Beyond The Wall AkMi Duo

• Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963): Viola Sonata Op. 11, No. 4 (Arr. for Saxophone and Piano by Valentine Michaud & Akvile Sileikaite):
• 1Hindemith: Viola Sonata Op. 11, No. 4 (Arr. for Saxophone and Piano by Valentine Michaud & Akvile Sileikaite): I. Fantasie02:57
• 2Hindemith: Viola Sonata Op. 11, No. 4 (Arr. for Saxophone and Piano by Valentine Michaud & Akvile Sileikaite): II. Thema mit Variationen03:56
• 3Hindemith: Viola Sonata Op. 11, No. 4 (Arr. for Saxophone and Piano by Valentine Michaud & Akvile Sileikaite): III. Finale (mit Variationen)10:10
• William Albright (1944 - 1998): Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano:
• 4Albright: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: I. Two-Part Invention04:21
• 5Albright: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: II. La follia nuova: A lament for George Cacioppo08:10
• 6Albright: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: III. Scherzo "Will o’ the Wisp"01:54
• 7Albright: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: IV. Recitative and Dance04:17
• Erwin Schulhoff (1894 - 1942): Hot-Sonate:
• 8Schulhoff: Hot-Sonate: 1st Movement04:15
• 9Schulhoff: Hot-Sonate: 2nd Movement01:50
• 10Schulhoff: Hot-Sonate: 3rd Movement04:09
• 11Schulhoff: Hot-Sonate: 4th Movement04:34
• Edison Denisov (1929 - 1996): Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano:
• 12Denisov: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: I. Allegro03:22
• 13Denisov: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: II. Lento03:25
• 14Denisov: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano: III. Allegro moderato04:20
• Total Runtime01:01:40

Info for Beyond The Wall

Valentine Michaud was the first ever saxophone soloist to perform with the Vienna Philharmonic. She and her regular collaborator, pianist Akvilė Šileikaitė, comprise the award-winning AkMi Duo. They debut on AVIE with Beyond the Wall, an album of contrasting 20th century sonatas linked by history and geography. Edison Denisov’s Soviet serialism, tinged with forbidden jazz influences, took a cue from the American modernism of William Albright.

Austro-Czech composer Erwin Schulhoff embraced avant garde and jazz idioms, leading the Nazis to brand his music “degenerate”; he perished in the Wülzburg prison camp in 1942. Paul Hindemith fell in and out of favour with the Nazis, leading him to immigrate to Switzerland and later America. His popular Saxophone Sonata is by turns lyric and dramatic, imbued with irony and humour.

AkMi Duo:
Valentine Michaud, saxophone
Akvilė Šileikaitė, piano

Duo AKMI
Valentine Michaud and Akvilé Sileikaité first crossed paths in Zurich in 2015; and with that, the AKMI duo was born. The young saxophonist and bubbly pianist met at the Zurich University of the Arts, where they were both studying towards the Master with a Specialization in Solo Performance, Valentine as a soloist, Akvilé as an accompanist. Valentine and Akmilé are truly passionate about modern and contemporary music, performing with undisguised joy. They have built up a repertoire that is wide and varied, encompassing everything from sonatas to tango, by composers from countries as diverse as Lithuania and the USA. In 2016, AKMI Duo was awarded first prize in the prestigious Orpheus Swiss Music Chamber Competition.

Booklet for Beyond The Wall