The title of the album (and also of the title piece dedicated to us by the composer), “After all,” can be understood as “after everything,” also in the context of the question about how the type of expression employed in musical compositions can be understood today: is it up-to-date, do we notice it in the world around us, are today’s technical and expressive means going to take the listeners to a new artistic space and confront them with new sensations, can the sound still be a source of new experiences and discovered values and finally, can the creator still build upon these values?
Yet “After all” also has a second meaning – “in any case,” “anyway.” Therefore, regardless of the answers to the above questions, we continue and look further. We, i.e. performers, composers, interpreters, listeners, viewers and other recipients.
The presence of some items on a CD with music for saxophone and piano may seem predictable, however, we think that the combination of the chosen pieces particularly shows how the contemporary composer’s viewpoint connects with or confronts the music of the bygone era. “After all” is our personal view of interpretations and compositions of the 20th and 21st century. Starting from the use of the music written at the beginning of the 20th century, above all transcribed for our needs (Paul Hindemith and Karol Szymanowski), through the already classic, virtuoso Sonata by Albright, ending with the involvement of young composers (Żaneta Rydzewska or the composition of the pianist), we wanted to show the perspective of perception of the music worlds by creators over almost a hundred years (at the time of the release of the album).
“After all” is the debut album of musicians who are dedicated to solo, chamber, orchestral and experimental activities on a daily basis. Andrzej Karałow and Pablo Sanchez-Escariche Gasch have had a duo since 2016, performing classical, as well as contemporary music – also dedicated to the duo (apart from the piece included on the album, they performed works written for and dedicated to them by Australian composers: Kirsten Milenko and Harry Sdraulig).
Pablo Sanchez-Escariche Gasch – soprano and alto saxophone
Andrzej Karałow – piano