By CS73607
01-Oct-2009

Great interpretation!  

Isabelle Lapierre is a Quebecois saxophonist of great talent. She has great technique and musicality. My main critique is that her breathing very audible in her recordings, especially when playing soprano saxophone. Also, when watching a recording of her performing soprano saxophone on the second season of The Classical Now, she plays the straight soprano almost straight out from her mouth. Aside from those issues, she has remarkably controlled vibrato and staccato. It sounds as if she’s playing on softer reeds than most admired saxophonists today, but neither her embouchure nor her intonation suffer. You can also hear her keys closing in most every recording, but it’s more noticeable when she plays alto. Perhaps placing the microphone slightly further away would have solved this issue along with the audible breath issue. While these are merely my opinions, I believe that Lapierre makes a style that clearly she can call her own. Where is she now?! I can't find any current information on her.

Carl Spaeth, Saxophone & Music Theory GTA
Oklahoma State University
more....

By CS73607
01-Oct-2009

Great interpretation!  

Isabelle Lapierre is a Quebecois saxophonist of great talent. She has great technique and musicality. My main critique is that her breathing very audible in her recordings, especially when playing soprano saxophone. Also, when watching a recording of her performing soprano saxophone on the second season of The Classical Now, she plays the straight soprano almost straight out from her mouth. Aside from those issues, she has remarkably controlled vibrato and staccato. It sounds as if she’s playing on softer reeds than most admired saxophonists today, but neither her embouchure nor her intonation suffer. You can also hear her keys closing in most every recording, but it’s more noticeable when she plays alto. Perhaps placing the microphone slightly further away would have solved this issue along with the audible breath issue. While these are merely my opinions, I believe that Lapierre makes a style that clearly she can call her own. Where is she now?!?!?!? I can't find any current information on her.

Carl Spaeth, Saxophone & Music Theory GTA Oklahoma State University
more....

By CS73607
01-Oct-2009

Great interpretation!  

Isabelle Lapierre is a Quebecois saxophonist of great talent. She has great technique and musicality. My main critique is that her breathing very audible in her recordings, especially when playing soprano saxophone. Also, when watching a recording of her performing soprano saxophone on the second season of The Classical Now, she plays the straight soprano almost straight out from her mouth. Aside from those issues, she has remarkably controlled vibrato and staccato. It sounds as if she’s playing on softer reeds than most admired saxophonists today, but neither her embouchure nor her intonation suffer. You can also hear her keys closing in most every recording, but it’s more noticeable when she plays alto. Perhaps placing the microphone slightly further away would have solved this issue along with the audible breath issue. While these are merely my opinions, I believe that Lapierre makes a style that clearly she can call her own. Where is she now?!?!?!? I can't find any current information on her.

Carl Spaeth, Saxophone & Music Theory GTA Oklahoma State University
more....