Mozartiana Festival, Gdansk, Poland; August 16-23rd, 2010

I love traveling, most especially to new places. Let me just state this fact as clearly as possible. I enjoy trains and airplanes, even in those trying times of attempting to deal with my contact lenses amidst turbulence. A small price to pay, truly, for the opportunity of new experiences. I also don’t tend to get jet-lag, at least not at my destination. After returning home is a different story, but I believe that the adrenalin from upcoming concerts and events somehow balances my equilibrium and internal chronometer so I tend to arrive feeling able and ready for anything…

So, again, I love to travel…

I HATE traveling with instruments. There is nothing more frustrating and stress-inducing as dealing with instruments on airplanes. Almost always I get some difficulty from the airline, either at check-in, the gate, or from stewardesses on the plane itself. Those of you who have read my blogs over the years have experienced first-hand my rants and frustrations on this topic; for that reason, I won’t bother you with past experiences.

I will say, however, that these issues have in fact tempered my performing career in an interesting way: I always now travel with the smallest, most versatile instrument(s), which if we’re talking saxophones is the alto. I enjoy the alto very much, and I’ve learned to express myself on it–found my ‘voice’, so to speak. The alto is versatile: it has a good range that dips half-way into bass clef; I can produce a full range of altissimo and extended techniques with no problem; the horn is easy to control and not fatiguing to play, especially in less-than-kind environments; and, the carrying case is actually the smallest and most compact of all of them. For traveling and for playing in multiple unknown situations, the alto is great. The soprano has numerous issues if it’s the only horn your traveling with, mainly versatility, and the tenor is for the most part too large to bring into the cabin; at least in recent years it has come to this. I won’t even get into traveling with the baritone, but there was a time when I could take even that horn into the cabin with no more than an occasional raised eyebrow…no more…

Now, I know better. I know how far I can push airlines as far as instruments go. Maybe it was the fact that I was in the process of moving back to NYC, maybe it was the impact and craziness of getting a new teaching gig outside the city, maybe it was the excitement of actually playing a Mozart festival in Europe as a saxophonist, or maybe it was the constantly shifting repertory for stated festival and the fact that I wanted to try something different. Anyways, something gave way (albeit slightly) in my common-sense filter and we (the festival and I) agreed on multiple instruments for my concert, which included both the soprano and tenor.

I thought that it would be OK. I could condense everything into two carry-on bags. I have super-protective cases for both the soprano and tenor, just in case they would have to be gate-checked for one of the smaller airplanes within Europe. I also decided to contact the airline to get special permission (which many will do, especially for overseas travel) to have these instruments in the cabin. Really, the tenor case was only slightly larger than the regulation size–like a couple of inches–it should be no problem…

Come to find out, the airline (Continental) would allow only ONE carry-on bag, and not even a ‘personal item’. The plane that the festival booked me on was actually quite small for an overseas flight (one isle), and there was very little room. It was a good thing that I checked ahead of time. The airline told me that I could either check the tenor at check-in (they said that they would not allow a gate-check or grant special handling at the gate, which is a courtesy that I have been given by other airlines) and pay a fee of $50/flight for the second ‘bag’, or buy a seat for it–no other options. They also stated that they were not liable for any damage to musical instruments and that I would be transporting it at my own risk.

(Come to find out, they did in fact give special consideration to some rock musicians traveling on similar flights. Their equipment was taken from them at the gate and gently returned, by hand, when they arrived. I guess guitars have much more impact on the airline brass than saxophones do…).

So…I contact the festival and said that I can’t bring the tenor. I told them not to worry and that the projected pieces for tenor (the program was still in-flux at this point, a day or so before I was to leave) would sound just fine on soprano, which they would.

Well…as it turned out, the festival ‘found’ me a tenor to use. One of the local musicians, a gentleman named Maciej Sikala, was kind enough to lend me his horn for the week–a 1939 Selmer Balanced Action. The horn had a lovely sound, although it seemed like it hadn’t been played in quite sometime; the action and the pads had some issues. Maybe it’s more of a collector’s item for him than a practical performing instrument, I don’t know; regardless, I‘m eternally grateful to him. It was a beautiful horn to play, even though I had to get to know it rather quickly–although they are both Selmer horns, a vintage Balanced Action is a VERY different beast from a Super Action 80 (II) built over 45 years later–I can safely say now that after an initial difficulty in communication, by the end of the festival the horn and I became quite good friends…:)

On to the festival!

My initial invitation came from Polish pianist Stanislaw Dejas, a wonderful musician and Mozart specialist whom I met in Baku earlier this summer. The idea of our collaboration was to take a modern, jazzy spin on standard Mozart music. There have been jazz groups at the festival in the past, but they have just used Mozart’s melodies as a basis for improvisation. Our plan was to take the actual music in it’s standard classical configuration, add jazz/rock phrasing and interpretation, and improvise the cadenzas.

Cool, huh?

After my (thankfully) uneventful overnight flight, I ended up in Gdansk (after a change in Copenhagen) on the morning of Monday the 16th. I was picked-up at the airport, checked into the hotel, and then whisked off to an eight-hour rehearsal with Stan. Actually, the first two days of rehearsal were among the most intense I have ever experienced. The issue was that we had to really learn each other’s playing and concepts of interpretation, decide on HOW we were going to approach this program, and then create a full-evening’s concert, all in three days. Of course, add the odd variable of me playing a tenor sax that I didn’t know (and trying quickly to learn how to control it), and one can see the potential for disaster…

…which, by the way, did not happen, thankfully.

After some initial artistic disagreements (which, as you know, is standard; I’m more concerned when artistic disagreements DON‘T happen…), I have to say that Stan and I locked-in beautifully. By the day before the concert, we had streamlined the concert, decided how the interpretation was going to work, and were having great fun playing the repertory.

The festival, which is in its fifth year, began on Wednesday the 18th–ours, which was one of the featured concerts, was on Friday evening. The setting for the festival was a gorgeous park that was transformed to an Enlightenment-era playground. Hundreds of volunteers in period dress strolled along the festival audience, presenting skits and posing for pictures, among transformed and decorated settings. The main stage was outdoors, although there was a beautiful Nordic Baroque cathedral that was also used for some performances, mainly an organ concert and the final performance of the festival, which was the Great Mass in C Minor.

The day of the festival brought an interesting experience. Stan and the some of the festival organizers in the education department asked me if I would like to play a little that afternoon for a special children’s presentation. I not only did it, but I even dressed-up in period garb. It was fun, Stan and I basically improvised in the style of Mozart to skits happening in front of us (I was playing flute, Stan a synthesized harpsichord). The artistic directors of the festival were in shock that I actually did this. As far as I’m concerned, no one is too important for education, and I told them this. An artist, I believe, has a responsibility to educate. And hey, if putting on a wig and 18th century threads helps me to create a new generation of audience members, so be it.!

Our program, entitled “Saxy Mozart Hear and Now” was now ready to be launched. The evening was cold…real cold…the other evenings had some rain, but the temperature stayed up. Friday night was probably 50 degrees Fahrenheit, maybe…the audience was waiting, not knowing what to expect…we didn’t know what to expect, either…this was an ‘out on a limb’ concept for the festival, so everyone was curious to see what would happen….

We start with the first movement of the Bassoon Concerto, in which Stan plays the opening like a honkey-tonk bar-room piano player…my entrance on soprano ala Sindey Bechet…we swung the eighth-notes, but kept the sixteenth-notes straight. Cadenza: I go a little more ‘out’ in my improvisation, more Coltranesque, a flurry of notes and sound, ending with a slow, growly slur upwards ala “Rhapsodie in Blue”…final chord, and…

…I have to admit here that I expected the classic audience reaction from the “Blues Brothers” movie…which was that after the final chord, the audience just sits and stares, en masse…

…which also, thankfully, didn’t happen.

The applause was thunderous! We moved on to the second movement, which I played as a jazz ballad on tenor, mixing Mozart and Gershwin’s “Someone To Watch Over Me” for the cadenza…they loved it, we had them hooked.

Our concert lasted much longer than planed–the audience kept wanting more, even though they were sitting outside in the damp cold. We played ncores, including me doing an extended solo improvisation on soprano, and only stopped because they were closing the park. It was really amazing.

We were told that ours was the most entertaining and successful concert of the festival.

The next two days, I got to really enjoy the Gdansk area. The people there are amongst the kindest and friendliest people I have met anywhere. A modern society with Old-World charm. Gdansk is really lovely–it’s amazing to think that the city, which at one point was one of the centers of culture and commerce in Europe, was completely destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt from scratch. The Poles are some amazing people; considering that they are wedged between two traditionally very aggressive powers, they have kept their traditions and autonomy and have retained their elegance as a people.

All in all, this was an amazing experience. I got to work and become friends with an amazing pianist, and I got to experience a beautiful culture and people. And…I ate really well! You can’t ask for more than that.

Stan and I will be continuing and expanding our “Saxy Mozart” concept. We have had interest to perform again both in Poland and at other international festivals. Who knows, next time, I may even wear the wig…

…although I think that next time, I’ll just bring the alto…

Thanks for reading,
Demetrius

1 comment

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to announce that I will be the featured soloist at the 5th Annual Mozartiana Festival in Gdansk, Poland. The Festival, although focusing on the music of Mozart, takes a very ‘liberal’ approach to its programming. I will be performing both standard and jazz versions of major works, such as the flute and harp concerto, the clarinet and bassoon concertos (on tenor sax, not bassoon, mind you…), and other chamber works and arias.
I will be performing with Polish pianist Stanislaw Dejas. Our program, billed as SAXY MOZART HEAR @ NOW, will be presented on August 20th.

Thank you all again for your continued support!

Demetrius

1 comment

Dear All,
I just received notification from The International Association of Independent Recording Artists (IAIRA) that Elemental Fire from my 2010 release Sfumato has been ranked 29th on at least one international chart. Steps in the Mist has been ranked at 42.

Below are the letters received. Thank you all again for your continued support!

Best!

Demetrius

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Dear Demetrius Spaneas and Galina Parfenova,

The International Association of Independent Recording Artists, IAIRA, recognizes and honors artistic achievement, technical proficiency, and overall excellence in sound recording by monitoring chart activity as published in various reporting charts from around the world. According to our research, on 07/28/0010 the above referenced release; Elemental Fire, by Demetrius Spaneas and Galina Parfenova, had attained The Number 29 Position on at least one of the charts monitored and verified by IAIRA. On the basis of that research, IAIRA has qualified the aforementioned release as eligible for Certification as an International ‘Top 40′.

On behalf of the entire IAIRA staff and the Recording Arts Community at large, please accept our most sincere Congratulations and Best Wishes for your continued success!

Sincerely,

IAIRA Research Team

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Dear Demetrius Spaneas and Galina Parfenova,

The International Association of Independent Recording Artists, IAIRA, recognizes and honors artistic achievement, technical proficiency, and overall excellence in sound recording by monitoring chart activity as published in various reporting charts from around the world. According to our research, on 07/28/0010 the above referenced release; Steps In The Mist, by Demetrius Spaneas and Galina Parfenova, had attained The Number 42 Position on at least one of the charts monitored and verified by IAIRA. On the basis of that research, IAIRA has qualified the aforementioned release as eligible for Certification as an International ‘Top 50′.

On behalf of the entire IAIRA staff and the Recording Arts Community at large, please accept our most sincere Congratulations and Best Wishes for your continued success!

Sincerely,

IAIRA Research Team

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1 comment