Sigfrid Karg-Elert - Complete Flute Works (Casale-Rouxel Duo)

Information

Composer: Sigfrid Karg-Elert

• Impressions exotiques, Op. 134
• Sonate in B Major, Op. 121
• Sinfonische Kanzone, Op. 114
• Suite pointillistique, Op. 135
• 30 Capricen, Op. 107 "Ein Gradus ad Parnassum"
• Sonate in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 114 "Appassionata"

Casale-Rouxel Duo

    Samuel Casale, flute

    Arzhel Rouxel, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Da Vinci Classics

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Sigfrid Karg-Elert’s flute music occupies a central place in instrumental pedagogy, particularly through works such as the 30 Caprices, Sinfonische Kanzone, and Sonata Appassionata, which are widely studied and performed by flautists. Despite this pedagogical prominence, his broader output remains relatively underrepresented in concert programming and recordings, often appearing only in isolated excerpts rather than as a cohesive body of work. This monographic project addresses that imbalance by offering a more integrated perspective on his music, revealing a highly expressive and at times fragmented compositional language. Characterized by harmonic tension, structural rupture, and shifting expressive states, Karg-Elert’s style demands exceptional interpretative sensitivity, dynamic flexibility, and a broad sonic palette from the performer.

Samuel Casale is a flutist whose artistic vision centers on music as a space of shared breath, listening, and emotional connection. His career bridges historically informed performance, contemporary music, and solo work, shaped by his experiences with ensembles such as the Theresia Youth Orchestra, Ensemble Écoute, and the Ensemble Intercontemporain, as well as performances with the Orchestre de Paris and the Opéra National de Paris. Trained at leading European conservatories, he approaches virtuosity as a vehicle for expressive communication rather than technical display. Alongside performing and teaching at the CRR de Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, he develops interdisciplinary projects such as Trialogues, integrating sound, video, and movement to foster immersive, reflective listening experiences. His work emphasizes artistic openness, collaboration, and the human dimension of musical expression.

Arzhel Rouxel is a French pianist whose career combines contemporary music performance, chamber collaboration, and musical theatre. Initially trained in both piano and cello, he ultimately specialized in piano after earning a Diplôme d’Études Musicales in cello. He was admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris in 2015, where he studied with Michel Béroff and Florent Boffard and developed a strong focus on contemporary creation, becoming a soloist with Ensemble NEXT. Rouxel collaborates with major composers such as Tristan Murail and Georges Aperghis and performs with ensembles including the Ensemble Intercontemporain. He is active in festivals across Europe, engages in innovative projects involving extended piano techniques and technology, and participates in musical theatre productions. Alongside his performing career, he holds teaching qualifications and currently teaches piano at the CRR de Cergy-Pontoise, emphasizing pedagogy and technical refinement.