International musicians took Augustana on a musical experience around the world in 80 minutes or less. “A New French Music” composer Denis Levaillant and associates Jean-Michel Goury and Yves Josset performed with twelve saxophones, a national orchestra, and a piano on Dec. 9 in Wallenberg Hall.
In describing his music, Levaillant sought to equate himself with American composers such Hans Zimmer and John Williams, both of whom are prominent composers of scores behind many popular movies to date.
After meeting through Levaillant’s compositions, the trio began to work together. Levaillant came to enjoy the sound of the saxophone, and began specifically writing pieces for Goury to perform.
Using not only live performance, but also two videos to premiere their work, the trio showed how visual and musical arts can come together through ballet and music video.
Not only was technology used to debut the pieces, but, in the piece, “Music Is The Film n°2 and 5,” composed by Levaillant, the audience sees Goury take the stage, and as he begins to play, you hear him become suddenly accompanied by four other saxophones that have been pre-recorded, lined together, and played as though they were fellow artists in the room to finish the quartet.
When Levaillant came to the stage and performed his own “Etudes africaines,” the audience got prime seating to the mental workings of a true innovator, and to enjoy music that was not only recent, but also a stark stylistic contrast to what is often available on campus.
Augustana was the last stop on the trio’s tour, with locations including Oklahoma State, Kansas State University, Eastern Michigan, and the University of Illinois.
What made the performance at Augustana significant was the fact that Goury, the saxophonist, was the former instructor to Randall Hall, associate professor of music, when he studied abroad in Paris.
Referencing the saxophone masterclass that took place earlier in the afternoon, led by Goury, the relationship was rekindled in Hall’s comment, “it’s good to see him teaching again.”