This is a chronological collection of most of the CD productions in which Marcus Weiss appears as the main artist or as a guest musician. As such it reflects his wide range of interest, as well as the development of new repertoire for the saxophone. It all started in 1991 with his first self-produced solo CD „Neue Musik für Saxophon“. Allthough the list contains many projects in which he appears as a soloist with and without orchestra, he appears most often as a chamber musician with his ensembles Trio Accanto and XASAX, as well as other formations.
SAX – CONTEMPORARY SAXOPHONE CONCERTOS
This production contains four saxophone concertos, that were written for Marcus Weiss in the last 17 years. In very different ways the instrument finds its own soloistic voice. Georg Friedrich Haas wrote one of the first baritone saxophone concertos (2008), gives the solo part to the instrument that Adolphe Sax used to claim his patent on the instrument in 1840! Vykyntas Baltakas (2013) uses the soprano saxophone in a double concerto with accordion, played by maestro Teodoro Anzellotti in his concerto Saxordionphonics. The concerto Violent Incidents is a homage to the artist Bruce Nauman (2005/6), written for soprano and tenor saxophone, accompanied by a wind ensemble and percussion. The latest production is “Focus” (2021) by hungarian grand master Peter Eötvös. It uses as well soprano and tenor saxophone as solo instruments, but the partner here is a full symphony orchestra.
The CD is released by WERGO (Mainz) in January 2023.
EVAN JOHNSON – L’ART DE TOUCHER
Trio Accanto recorded “Plan and section of the same reservoir” from 2018. A wonderfully dense and delicate music, often at the edge of perception.
Text on: http://www.anothertimbre.com/evanjohnson.html
The CD is released in 2022 on the American label “anothertimbre”.
BERND ALOIS ZIMMERMANN – RECOMPOSED
This collection of 3 CDs shows the incredible “metier” of german composer Bernd Alois Zimmermann (1918-70). Apart of different original compositions, the edition contains many arrangements of pieces made for the “WDR Unterhaltungsorchester” in the 1950ties. Besides short pieces by Haletzky, Kodaly, Smetana, Busoni, Mussorgsky, Liszt, Villa-Lobos, Milhaud and many others, he also arranged a “Romance” for piano by Rachmaninov. He choose to set it for alto saxophone solo and orchestra. Heinz Holliger is conducting the “WDR Sinfonieorchester”.
Rachmaninov/Zimmermann recorded in March 2012 at Philharmonie Cologne. The CD has been released by WERGO in 2022.
christian wolff trio IX and exercices
Besides six exercises, “for open instrumentation” or with the indication “any instruments”, Trio Accanto recorded a thirty minute chamber music, that the composer dedicated to them.
Recorded in February 2020 by Deutschlandfunk in Cologne and published by WERGO in 2021
MUTATIONS
Mutations is a very densely designed concept CD with a focus on the music of Clément Janequin. XASAX and Thélème, a vocal ensemble specialized in early music, meet musically in different ways: from a “remix” of Janequin’s famous “Les Cris de Paris,” composed by Mike Svoboda, to the Lassus-Fantasie, written by French composer Betsy Jolas especially for the two groups.
Mutations was published in 2020 by the German label Coviello.
OTHER STORIES – TRIO ACCANTO
Various works of Helmut Lachenmann build the framework of this CD. Central are Sakura-Variationen (2001) and Sakura mit Berliner Luft (2008), an extended version of the first piece, which Lachenmann wrote for the trio as part of a children’s project. Also in the program is the late piano solo piece Marche Fatale. The other works on this CD are xerox by Martin Schüttler, In between by Japanese composer Yu Kuwabara, fff (Fortissimo, feroce Fittipaldi) by Czech composer Martin Smolka, as well as Opera of the nobility by English composer Michael Finnissy.
The recordings were made in the Hans-Rosbaud-Studio of the SWR radio in Baden-Baden. Other Stories was published in 2020 by WERGO.
VERKÜNDIGUNG – PETER ABLINGER
“Verkündigung” (“Annunciation”), one of the earliest pieces in Peter Ablinger’s catalogue, is a cornerstone for connoisseurs of his work. Live-recordings from the St. Lambrecht monastery in Austria from 1998, as well as studio recordings made at SFB in Berlin in 2001, comprise the basic material of this CD. In addition to these two trio versions, Ablinger presents a studio-mixed version with seven flutes, seven saxophones and seven pianos. The performers are: Gisela Mashayekhi-Beer, flute; Marcus Weiss, tenor saxophone; and Hildegard Kleeb, piano.
The CD was published in 2017 by HCR (Huddersfield Contemporary Records).
SONGS AND POEMS
This Trio Accanto portrait CD collects some of the most important works of the saxophone, piano and percussion repertoire. All the pieces were written for the trio. Five authentic compositional voices are represented, putting the trio’s “body of sound” in very different contexts. The CD contains works by Andreas Dohmen (*1962), Hans Thomalla (*1975), Walter Zimmermann (*1949), Wolfgang Rihm (*1952) and Aldo Clementi (1925-2011).
Songs and poems was published in 2017 by the German label WERGO.
BERNHARD LANG – DW16, SONGBOOK
Singer Jenny Renate Wicke and Trio Accanto perform the wonderful Songbook, composed for them by Bernhard Lang. It is an hommage to several pop and rock influences of the composer. “DW” stands for “Differenz und Wiederholung” (difference and repetition), referring to the writings of Deleuze/Guattari. This pair of concepts finds its musical expression in the usage of clichés from rock music, above all in the use of loops.
This production was published on both vinyl and CD by GOD records in 2017.
TRIO ACCANTO – FUNAMBULES
This is the first recording with pianist Nicolas Hodges, who in 2013 replaced the former pianist Yukiko Sugawara. The program consists of new works commissioned with the support of the Siemens Musikstiftung. It comprises works by: Georges Aperghis, Rolf Riehm, Johannes Schöllhorn und Stefan Prins.
The recordings were made in January 2016 in the studios of the SWR in Stuttgart.The CD was published in 2016 with WERGO (Mainz, Germany).
VYKYNTAS BALTAKAS b(ell tree)
This portrait CD of Lithuanian composer Vykyntas Baltakas contains, among other formations, two works featuring solo saxophone. Poussla (2002/2006) for soloist, ensemble and orchestra, with the SWR Symphony Orchestra Freiburg/Baden-Baden, as well as Saxordionphonics (2013), a double concerto for soprano saxophone, accordion (Teodoro Anzellotti) and orchestra, with the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne.
The CD was published by KAIROS (Vienna) in 2016.
MARINA KHORKOVA – KLANGNARBE
On this portrait CD of Russian composer Marina Khorkova, Trio Accanto performs the title track klangNarbe (2014/2015), a highly refined piece of chamber music for baritone saxophone, percussion and prepared piano. Other chamber and ensemble pieces written by Khorkova between 2010 & 2015 complete the program.
This is a production of the Deutscher Musikrat. The CD was published in 2016 by WERGO.
HARRISON BIRTWISTLE – Slow frieze / Antiphonies / Panic
This portrait CD of the British maestro Birtwistle contains, in addition to two piano concertos (Nicolas Hodges) and a harp solo piece (Antonia Schreiber), the saxophone and percussion double concerto PANIC. Christian Dierstein (drum kit) and Windkraft Tirol (Wind Force Tirol), under the baton of Kasper de Roo, perform with Marcus Weiss.
Panic was premiered in 1995 at the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London. This performance has been called a “succés de scandale.”
The CD was published in 2015 by METROMOME in England.
BALZ TRÜMPY – AN FLORESTAN UND EUSEBIUS showcases three recent chamber music works by the Swiss composer Balz Trümpy. An Florestan und Eusebius is a trio for saxophone, trombone and piano, dedicated to the performers on this record: Marcus Weiss, Mike Svoboda and Juerg Henneberger. Svoboda and Henneberger are Weiss’ colleagues with whom he has been developing one of the very first specialized master programs for contemporary music performance at the University of Music Basel (Hochschule fuer Musik) since 2010.
The CD was recorded at Radio Zurich and published in 2015 by GENUIN (Germany).
NEW HORIZONS
On this portrait CD by Swiss accordionist Viviane Chassot, Marcus Weiss performs the Chamber Sonata in Three Movements (2008) by Rudolf Kelterborn together with Viviane Chassot, accordion and Rafael Rosenfeld, violoncello.
This production of Swiss Radio DRS 2 was published by GENUIN classics in 2014.
MALIKA KISHINO
This CD with chamber and orchestra music by Japanese composer Malika Kishino is part of the Edition Zeitgenössische Musik (Contemporary Music Edition) of the “Deutscher Musikrat.” Marcus Weiss performs Monochromer Garten II together with clarinettist Ernesto Molinari and trombonist Uwe Dierksen.
Monochromer Garten II was recorded in 2013 at Deutschlandfunk in Cologne and published in 2014 by WERGO.
PHILIPPE RACINE – WORKS
On this double CD with various works by composer and flutist Philippe Racine, Marcus Weiss plays “Trois Axes” with his XASAX colleagues Pierre-Stéphane Meugé and Serge Bertocchi. The piece is for three alto saxophones and is dedicated to the players.
This production of Swiss Radio DRS 2 was published by GENUIN in 2011.
KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN – ERWACHEN
Karlheinz Stockhausen’s ERWACHEN (AWAKENING) was first performed at the “Bozar” in Brussels on October 13th, 2009 by Marcus Weiss, soprano saxophone; Marco Blaauw, trumpet and Dirk Wietheger, cello.
It is the “12th Hour” of Stockhausen’s final opus, the cycle Sound – The 24 Hours of the Day. It was published in 2010 on “CD 90” of the Stockhausen complete edition.
GEORGES APERGHIS – CROSSWIND
In 1997, Georges Aperghis wrote the quintet Crosswind for violist Geneviève Strosser and saxophone group XASAX. Further collaboration with the Greek composer has generated the whole program presented here. In addition to the solo pieces Alter Ego – written for Marcus Weiss in 2001 – and “Volte-face” (1997) for viola, the program contains the duo Rasch as well as a studio mix of his earlier piece Signaux (signals).
This is a production of Cologne-based radio station WDR. Recordings were made in Wuppertal and the CD was published by KAIROS.
EDENTIA (2007) for soprano saxophone and electronic music was first performed by Marcus Weiss on August 6, 2009 in the Rolf-Liebermann-Studio of the NDR radio in Hamburg.
The piece is the “20th Hour” of Stockhausen’s final opus, the cycle Sound – The 24 Hours of the Day.
The recording of the piece, as well as a stereo version of the 25 parts of electronic music (for rehearsal purposes), was published in 2009 on “CD 98” of the Stockhausen complete edition.
TRIO ACCANTO – SO NEAR SO FAR
The trio’s second portrait CD, So Near So Far contains works by Jörg Birkenkötter (Germany), Manuel Hidalgo (Spain), Erhard Grosskopf (Germany), Jo Kondo (Japan), Bernfried Pröve (Germany) and Yuval Shaked (Israel).
It was published in 2009 by edition zeitklang.
MAURICIO SOTELO (2008)
The title piece of the CD, Wall of light black – for Sean Scully (2005-2006) for saxophone and ensemble, was written by the Spanish composer Mauricio Sotelo for Marcus Weiss and ensemble musikFabrik, conducted by Brad Lubman. The other pieces on the CD feature the following soloists: Trilok Gurtu, Juan Manuel Cañizares and Miquel Bernat.
Wall of light black was recorded in Cologne and published by KAIROS (Vienna) in 2008.
MARC ANDRE (Trio Accanto) is a portrait CD featuring the solo and chamber music of French composer Marc Andre. The program opens with durch, for soprano saxophone, piano and percussion, one of the most exciting pieces for this formation.
It was published in 2008 by KAIROS (Vienna).
JOHANNES MARIA STAUD
This portrait CD of Austrian composer Johannes Maria Staud includes, alongside other solo and orchestral pieces, the work Violent Incidents (Hommage à Bruce Nauman) from 2005/6 for saxophone solo, wind band and percussion. Marcus Weiss plays with Windkaft Tirol, conducted by Kasper de Roo.
The CD was published by KAIROS (Vienna) in 2007.
LUCIANO BERIO – CANTICUM NOVISSIMI TESTAMENTI
This CD includes two major vocal works by the Italian maestro Luciano Berio: A-Ronne (1975) for five singers and Canticum Novissimi Testamenti (1991) for four singers, four saxophones and four clarinets. Both works are based on texts by the author Eduardo Sanguinetti, a friend of Berio. The performers are Neue Vokalsolisten Stuttgart, XASAXand newears 4 clarinet, conducted by Peter Rundel.
The CD was released on the label WERGO in 2005.
SCIARRINO – PAGINE & CANZONIERE DA SCARLATTI – XASAX
Salvatore Sciarrino’s two cycles Pagine and Canzoniere da Scarlatti he called “elaborazioni per quartetto di saxofoni” (elaborations for saxophone quartet). These adaptations of older music are remarkable due not only to his choice of pieces, but also their exquisite setting, their quality distinguishing them from common, pure transcriptions and justifying his use of the word “elaboration.” The Pagine cycle comprises music of Gesualdo, Bach, Mozart, and Cole Porter, while the second cycle consists of seven sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti. The recordings are the fruit of a collaboration with the Italian maestro himself, an encounter of great importance for XASAX. At its release, the CD was distinguished with a “Choc de la musique” by the French newspaper “Le Monde.”
This CD was released in 2003 by the Parisian label ZigZagTerritories.
MARCUS WEISS
On his own portrait CD in the Musikszene Schweiz series, Marcus Weiss is heard in his improvised solo piece White Frames in addition to various compositions written by Swiss composers for his two ensembles, XASAX (So Long by Daniel Weissberg and ATA9 by Alex Buess) and Trio Accanto (“Secco” by Thomas Müller and “Inselmusik” by Thomas Kessler). In the remarkable duo Aufgebrochene Momente by Franz Furrer-Münch for tenor saxophone and cimbalom, Marcus Weiss plays with percussionist Matthias Würsch.
This production was issued in the series Musikszene Schweiz/Grammont Portrait and published in 2003.
„trio x 3“ – NEW JAZZ MEETING BADEN-BADEN 2002
This documentation of the New Jazz Meeting 2002 is based on the composition DW 1.2 by Austrian composer Bernhard Lang. The recording of this trio for Marcus Weiss,
Philippe Racine (flute) and Paulo Alvares (piano) forms the basis for improvisations in various formations, in which the three players of the trio also take part. This double CD includes the full live version of “DW 1.2” and improvisations with the late Steve Lacy (one of his last recordings!), Philip Jeck (turntables), Christof Kurzmann (electronics) and Bernhard Lang (electronics), as well as bass player Peter Herbert and drummer Wolfgang Reisinger.
This production of WDR, Baden-Baden was released by hat[now]ART in 2003.
GIORGIO NETTI – NECESSITA D’INTERROGARE IL CIELO
This is the first recording of the four part cycle “necessità d’interrogare il cielo” (1996-98) for soprano saxophone, written for Marcus Weiss by Italian composer Giorgio Netti. This outstanding 70-minute solo piece, unique in the wind instrument repertoire, explores a cosmos of complex sounds. Developed in close collaboration with the soloist, this composition was preceded by years of research.
The CD was released by DURIAN (Vienna) in 2002.
SOTELO – HOSOKAWA – GERVASONI – PAUSET — TRIO ACCANTO
Four of the most important works of early Trio Accanto are heard on this production. The first composition written for the trio, Vertical Time Study II (1994) by Toshio Hosokawa, as well as De Magia (1995) by Mauricio Sotelo are the “founding pieces” of the ensemble. Two works written for the Donaueschinger Musiktage 2000 occupy an equally important place in the trio’s repertoire: Rigirio (2000) by Italian composer Stefano Gervasoni and adagio dialettico (2000) by French composer Brice Pauset.
The recordings were made between 1996 & 2001 in the studios of the Saarländischer Rundfunk (Sotelo) in Saarbrücken and in the Hans-Rosbaud-Studio of the SWR radio Baden-Baden. The CD was published in 2002 by assai in Paris.
COUNTERPOISE is a program that Marcus Weiss developed together with Harry Vogt, the program director at WDR Cologne. Both of Weiss’ ensembles, Trio Accanto and XASAX, play on this CD together with guests: the singer Frank Wörner, as well as Marco Blauuw, Tomoko Hemmi, Martin Neher and Tobias Hiller. The central piece is Stefan Wolpe’s Quartet for trumpet, tenor saxophone, percussion and piano from 1951. All other works have been written by “students” of Wolpe: John Carisi, Eddie Sauter and Christian Wolff.
The recordings were made in 1998 in Huerth and at the WDR radio in Cologne. It was published in 2000 at hat[now]ART.
COUNTERPOISE is a program that Marcus Weiss developed together with Harry Vogt, the program director at WDR Cologne. Both of Weiss’ ensembles, Trio Accanto and XASAX, play on this CD together with guests: the singer Frank Wörner, as well as Marco Blauuw, Tomoko Hemmi, Martin Neher and Tobias Hiller. The central piece is Stefan Wolpe’s Quartet for trumpet, tenor saxophone, percussion and piano from 1951. All other works have been written by “students” of Wolpe: John Carisi, Eddie Sauter and Christian Wolff.
The recordings were made in 1998 in Huerth and at the WDR radio in Cologne. It was published in 2000 at hat[now]ART.
HANSPETER KYBURZ
This portrait CD of Swiss composer Hanspeter Kyburz assembles three of his key works: Parts for ensemble, The Voynich Cipher Manuscript for voices and ensemble, and Cells for saxophone and ensemble, written in 1993/94 for Marcus Weiss. He performs with Klangforum Wien, conducted by Peter Rundel. The solo, in five movements, features soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone. The piece was premiered in 1993 by Marcus Weiss with ensemble recherche at the Donaueschingen festival.
This production was issued in the series Musikszene Schweiz/Grammont Portrait and published in 1997.
THE CONQUEST OF MELODY
The programmatic axis of this production moves between early 20th century Vienna, Berlin and post-war New York. All the pieces are connected to the politically troubled times of the 20th century and related to different aspects of emigration.
In addition to some of the most important chamber music works for saxophone by Anton Webern, Stefan Wolpe and John Cage, other pieces by “related” composers like Arnold Schönberg and Elliott Carter are present as saxophone adaptations. An important connection in this axis is Stefan Wolpe. The two works Inner Song by Carter and Cage’s Five 4, both premiered in 1991 at a festival in Witten, were dedicated to the memory of Wolpe. The Berlin-born composer emigrated to New York City where he taught and inspired musicians like John Cage, David Tudor, George Russell and Morton Feldman. Before WWII, John Cage was a student of Schönberg in his Californian exile.
The recordings were made in Hürth, Cologne (WDR, Funkhaus) and at the IRCAM in Paris (Cage). The CD was published in 1997 by hat ART.
XASAX is the first CD of the XASAX saxophone ensemble, which was founded in 1992 in Paris by Marcus Weiss, Pierre-Stéphane Meugé, Jean-Michel Goury and Serge Bertocchi. The CD is one of the first recordings of contemporary saxophone quartet music, comprising original works by Aperghis, Cage, Donatoni and Xenakis. Two pieces by Alex Buess and Karlheinz Essl, both written for XASAX, as well as short pieces by Elliott Carter, Frederik Rzewsi and Stefan Wolpe, complete the program.
The CD was published in 1994 by EROL records (7019). The recordings were made in 1993 in Radio Zurich (Switzerland) and in the Grand Auditorium of the CNR in Boulogne-Billancourt (France).
BEAT FURRER – KLANGFORUM WIEN
From 1989 to the mid 90s, Marcus Weiss played regularly with Klangforum Wien. The director of the ensemble was Beat Furrer, whose first ensemble piece A un moment de terre perdu (1991) is showcased on this CD, among other works, in a live recording from the SFB in Berlin.
The CD was published in 1996 by DURIAN in Vienna.
NEUE MUSIK FÜR SAXOPHON – MARCUS WEISS
This CD, produced by Marcus Weiss himself, is his first solo CD. The pieces of Berio and Scelsi are two “classics” of the contemporary solo saxophone repertoire. Sax-Solo by Mauricio Sotelo was written for Marcus Weiss and is in a certain way for both of them their opus 1. Sotelo’s first public world premiere and Marcus Weiss’ first time playing a world premiere in a public concert. The first performance of the piece took place in 1989 at the Secession in Vienna. The saxophone quartet Enchaîné by Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, re-recorded with overdubbing, provides another strong connection to Vienna. The only duo on this record is Walter Zimmermann’s The Paradoxes of Love, composed with texts by medieval Flemish mystic Hadewijch and performed with soprano Beatrice Voellmy.
The CD was published in 1991 by XOPF (Basel).