Raschèr Saxophone Quartet
Encyclopedia
The Raschèr Saxophone Quartet is a professional ensemble of four saxophonists which performs classical and modern
music
.
Like most saxophone quartets, the RSQ features one player on each of the four most common sizes of saxophone
: soprano
, alto
, tenor
, and baritone
.
The quartet was founded in the United States
in 1969 by prominent classical saxophonist Sigurd Raschèr
and his daughter, Carina (Karin). Some years later the quartet relocated to Germany
and has been based there ever since.
The Quartet has appeared at major concert halls in Europe
and the United States
, including
Carnegie Hall
and Lincoln Center in New York City
, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
, Opera Bastille Paris, Royal Festival Hall
in London
, Philharmonie Cologne, Concertgebouw
, Schauspielhaus Berlin, Musikverein Vienna
, Tonhalle Zürich
The quartet has received strong reviews and was acclaimed as the "Uncrowned Kings of the Saxophone" by the Wiener Zeitung
.
's tireless pursuit of classical composers led many of them to compose works dedicated to the quartet. The continued efforts by the group after Sigurd Raschèr's departure, combined with the impressive technical and musical abilities of the quartet, have led over 250 composers to dedicate works to the group.
Composers who have written for the group include:
Concerti written for the Raschèr Quartet with Orchestra:
Works with unusual combinations:
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
.
Like most saxophone quartets, the RSQ features one player on each of the four most common sizes of saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
: soprano
Soprano saxophone
The soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
, alto
Alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
, tenor
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
, and baritone
Baritone saxophone
The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
.
The quartet was founded in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1969 by prominent classical saxophonist Sigurd Raschèr
Sigurd Raschèr
Sigurd Manfred Raschèr was an American saxophonist of German birth. He became one of the most important figures in the development of the 20th century repertoire for the classical saxophone.-Career in Europe:...
and his daughter, Carina (Karin). Some years later the quartet relocated to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and has been based there ever since.
The Quartet has appeared at major concert halls in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
and Lincoln Center in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Opera Bastille Paris, Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Philharmonie Cologne, Concertgebouw
Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" literally translates into English as "concert building"...
, Schauspielhaus Berlin, Musikverein Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Tonhalle Zürich
The quartet has received strong reviews and was acclaimed as the "Uncrowned Kings of the Saxophone" by the Wiener Zeitung
Wiener Zeitung
Wiener Zeitung is an Austrian newspaper. It is one of the most famous newspapers in Europe and one of the oldest, still published newspapers in the world. It is the official publication used by the Government of the Republic of Austria for its formal announcements. It was founded in 1703 under the...
.
Personnel
- Linda Bangs-UrbanLinda Bangs-UrbanLinda Bangs is a professional baritone saxophonist and was born in Waverly, New York. She was a founding member of the Raschèr Saxophone Quartet and studied under Sigurd Raschèr as well as Laurence Wyman....
, baritone saxophone, 1969–1992 - Kenneth Coon, baritone saxophone, 1992–present
- John-Edward KellyJohn-Edward KellyJohn-Edward Kelly is an American conductor of classical music and classical saxophonist.He has performed at major concert halls in most European countries, as well as many other parts of the world, and for many years was the only classical saxophone soloist to support himself entirely by performing...
, alto saxophone, 1981–1991 - Christine Rall, soprano
- Carina Raschèr, soprano saxophone, 1969 until 2002
- Sigurd RaschèrSigurd RaschèrSigurd Manfred Raschèr was an American saxophonist of German birth. He became one of the most important figures in the development of the 20th century repertoire for the classical saxophone.-Career in Europe:...
, alto saxophone, 1969 until 1980 - Elliot Riley, alto saxophone, 2001–present
- Bruce Weinberger, tenor saxophone, 1969–present
- Harry Kinross WhiteHarry White (saxophonist)Harry Kinross White is an American-born classical saxophonist living in Switzerland.White grew up in Mississippi and received his first music instruction there from Warren and Marti Lutz. He studied with saxophone professor Lawrence Gwozdz at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg,...
, alto saxophone, 1990–2001 - (Need information on other personnel)
Original works written for the quartet
Sigurd RaschèrSigurd Raschèr
Sigurd Manfred Raschèr was an American saxophonist of German birth. He became one of the most important figures in the development of the 20th century repertoire for the classical saxophone.-Career in Europe:...
's tireless pursuit of classical composers led many of them to compose works dedicated to the quartet. The continued efforts by the group after Sigurd Raschèr's departure, combined with the impressive technical and musical abilities of the quartet, have led over 250 composers to dedicate works to the group.
Composers who have written for the group include:
- Kalevi AhoKalevi AhoKalevi Aho is a Finnish composer.- Career :Born in Forssa, he studied composition at the Sibelius Academy under Einojuhani Rautavaara, receiving a diploma in 1971. He continued his studies for a year in Berlin with Boris Blacher...
- Erik BergmanErik BergmanErik Valdemar Bergman was an influential composer of classical music from Finland.Bergman's style ranged widely, from Romanticism in his early works to modernism and primitivism, among other genres...
- Luciano BerioLuciano BerioLuciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian composer. He is noted for his experimental work and also for his pioneering work in electronic music.-Biography:Berio was born at Oneglia Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (October 24, 1925 – May 27, 2003) was an Italian...
- Günter BialasGünter Bialas-Life:Bialas was born in Bielschowitz in Prussian Silesia. The adolescent Bialas received lessons in piano and music theory from Fritz Lubrich, a former student of Max Reger, in Kattowitz between 1922 and 1925...
- Michael DenhoffMichael DenhoffMichael Denhoff is a German composer and cellist.-Life:Denhoff has lived and worked in Bonn since 1982. He studied at the Musikhochschule in Cologne, where his teachers included Günter Bialas and Hans Werner Henze , Siegfried Palm and Erling Blöndal Bengtsson and the Amadeus Quartet...
- Franco DonatoniFranco DonatoniFranco Donatoni was an Italian composer.Born in Verona, he started studying violin at the age of seven, and frequented the local Music Academy...
- Elena FirsovaElena FirsovaElena Olegovna Firsova is a Russian composer.-Life:She was born in Leningrad into the family of physicists Oleg Firsov and Viktoria Lichko. She studied music in Moscow with Alexander Pirumov, Yuri Kholopov, Edison Denisov and Philip Herschkowitz...
- Philip GlassPhilip GlassPhilip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
- Sofia GubaidulinaSofia GubaidulinaSofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina, is a Russian composer of half Russian, half Tatar ethnicity.Gubaidulina's music is marked by the use of unusual instrumental combinations...
- Halffter
- Walter S. HartleyWalter HartleyWalter Sinclair Hartley is an American composer of contemporary music.-Biography and education:He was born in Washington, D.C., began composing at age five and became seriously dedicated to it at sixteen. All his college degrees are from the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester....
- Haubenstock-Ramati
- Jouni KaipainenJouni KaipainenJouni Kaipainen is a Finnish composer.Kaipainen was born in Helsinki. He studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki under Aulis Sallinen and Paavo Heininen.- Works for the Stage :...
- Keuris
- Ton de LeeuwTon De LeeuwAntonius Wilhelmus Adrianus de Leeuw was a Dutch composer. He was known for his experiments with microtonality....
- Anders NilssonAnders Nilsson (composer)Anders Nilsson, born July 6, 1954, in Stockholm, Sweden, is a Swedish composer. He made his début as composer with the first part of the trilogy Trois Pièces pour grand orchestre in Copenhagen...
http://www.andersnilssoncomposer.com - Pehr Henrik NordgrenPehr Henrik NordgrenPehr Henrik Nordgren was a Finnish composer.-Life:Pehr Henrik Nordgren received composition lessons starting from 1958 in Helsinki and studied musicology at the university from 1962 to 1967, as well as receiving private tuition from Joonas Kokkonen from 1965 to 1969...
- Per NørgårdPer NørgårdPer Nørgård is a Danish composer.-Biography:Nørgård studied with Vagn Holmboe at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, and subsequently with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. To begin with, he was strongly influenced by the Nordic styles of Jean Sibelius, Carl Nielsen and Vagn Holmboe...
- Miklós MarosMiklós MarosMiklós Maros is a Hungarian composer. He was born in Pécs, the son of composer Rudolf Maros and violinist Klára Molnár. He studied at the Béla Bartók Conservatory of Budapest with Rezsö Sugár and at the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy with Ferenc Szabó, and continued his studies in Stockholm with...
- Raxach
- Raskatov
- Jan SandströmJan Sandström (composer)Jan Sandström is a Swedish classical music composer, known for the so-called Motorbike Concerto for trombone and orchestra and his choral setting of Es ist ein Ros entsprungen.-Career:...
- von Schweinitz
- Steven StuckySteven StuckySteven Stucky is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer.Stucky was born in Hutchinson, Kansas. At age 9, he moved with his family to Abilene, Texas, where, as a teenager, he studied music in the public schools and, privately, viola with Herbert Preston, conducting with Leo Scheer, and...
http://www.stevenstucky.com - Dimitri TerzakisDimitri TerzakisDimitri Terzakis is a Greek composer. His father was the author Angelos Terzakis.From 1959–1964 Terzakis studied composition with Yannis Papaioannou at the Athens Hellenic Conservatory, followed by five years spent at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne, Germany where he studied composition with...
- Urbanner
- John WorleyJohn WorleyJohn C. Worley was a college professor, saxophonist, and a composer of classical, as well as more contemporary music for saxophone. He was born in Waltham, Massachusetts in 1919 and died on February 16, 1999.-Education:...
- Charles WuorinenCharles WuorinenCharles Peter Wuorinen is a prolific Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer born and living in New York City. His catalog of more than 250 compositions includes works for orchestra, opera, chamber music, as well as solo instrumental and vocal works...
- Iannis XenakisIannis XenakisIannis Xenakis was a Romanian-born Greek ethnic, naturalized French composer, music theorist, and architect-engineer. He is commonly recognized as one of the most important post-war avant-garde composers...
- Zechlin
-
- Numerous composers have been fascinated with the combination of the Raschèr {quartet} and orchestra, which has resulted in more than 20 new works for that combination, as well as invitations from many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Gewandhaus (Leipzig), the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, American Composer's Orchestra, Orchestre de ParisOrchestre de ParisThe Orchestre de Paris is a French orchestra based in Paris. The orchestra performs most of its concerts at the Salle Pleyel.-History:In 1967, following the dissolution of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, conductor Charles Munch was called on by the Minister of Culture,...
, Philharmonique Strasbourg, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Residentie OrchestraResidentie OrchestraHet Residentie Orkest is a Dutch orchestra based in The Hague. Its primary venue is the Dr. Anton Philipszaal....
of the HagueThe HagueThe Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Berlin Sinfonie Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, SWR Baden-Baden, MDR Orchestra Leipzig, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Stuttgart, Radio-Sinfonie Orchestra Cologne, I Fiamminghi and Simon RattleSimon RattleSir Simon Denis Rattle, CBE is an English conductor. He rose to international prominence as conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and since 2002 has been principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic ....
and the Berlin Philharmonic OrchestraBerlin Philharmonic OrchestraThe Berlin Philharmonic, German: , formerly Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester , is an orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. In 2006, a group of ten European media outlets voted the Berlin Philharmonic number three on a list of "top ten European Orchestras", after the Vienna Philharmonic and the...
. -- Raschèr Quartet's web site http://www.rsq-sax.com/
- Numerous composers have been fascinated with the combination of the Raschèr {quartet} and orchestra, which has resulted in more than 20 new works for that combination, as well as invitations from many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Gewandhaus (Leipzig), the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, American Composer's Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris
Recordings
Recitals:- Cala CD 77003 "Music for Saxophones" (1999) - Bach, Glazounov, Reich, STARER, GlazunovAlexander GlazunovAlexander Konstantinovich Glazunov was a Russian composer of the late Russian Romantic period, music teacher and conductor...
; KEURIS; KOCHKochKoch may refer to:* Koch , a type of Arctic boat* Koch people , an ethnic group originally from the ancient Koch kingdom in north east India* Koch , people with this surname* Koch, Łódź Voivodeship, a village in central Poland... - Caprice 21435 "The Raschèr Saxophone Quartet" (1995) - Xenakis, Bergman, et al.
- BIS-CD 953 "America" - Wuorinen, Corbett, Starer, Adler, Florio, Peterson
- BIS-CD 1153 - HindemithPaul HindemithPaul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
, Penderecki, Halffter, Nørgard, Xenakis - BIS-NL-CD 5023 The Raschèr Saxophone Orchestra
Concerti written for the Raschèr Quartet with Orchestra:
- Nonesuch 79496-2 - Philip GlassPhilip GlassPhilip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
Concerto, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Dennis Russell DaviesDennis Russell DaviesDennis Russell Davies is an American conductor and pianist. He studied piano and conducting at the Juilliard School where he received his doctorate...
, Cond.; - BIS-CD 1203 - Scandinavian Concertos, Kaipainen, Nilsson, and Hvoslef, Swedish Chamber OrchestraSwedish Chamber OrchestraThe Swedish Chamber Orchestra is Scandinavia's only full-time professional chamber orchestra. It was established in May 1995 by merging a string orchestra, the Örebro Kammarorkester with a wind ensemble, the Örebro Kammarblåsare...
Works with unusual combinations:
- Philips 446 094-2 "Canticum Novissimi Testamenti II" (1996) - Luciano BerioLuciano BerioLuciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian composer. He is noted for his experimental work and also for his pioneering work in electronic music.-Biography:Berio was born at Oneglia Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (October 24, 1925 – May 27, 2003) was an Italian...
, London SinfoniettaLondon SinfoniettaThe London Sinfonietta is an English chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble specialises in contemporary music and works across a wide range of genres, performing modern classics alongside world premieres, and includes music by electronica artists as well as folk and...
Voices, Seymon Bychkov, Cond. - BIS-CD 710 - Gubaidulina, Kroumata Percussion Ensemble
- Caprice 21441 "Anders Nilsson: KRASCH!" (1995) - Gubaidulina, Nilsson, Kox, Kroumata Percussion Ensemble