Carl-Emmanuel Fisbach, saxophones
Wenjiao Wang, piano
Pierre Lenert, viola
The compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach and those of Paul Hindemith are highly complementary and make natural bedfellows on a recording. Simply and sincerely yet boldly and freely, the Duo Azar has juxtaposed transcriptions of two sonatas for flute and harpsichord by Bach with sonatas for oboe and piano and for horn (or saxophone) and piano and the rare Trio by Hindemith – for whom Bach was a source of inspiration. Without for a moment rejecting the original instrumentation, Wenjiao Wang and Carl-Emmanuel Fisbach are convinced that their modern instruments can often work marvellously well in Bach’s music.
In the present recording, Wenjiao Wang does not hesitate to play with a full and generous sound, while Carl-Emmanuel Fisbach surprises us with his soprano saxophone, producing timbres resembling those of an oboe or a flute. Between them, they aim for a style that is cohesive, expressive, fluid and precise. As a prestigious guest, Pierre Lenert, Viola Soloist of the Paris National Opera Orchestra, joins the Duo in Hindemith’s monumental Trio, pushing the expressive limits of his instrument to remarkable extremes.
Duo Azar