THEODOROS KERKEZOS & FRANCESCO NICOLOSI

Two virtuosos, Theodoros Kerkezos on saxophone and Francesco Nicolosi on piano, come together once again in a programme of high-aesthetic works of the 20th century. The concert opens with Debussy’s Rhapsody for saxophone and piano, whose pioneering orchestration influenced many Impressionists of the time — such as André Jolivet in the work Fantaisie-Impromptu, which is also enriched with elements of jazz. The well-known Asturias by Albéniz, in an impressive transcription for solo saxophone, presents a major technical challenge for the performer. The first part concludes with Tableaux de Provence by Paul Maurice, which vividly describes the nature of southern France.
The great Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis could not be absent from the programme, represented here by the transcription of Sonatina No. 1, with the saxophone taking on the role of the violin. This is followed by a solo piano work by Elgar, full of lyricism and written in the tradition of the great Italian pianistic school. Next comes the celebrated Scaramouche by Darius Milhaud, inspired by the comic character of the commedia dell’arte, leading to a brilliant finale with the virtuosic work of Spanish saxophonist and composer Pedro Iturralde, who lived in Greece for fifteen years and collaborated with Mimis Plessas. The work performed is dedicated to Kerkezos, who recorded it with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.