Emile Parisien and Roberto Negro in Zurich

Duo Emile Parisien on the soprano saxophone, and Roberto Negro on the piano, perform their work entitled Les Métanuits, a new take on the String Quartet by 20th century Hungarian composer György Ligeti, originally entitled Les Métamorphoses Nocturnes. The two virtuosos expertly use their instruments, both in a conventional way and using extended techniques, most notably the prepared piano. Negro’s use of mallets to hit the piano strings and case offers a new reason to argue that the piano is a percussion instrument after all. Influences from jazz, free jazz and contemporary music feature in Parisien and Negro’s interpretation of Ligeti’s original work.