Arno Bornkamp, a maestro of the saxophone deeply rooted in the 20th-century French tradition, has been celebrated by audiences for over four decades for his energetic, impassioned interpretations. Now, he presents an album of works by the French composer Henri Sauguet under the GENUIN label. Sauguet's compositions embody a blend of styles from renowned composers like Erik Satie, Darius Milhaud, and Claude Debussy, yet are also marked by a playful spirit that defies any rigid categorization. Unique, vibrant, and above all, poetic—this is the essence of Sauguet's music, delivered with profound sensitivity by Bornkamp and his friends.

Les Ballets Russes was founded by director Sergei Diaghilev in 1909. The company never actually performed in Russia – it made its debut in Paris, and the world was to be its home during its 20 years of existence. With his concepts and commissions, Diaghilev fostered collaborations between the most exciting artists of the time, working with composers such as Stravinsky, Ravel, Prokofiev, Debussy and Satie, artists like Picasso, Kandinsky and Matisse, choreographers including Fokine, Nijinsky and Balanchine, and costume designers such as Coco Chanel. He set in motion a groundbreaking artistic revolution, the echoes of which still reverberate even today. The company’s productions were hugely successful, and Diaghilev most certainly elevated the careers of the artists he commissioned, in the process introducing an international audience to myths and legends and music and design motifs that would otherwise have remained unknown. The significance of music within all this cannot be overestimated – Diaghilev, in fact, came to ballet through his love of music.

SWR CLASSIC has released many of the ballets commissioned or produced by Diaghilev, featuring music by composers from Stravinsky through to Richard Strauss. These are now being re-released as a 10 album boxed set.