John Cage

Ulrich Krieger follows up his successful A Cage of Saxophones 1 volume with the second installment of Cage works for saxophone(s), spanning a period of over 50 years.

For this volume, Krieger combines works specifically composed for saxophone with works of no specified instrumentation that are suited for saxophones and winds.

This CD collects three rarely heard early works, all written without indications for specific instruments. Krieger has arranged them here for his ensemble of saxophones and other instruments.

For the middle period works, Krieger has excerpted the solo instrumental parts related to saxophones from the scores to Concert for Piano and Orchestra and Atlas Eclipticalis, Cage permitted the option for the various instrumental parts to be performed as solos.

The late works are covered by Two, originally composed for flute and piano, here premiered in the Cage sanctioned version for saxophone.

Acclaimed German saxophonist Ulrich Krieger studied classical/contemporary saxophone, composition, and electronic music at the Hochschule der Künste (Berlin) and the Manhattan School of Music (New York). Since 1990 he works freelance as interpreter, improviser, composer, and rock musician. He worked with leading artists such as LaMonte Young, Phill Niblock, David First, Lee Ranaldo, Elliott Sharp, Mario Bertoncini, Merzbow, and many others.

Sonata for Two Voices (1933), for soprano and tenor saxophones
Atlas Eclipticalis (1961), for 3 soprano saxophones and electronics
Composition for Three Voices (1934), for soprano saxophone, accordion and cello
Solo for Baritone Saxophone (1957-58)
Solo with obbligato accompaniment of two voices in canon, and six short inventions on the subjects of the solo (1933), for alto saxophone, Bb clarinet and english horn
Two (1987), for soprano saxophone and piano

Ulrich Krieger, saxophones, concept and direction