In the aftermath of the 20th century, it seems that Berlioz’s old prophecy has been finally fulfilled. He saw in the saxophone the spring of...

In the aftermath of the 20th century, it seems that Berlioz’s old prophecy has been finally fulfilled. He saw in the saxophone the spring of sound of “unheard of effects until now”. Furthermore, unlike other instruments of more deep-rooted tradition, the saxophone is open nowadays to many and unsuspected possibilities. Good evidence of this claim is the program brought together here by Angel Soria. Six recent pieces within a time period of two decades (the oldest one goes back to the year 2000), written by composers of different aesthetics (despite all of them belonging to what it is generally called the avant-garde), define the plurality of the aesthetic and expressive options offered by the saxophone. The “truth” of the saxophone is neither unequivocal nor one-dimensional. Instead, it includes many truths that reflect, in a wide range, the complexity of the current times.