The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University

After more than a 10-year hiatus from solo recording, Peabody’s Gary Louie recently stepped back into the studio—well, make that a converted 150-year-old Russian church.

The renowned classical saxophonist says he took a break from his extensive international touring schedule to start a family and focus on his teaching and frequent solo performances with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He’s also been a guest artist on many CD recordings.

In recent years, fans and colleagues inquired about a new Louie disc, following his 1996 release with the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Jacques Ibert’s Oeuvres Variées.

One such colleague, Peabody Presents program director William Nerenberg, set the wheels in motion for Louie to record with the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Vladimir Lande. A principal guest conductor with the Russian company, Lande previously worked with Louie to premier former Peabody Director Robert Sirota’s Concerto for Saxophone & Orchestra.

Louie says he was eager to work with Lande again and record a CD’s worth of concertos.

“The album has been on my mind for a long time,” he says.

They recorded the music over 10 days in May and early June. The artists chose the Church of St. Katherine on Vasilievsky Island due to its unique acoustic properties, produced by the structure’s thick masonry and double-story balcony.

The album, intended for a fall release, will include Bizet’s Carmen Fantasy (arranged by Louie), Glazounov’s Concerto in Eb Major, Frank Martin’s Ballade, Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, and Schumann’s Träumerei (arranged by Frank Hudson).

Louie was particularly excited to hear how the orchestra wrapped itself around Rachmaninoff. “They played it quite differently than I’ve done it before,” he says. “We had no rehearsal. None was really needed as they grew up with this music. It was their culture. I just followed them and it turned out exactly like I had hoped: beautiful.”

Nerenberg says that the musicians mostly let the music do the talking.

“We were not able to communicate verbally except through a translator,” he says. “So most of the communication and inspiration came about because of the playing and the feeling that the orchestra got from listening to Gary’s performance. That was key to the quality of the recording.”

Inside the recording space, 30 microphones were set up around Louie and the orchestra, and they played the pieces straight through. The saxophonist says he wanted to capture the energy of a live performance, which meant it was all right to be a hair less than perfect.

“Vladimir is great with tempo and feel. I think we got just what we were after,” he says. “I just heard the rough mix yesterday. I’m very happy with the results.”

Nerenberg says that Louie, who is known for pushing the boundaries of his instrument, made sure to bring something unexpected to the mix of songs.

“The Martin piece, which is written for flute and piano, is extremely difficult and demanding, especially for saxophone,” Nerenberg says. Couple that with the long layoff, Nerenberg says, and this promises to be a much-anticipated release.

—Greg Rienzi