(Ashu)American saxophonist beguiles a large audience with virtuosity and versatility. (Review by Michael Green)
The American saxophonist Ashu beguiled a large audience at the Durban Jewish Centre with a remarkable display of virtuosity and versatility. A few days earlier, he had aroused much enthusiasm at the City Hall when he appeared with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra. The rapturous reception was repeated when, with Andrew Warburton at the piano, he gave a Friends of Music recital that included both the items that he had played with the orchestra.
Ashu is a showman, but he is also an unusually gifted musician. On this occasion he performed on two saxophones, an alto and a soprano, the first much bigger and deeper-toned than the other. And he was fortunate in having Andrew Warburton, an experienced and accomplished concert pianist, as an accompanist.
He opened with one of the best works on his programme, the two-movement Concertino da Camera (chamber concerto) by the 20th century French composer Jacques Ibert. Ibert, who died in 1962, is known to many young pianists as the composer of a piece called The Little White Donkey. He has been described as a dapper Parisian who wrote dapper music, and this concertino, written originally for saxophone and 11 string and wind instruments, is a typically sophisticated work.
Brilliant, lyrical, expressive, romantic, it explores to the full the capabilities of the saxophone. Ashu gave a totally compelling performance, with Andrew Warburton excellent in the busy, dissonant, difficult piano part.
The programme included two other works written originally for the saxophone and several arrangements made by Ashu himself. The Fantasia for soprano saxophone and piano by the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos was consistently interesting and, as Ashu pointed out in his comments from the stage, it conveyed vividly the atmosphere and folk music of the Brazilian scene. Andrew Warburton at the piano made a significant contribution, as he did throughout the evening.
The Fantasy on an original theme for alto saxophone and piano by Jules Demersseman turned out to be an attractive work, tuneful, easy on the ear. Demersseman, who died in 1866 at the age of 33, must have been one the first people to write for the saxophone, which was invented in the 1840’s. This pleasing work is a good memorial to an almost unknown composer.
An arrangement of the Andante from Rachmaninov’s cello sonata, Op. 19, was less convincing, I thought. This is a beautiful piece, but the saxophone is more loud and assertive and less introspective than the cello. I prefer the original version, played not long ago at a Friends of Music concert, and some others in the audience thought likewise.
In lighter vein, three pieces by the Argentine king of the tango Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) were irresistible, Ashu playing with great verve and physical energy. And film music was represented by Ashu’s arrangement of music written by the Italian Ennio Morricone for three celebrated films: The Mission, The Untouchables and Cinema Paradiso.
In response to a standing ovation the saxophonist gave an encore, Piazzolla’s well-known Libertango.
The Prelude Performer of the evening was Sibonelo Mbanjwa, a first-rate tenor who holds a BA in philosophy and is now training for the Roman Catholic priesthood. In songs by Handel (from Messiah), Gluck and Faure he displayed true intonation, clear diction, well-judged phrasing and good deportment on the stage. He was accompanied at the piano by Rosalie Conrad. - Michael Green
Friends of Music is funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund
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