Description
Dolf de Kinkelder: 'David and Marijke have a small problem: they can never decide which saxophone to bring to a concert. So they simply bring all of them.
The big bass sax. The regular saxophones. And that tiny sopranino, which sounds roughly as though a saxophone has had an espresso. At their concerts, they play all of these instruments. But there was one problem: no piece existed that genuinely required every single one of them. So I thought: someone had better write one. And that is how Nota Benecame about.
It is a small suite of six duets. Each duet has its own character, and each time, David and Marijke perform on a different combination of saxophones.'
The first duet is Quarrel. David and Marijke play a little motif. And suddenly they both think: Hang on… is the other one playing a wrong note? First they look at each other in surprise. Then with a touch of irritation. And then… it becomes a full-blown musical argument. David tries to make amends later on… but Marijke is not immediately convinced. Fortunately, things work out in the end. As they do with most quarrels. Except perhaps at rehearsals.
Then comes Blues. If you have ever listened to the blues, you may recognise that characteristic way a blues phrase comes to a close, that moment when the music seems to say: Yes indeed… this is the real thing.
The duet Gypsy is inspired by Romanian Romani music. The melody itself is original. But how to describe it? Dramatic… wistful… passionate… Perhaps a little as though someone is simultaneously falling in love, feeling homesick, and having an argument with their in-laws.
In Bagpipe, the saxophones do their best to impersonate a set of bagpipes. A bagpipe always has a long, sustained tone humming in the background. The player blows air into a bag and then squeezes it back out with their elbow. David and Marijke attempt to recreate this on their saxophones: with a sharp, vibrato-free tone that seems to go on indefinitely. To achieve this, they use a technique called circular breathing, inhaling while continuing to play. When it goes well, you will not notice a thing. When it goes wrong… you will notice immediately.
Then there is Waltz. Something rather remarkable happens here: Marijke plays the melody… while David simultaneously covers the rest of the orchestra. The bass line. The waltz rhythm. And the chords as well. All at once. On a single saxophone. Which is, in effect, multitasking at Olympic level.
The final duet is Circus. Picture David and Marijke as circus performers. Hanging from a trapeze… swinging through the air… pulling off acrobatic feats… And, if all goes to plan, landing back together at exactly the same moment.
