48 études, op. 31. Volume 1

Everyone is familiar with the immense educational value of Franz Wilhelm Ferling's 48 studies, which are now a staple of saxophone curricula worldwide. Originally composed for oboe in 1831, adapted for the saxophone and used in 1942 by Marcel Mule, they have become a pillar of saxophone teaching.

When I worked on these studies in my conservatory class, the concern was not only to resolve the technical difficulty of execution but also to give the student a complete musical vision. It is for this reason that I felt the need to create a piano part in order to better understand the harmonic and formal aspect of these works, and also to make these studies true concert pieces. I tried to respect the "bel canto" style of authors like Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini. Furthermore, I deliberately abstained from any metronomic movement, hoping that the character of the piano accompaniment would suggest the speed of each study.

I dedicate these studies to Claude Delangle, whom I particularly thank for encouraging me to pursue this certainly exciting but long-term undertaking.

I can't help but think of Charles Gounod, who, 135 years ago, created the sublime Ave Maria by superimposing his melody on Prelude No. 1 from the first book of Johann Sebastian Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier. In this case, a German composed these melodies to which, 180 years later, an Italian composed the piano harmonization that a French publisher decided to publish. A German, an Italian, and a Frenchman: Europe, indeed!
Gaetano DI BACCO