   Mvt. 7 Cannon Song   Mvt. 8 Threepenny Finale

 

CD783: COALESCENCE. Kenneth Tse, Saxophone. Casey Dierlam Tse, Piano.

Piet Swerts, Paganini Capriccio; Leo Ornstein, Ballade; Jean-Denis Michat, Back to Bach; Roger Boutry, Divertimento; Luis Serrano Alarcón, Tres Preludios Mestizos; Alfred Desenclos, Prelude, Cadence et Finale; Claude Pascal, Sonatine; Paule Maurice, Tableaux de Provence.   UPC 009414778321   BUY NOW

        

Kenneth Tse, widely recognized as one of the world’s leading classical saxophonists, won the prestigious New York Artists International Award in 1996, and then performed an acclaimed debut recital at Carnegie Hall. Since then, he has won multiple awards and has been a frequent soloist with orchestras and in recitals in five continents. An active recording artist, Tse has 19 CDs, including nine highly acclaimed CDs on Crystal Records. An advocate for new music, Tse has had more than 30 works dedicated to him.

“Tse plays with seductive tonal beauty and sheer virtuosity” American Record Guide Click here for more Kenneth Tse CDs.

“Tse has produced the most beautiful sound from a saxophone that I have ever heard…he is one of the most widely admired saxophonists on the planet…Kenneth Tse and Casey Dierlam Tse are two remarkable artists, who make music together as well as any instrumental duo I’ve heard on any instruments…Each work is a masterpiece in its own right, and to hear such fine works receive top-flight performances is a joy to experience. Anyone not yet a fan of the saxophone will surely be won over to the instrument by this latest release from Crystal, one of the top few saxophone recordings I’ve ever heard.” Fanfare (David DeBoor Canfield)

CD783 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the movement shown.
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Swerts:  Paganini Capriccio     Ornstein:  Ballade     Jean-Denis Michat : Back to Bach  Allegro   Adagio dolcissimo      Boutry: Divertimento  I.Allegro ma non troppo   II.Andante   III.Presto     Serrano Alarcón:  Tres Preludios Mestizos  I.Con veemenza   II.Con moto   III.:Vitale     Descenclos:  Prélude   Cadence   Finale     Pascal:  Sonatine     Maurice:  Tableaux de Provence  I.Farandoulo di chatouno   II.Cansoun per ma mio   III.La boumiano   IV.Dis alyscamps l’amo souspire   V.Lou cabridan

 

CD784, DOLCE. Kenneth Tse, Saxophone; Casey Dierlam Tse, Piano.
Viet Cuong, Sanctuary; J.S. Bach, Italian Concerto BWV 971; Heitor Villa-Lobos, Fantasia in F, W490; Alexis Ciesla, Ocres rouges; David DeBoor Canfield, Ragtime Sonata after Joplin; Andy Scott, And Everythng is Still...; Astor Piazzolla, Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. 009414778420  BUY NOW

See information on Kenneth Tse in his other CDs, especially CD783 above. Also see www.kennethtse.com

The following are excerpts from a review by Jonathan Woolf that appears in Music Web. "Dolce, this disc’s title, provides only some indication of the variety and pleasure that is contained within. Kenneth Tse, the luminous soprano saxophonist, and pianist Casey Dierlam Tse perform a recital that ranges from Bach to contemporary pieces and do so with flair and perfect rapport...
            "Tse’s soprano tone is focused and crystalline but full of unexpected colour and his agility is splendid... Viet Cuong’s Sanctuary is a nourishing, circling tune for the saxophone.. Villa-Lobos' Fantasia in F is tart, warm and sometimes frothy, its liveliness is both distinctive and attractive... In Ocres rouges, Alexis Ciesla saturates the work in klezmer sonorities, in soaring melodies, melancholic and joyful, that smear and coil their way through seven exciting minutes... David DeBoor Canfield's a Ragtime Sonata after Joplin [is] music of sparkling communicativeness put across with the maximum of precision – listen to the precision of Tse’s articulation in the finale.. Andy Scott's And Everything is Still [with] languid, long-breathed lines, flecked with decorations and curlicues, rising above the piano’s regular repeated phrases, are truly evocative... In Piazzolla’s Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas, the duo is joined by alto saxophonist Jichen Zhang. It’s sonically interesting how the two saxes sometimes seem to mimic the sound of a bandoneon and Piazzolla’s heat-filled, fiery tango inspirations permeate all four ‘seasons’. The most evocative of the four is surely ‘Winter’ in which the two saxophones’ dovetailing and curling lines are truly moving.
         "Tse is a marvellously communicative player with perfect intonation and timbral variety. He leads the dance, the drama and the delights of a beautifully recorded disc."

The following is from an email from Jim Tevenan, Classical Host, Spokane Public Radio. "Congratulations all around on Dolce! It's one of the most consistently rewarding listens I've encountered for some time. Great program, very fine musicianship, and superb recorded sound. Thanks to you and Crystal!"

CC784 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the title shown. (to return to this page after listening to samples, please use your browser back button)
Cuong: Sanctuary     J.S. Bach  Italian Concerto BWV 971: Mvt.1 Allegro   Mvt. 2 Andante   Mvt. 3 Presto     Villa-Lobos  Fantasia in F, W490: Mvt. 1 Animé   Mvt. 2 Lent (beg. :20)  Mvt. 3 Tres Animé     Ciesla: Ocres rouges     Canfield  Ragtime Sonata after Joplin: Mvt. 1 Jaunty walking tempo   Mvt. 2 Easy does it!   Mvt. 3 Let’er rip!     Scott: And Everything is Still…     Piazzolla  Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (Four Seasons of Buenos Aires): Mvt. 1 Otoño Porteño (Autumn)   Mvt. 2 Invierno Porteño (Winter)   Mvt. 3 Primavera Porteño (Spring)   Mvt. 4 Verano Porteño (Summer)

 

Cassettes

C157:  HARVEY PITTEL TRIO.    The New Classics Suite, by Bach/Rodby;   Creston:  Sonata for Saxophone;   Villa-Lobos:  Bachianas Brasileiras;  Duke Ellington medley.    Harvey Pittel, saxophone;  Julian Fifer, cello;  Levering Rothfuss, piano.   Cassette only   009414715746  To order cassettes, call Crystal Records.

C353:  SEXTUOR A VENT.   Harvey Pittel, Saxophone, with Westwood Wind Quintet.   Darius Milhaud:  Scaramouche;  Bernhard Heiden:  Intrada;  Pierre Max Dubois:  Sinfonia da Camera. See also CD353   Cassette  009414735348   To order cassettes, call Crystal Records. 

C500:  MUSIC OF JOHN RODBY.   HARVEY PITTEL, Saxophone.  Saxophone Concerto,   Festivals,  & Variations for Orchestra.     Elgar Howarth conducting the London Sinfonietta.   Cassette only   009414750044   To order cassettes, call Crystal Records. 

 

COMPACT DISCS: $19.95, To order cassettes, call Crystal Records.

U.S. (CD) shipping is FREE. Canada (CD) shipping US$14 per order. Other countries US$20 per order, regardless of the size of the order.  For cassette shipping, call Crystal Records.
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Order by clicking Buy Now, or by email, phone, or mail.

Crystal Records, 28818 NE Hancock Rd, Camas, WA 98607
phone 360-834-7022
email:  order@crystalrecords.com

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