Complex polyphonic writing and hyperdetailed in dynamics, rhythms and articulations, the work is based on rapid simultaneous designs of the quartet in the form of waves of sound. Very often, the voices are grouped in two pairs: one high and one low. The two groups move through slightly different rhythms until they meet in strict homophony at key moments to emphasize the character of certain passages.

The lively “tempo” is interrupted by caesuras, often concluded with expressive trills. The section “calme, doux, chanté” surprises us with prolonged figurations that suspend time. From then on, both types of material are combined until the slow and sustained dissolution of the music merges into silence.

From these five scores, the versatile and rigorous Gaman Ensemble aims to illustrate the fruitful and long-lived sound encounter between Spain and France without losing sight of the musical regionalisms that were forged in the final stages of Romanticism. Basque, Andalusian and Catalan popular references emerge more or less explicitly in the languages of the five composers.

On the other hand, as well as showing its commitment to contemporary creation through Ibarrondo’s work, Gaman Ensemble wants to contribute to the revaluation of the production and legacy of composers not yet sufficiently recognised, such as Nin or Guridi.

And all this, through the original and suggestive formation of the saxophone quartet, a mirror of contemporaneity.

Gaman Ensemble
Jesús Reneses, Soprano Saxophone
Carlos Zaragoza, Alto Saxophone
Daniel Sánchez, Tenor Saxophone
Luisma González, Baritone Saxophone