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BLUES DEL CARIBE for 4 guitars
by Roque Carbajo
Composed in 1992, it's a busy little piece in E major, A walking bass line, initially quite repetitive, is garnished with two layers of fast food filling - spacious and with the occasional parallel fourth adding a little piquancy. Over the top is drizzled a slower, almost jazzy set of interjections; certainly not classical blues, and with the jazz shapes creating an airy, spacious feel. And so, subtle changes apart, this repetitive but nonetheless interesting mix of plodding bass, weaving interior and short one-bar decorations moves slowly and inexorably towards a big crescendo and a section marked “alla cubana”, where the harmonies are less “modern”, and the rhythm more insistent - it's a real contrast. There is a reprise of the opening section. Rather than leading back to the “alla cubana”, there is a sudden and expected silence from all forces. And the end of the piece beckons. The music is modest in its demands, and many of the difficult-to-read sections are actually very much under the fingers, and the piece is probably achievable by Grade six or seven players (possibly Grade five for the bass line), though probably, because of the chromaticism, not at sight. If pushed to describe the style, I’d say it was not so much blues as more a whimsical little doodle - nice interplay, and a light, modern feel.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar)
VOYAGES for 4 guitars
by Laurent Méneret (CD included)
Here are six evocative little quartets, at really quite a modest level. The CD contains each piece just once, with repeats. Although there are no “music-minus-one” tracks, the stereo sound image is broad and it's easy to pick out each line.
Shanghai certainly lives up to its title with an evocative sound, and all in the first position,
La danse du serpent has some percussion to open and then a set of glorious intervals and progressions right out of a harmonic minor scale - excellent teaching material as well as conveying a mystical eastern sound. The addition of Bb and a couple of fifth fret notes add a little extra challenge to any novices working from this book.
Ballade is in 3/4 time and conjures up a sound somewhere between a waltz and a piece of renaissance music, There's a chance to play in the second position here, and least in the major section, Some of the phrases are an unusual length, but it works for me.
Danza needs some two-handed percussion, but it's sheer fun and conveys a Moorish, modal feel. We go a little higher up the neck too.
Japan Melodie has pizzicato and tambora. The centre section takes Guitar one up to ninth position and the player on the CD introduces some slides that I am sure players will want to copy.
Moon Blues is a fun conclusion in a shuffle rhythm with some gloriously big cadences to enjoy.
For most of the pieces, the typical standard is Grade one or two. Guitar four is quite a bit more complex and I would think that the best would come from these pieces if the tutor took that line, or if the ensemble were a mixed ability one. In either of these scenarios, the sound is full and players of modest ability can take part in a musically rich and satisfying performance, The gentle progression through the book is nice - it gives learners that extra impetus to improve, and the final piece, by far the most exciting, will be a real target for any novice who has this book.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar)
RIVAGES for solo guitar
by Yvon Demillac
These seven titled pieces are probably aimed at the student of around the grades 4-5 level. As study pieces they accomplish quite a number of useful targets including slurs, arpeggios, barrés, tremolo, position work and rhythm.
The presentation is good, the fingering quite sensible, I can see one or two of these from this book making their way onto the annual student concert, or the like, and going down really well with the mums and dads.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar)
L'ALBUM DE CEYZERIAT for solo guitar
by Sébastien Vachez
There's no doubt about it, there has been quite a bit of thought behind the writing of these eleven pieces, Each one has something different and of value to offer, both musically and technically. Take the first one for instance; here is a work which would be ideally suited for the Grade 1 student wishing to explore the upper regions of the fingerboard in an easy fashion with a simple melody line.
Then there is the Homage à Baden, a work more suited to the Grade 2 student and a piece which has overtones of the style of the great Baden Powell having sorne very nice arpeggiated chord sequences in a latin-jazz flavouring.
Moving further along through the album we encounter a Grade 4-5 “creepy” work concerning monsters complete with tongue clicks, vocals, Bartok-pizzicato and strong dissonances, This is followed by an attractive Brazilian-flavoured work before the book concludes with three pieces in the styles of Brouwer, ragtime and more South American with a delightfully rhythmic work which explores the length of the fingerboard, these final three pieces reaching the upper Grade levels.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar)
COLOMBINE for solo guitar
by Erik Marchelie
One thing you can nearly always be certain of when encountering a composition by the prolific French composer Erik Marchelie, is that the piece will be never less than interesting and more often than not, highly melodic with lovely harmonies.
Colombine does not disappoint in any respect, it has a very “singable” melody line which just sounds like it belongs in a film score and the piece has enough rhythmic variation to keep the interest flowing all the way through. This is a lovely miniature, ideal for the guitarist who performs restaurant work and the like.
The presentation is excellent and would be well in the capabilities of the Intermediate player.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar)
YEVÎ-Â for 4 guitars
by Jorge Cardoso
This is a substantial work in four movements. The work has been seized upon by a number of quartets across the world, and yet the score is remarkably accessible for such a large work.
Pîa-é is a “rasguido doble” in E major, with each part entering in imitative way, set over a simple and effective bass in 3+3+2 rhythm, There are plenty of unusual sharps and double-sharps, but they are nicely under the fingers. The closing section groups the notes into longer and longer sequences of three, moving the beats around the bar in a fun way.
Mbegüé is a samba, primarily in 6/8 with the occasional 3/4, Again there is some very pleasing imitation as the parts enter, The motifs are not so dissimilar from the opening movement, though the texture is thicker, with some very low chords in part four, and a top line as high as fret 17. Much of the writing is fun to play, with contrary motion and lines with a real sense of being.
Jhorî, a chôro has that typical Villa-Lobos rhythm and is slightly more challenging, with block chords in guitar three, and with the lead guitar often having the first beat of the bar missing, This is a big piece with a definite key change to E minor. It's gloriously fun to play, and straightforward enough that the ensemble is pretty much guaranteed to stay tight - just the thing needed to make this sing.
Kire-î, a polka, is perhaps the hardest, with the need to play four against three in 6/8 time, sometimes while the bass is playing 3/4 instead of 6/8, Not for the timid, and there's no hiding place, with this rhythmic feat being required of all the parts in turn.
The overall standard is probably no higher than Grade seven, and I applaud the concept of making such a big and musically satisfying work accessible to a much wider circle of players than some of the tougher works I review. Recommended,
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar)
LA VAGABONDEfor 5 guitars
by Bernard Piris
Set in C minor, the key signature probably strikes terror into the heart of many intermediate players, but this irrational fear of flat notes will soon vanish when the gloriously lush textures of some of the rarer chords in the world of guitar land on the eardrum and soothe it with a warmth and softness that the sharp keys just cannot provide.
The opening has simple chords and harmonics over a static C (the addition of a contra guitar here, as suggested in the footnote, would add a gentle majesty and a stunning depth). Equally stunning is the entry of a plaintive melody, supported by broken chords and some slow, high notes, The word “haunting” is much over-used, but this really is a sad, haunting tune and the beautiful chords add a poignancy to it that is gentle, compelling and quite, quite powerful. The tune weaves in a lyrical way, and the chords beneath it almost glow with warmth and gentleness. But this isn't the end of the magic as the tune moves into the major and then moves again, this time with an effortless evolution from C to E, all the while weaving a mystical spell of gentle movement with that hint of sadness. It cannot be happenstance that whatever the key, Mr Piris find easy harmonies that ring like a monastery bell behind the tune. No, this is nothing less than a beautifully crafted piece of work.
There are some minor handfuls here and there, but the piece is accessible to players around Grade five or six, The slow pace and long notes will require a rounded tone and the ensemble will need to be relaxed and sympathetic to the music. This is not a piece that will impress an audience with its flamboyance, it is a piece that, if played gently and with compassion, will leave the audience in total silence at its peaceful conclusion.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar)
DJEMBE for solo guitar
by Roland Dyens
Djembe (pronounced “Jem-Bay”) is a skin-covered chalice-shaped drum played by the bare hands and is part of the culture and tradition of West Africa. Dyens conjures up the imagery of the effect of this instrument in a brief, percussive introduction involving hitting muted strings with the fist, “c1icking” the fingers and tapping the soundboard with the ring finger.
After an exploratory scale passage running almost the length of the fingerboard the piece settles down into some fascinating, and at times, magical rhythmic patterns, passing through a multitude of time signatures, cross-rhythms and groovy chords. Following a bar of open strings, where the player is directed to quickly retune the sixth string down to Eb and then to D (all without changing the tempo), comes an inspired change of rhythm which involves a persistent open 4th-string rhythmic pattern linking a bass-line and chord passage. This is short-lived however and soon we are back on track with the basic premise of this fine work.
At the start of the book, the composer has noted (using several musical examples) the various technical requirements needed throughout this work inc1uding glissando, portamento, damping/muting strings, slurs and the undesirability of string squeak. From the amount of dynamic and technical instructions reproduced in the score itself, it is obvious that Dyens is a composer who demands fine and precise detail from the player in an attempt to extract the full desired end product.
Although this work is not likely to supercede the same writer's Tango en Skaï in the popularity stakes, it is however, a fantastic, interesting and entertaining new guitar work and one which almost certainly would leave an impression on any concert audience.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar)
SONGS FROM FORMOSA arranged for solo guitar
by Nathan Kolosko (CD included)
Last year, in 2007, Les Productions d'Oz produced their 1000th edition with DZ 1OOO and it was my absolute pleasure to review this special production on that occasion, The piece in question was The Four Seasons by Annette Kruisbrink, a quite substantial work which I seem to remember marking as the apex of quality from d'Oz and possibly this publishing company's finest hour.
With Songs From Formosa we have an extremely close contender for second place in the musical quality composition stakes. Each of the arrangements are based upon four Taiwanese folk songs: The Lover's Broken Heart (Chou Tien-Wang), Dreaming By the Stream (Teng Yu-Shien), Longing For the Spring Wind (Yao Tsan-Fu) and an anonymous one titled Black, Black Sky.
Without exception, all of these songs are excellent in their own right and have been exceptionally well arranged by Nathan Kolosko who plays all the four pieces on the accompanying CD. Throughout these pages the music runs through a range of emotions: bitterness, joy, tragedy, humour, sadness and all done in the highest possible taste.
Songs From Formosa is an absolutely delightful new release and one I can thoroughly recommend to any player of at least Grade 7 seeking new stylish, attractive repertoire.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar)
MÉLANCOLIE
for solo guitar
by Francis Kleynjans
This piece has restored my faith in the French composer Francis Kleynjans. With Mélancolie we find the composer back to form in what he does best, which is writing charming and lyrical melodies floating around nice harmonies.
As one would conclude from the title, this is not “party-time”; rather it is a delightfully poignant composition which manages not to stray into any “maudlin” areas (so easy to do with this style) and which has the melodic line climbing up to the higher regions of the fingerboard and back again without too many technical difficulties along the way, certainly nothing to overstretch a good Intermediate player.
A very alluring and enchanting new work which, at just over a minute in length, never outstays its welcome.
Recommended.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar)
UN PARFUM D'IRLANDE for solo guitar
by Thierry Tisserand
This is a most agreeable offering from a guitarist/composer whose name appears quite often in the d'Oz catalogue. Un Parfum d'Irlande consists of three movements, all with a nod towards the traditional musical style of Ireland. Without in any way meaning to demean the music, there is nothing intellectually challenging here; what there is however is several minutes' worth of really attractive tunes and harmonies all evocative of the beautiful landscape and character of this country and with the outer movements - an elegy and a lament - certainly ones to bring a tear to the eye of anyone who misses the “homeland”, The middle movement takes the form of a lively Gigue but still has an air of melancholy surrounding it.
Any student of around the Intermediate standard should manage to enjoy this piece without too many technical barriers cropping up. To write something as enjoyable as this and keep within that technical level is clever and for that reason this new edition certainly has to be one of the most attractive solo guitar pieces I’ve come across in many a day.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar)
PLUTON for solo guitar
by Jürg Kindle
The arrivaI of this new edition through the post basically led to answering a question I posed a while ago when I reviewed this composer's work Terre (Earth). I noticed that Jürg Kindle had already composed Saturn and wondered whether we guitarists were going to be treated to a mini “Planets Suite”. Well, a quick check of the publisher's web-site now reveals that we do indeed have the nine major planets which make up the Solar System.
I remember finding the other “planets” rather enjoyable and was looking forward to hearing more of the same and it is good to report that Pluto does not let the side down. With this planet being the farthest from the Sun, one would expect some “distant” sound effects and the composer does not disappoint. This effect is brought into being by the insertion of a matchstick through the three bass strings throughout the length of the work giving each note played on these strings a somewhat “hollow” resonance.
The work itself has a very rhythmic drive, typical of this composer, and concludes with a fade-out ending reminiscent of the closure of this suite's bigger brother by Holst. If the rest of the planets are as interesting as the two I am acquainted with, I really look forward to hearing the work in its entirety.
The presentation is very good and the work would be suitable for the Intermediate player.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar)
HUMORESQUE AND DANCE for guitar and soprano saxophone (or clarinet, flute or violin)
by Andrew Zohn
Humoresque lives perfectly up to the title and with its quirky rhythm and comical melody line flitting between various time signatures this tune would not be out of place as a background theme to any of the silent comic films from the days of the great Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd et al. I hope that sets the scene. Coming out of the blue at approximately the mid-way point is a sudden Adagio where the composer seems to pay homage to Mozart with a variation upon that composer's Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Once again, quite a humorous concept and a nice touch at that point in the composition.
The vigorous accompanying Dance has an unremitting guitar part throughout its entirety with the melody instrument weaving its way atop all these arpeggios with quite strong and dramatic theme , the 12/8 rhythm pushing the work ever forward to a stirring conclusion.
Humoresque and Dance would suit a pair of higher Intermediate players and is good enough to be strongly considered for a stage performance.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar)
DJEMBE for guitar, string quartet and flute
by Roland Dyens
There are two versions of this composition, one for solo guitar (reviewed separately) and this one for guitar in ensemble with flute and string quartet, both written in 2007.
Basically, this ensemble version has the guitarist playing more or less the same as the published solo one. The flute (which is marked ad lib.) really does not do much more than reinforce the guitar's melodic line, although it does have a brief moment of glory in the rhythmic change around the half-way mark in the piece.
I first came across Dyens's string quartet writing a couple of years ago when I read through his arrangements for this medium of seven of Fernando Sor's guitar studies, I remember being most impressed then, and now once again I am delighted to report that his compositional skills have raised this original guitar work to new heights of enjoyment with some superb writing in the strings, Djembe is an exciting, highly rhythmic and exhilarating piece, full of character and energy.
A fine new edition from a very skilled composer,
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar)
TROIS PIECES DE
STYLE ANCIEN for solo guitar
by Annette Kruisbrink
I have enjoyed Annette Kruisbrink's work before when she has been composing in the “style ancien” and this is certainly no exception.
The first piece is Fantaisie pour Mon Luth and hearkens back to the 16th century with its scale runs and imitative part-writing. Only the odd chord now and then betrays the fact that it is a modern pastiche and not 400-or-so-years old. Turning as it does from 3 beats to 2 and back again, it subsequently moves into 6/8 time for a jig-like idea that gradually winds down to a mena mosso and a return of the opening phrase, before resting on the home key of E minor.
Danse du Boîteux is a great contrast to the former movement and although written in 5/4 is immediately very elemental sounding, with plenty of rustic charm in its bare fifths harmony and its modal melody, This is lots of fun to play and could prove popular in recitals. The final Two Days (a reference to the length of time this movement took to compose) is in two main voices beginning and ending in 4/4 but with its centre section in 3/4. It is a happy entertaining movement and provides a fitting conclusion to a fine trilogy of pieces.
This is not too difficult to play and any moderate players would not struggle too much. As for the music, it is constantly entertaining to play and to listen to; so try it with confidence.
Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar)
24 AOUT - Hommage à Alexandre Lagoya for solo guitar
by Nelly Decamp
Here is a piece written in memory of Alexandre Lagoya, who died on 24th of August 1999. Divided into four brief movements, it begins with heavy, funereal chords with some achingly chromatic solo lines interwoven amongst them, Subtitled with the date of his actual funeral one gets a vivid picture of what Decamp is trying to achieve here, This brief but telling opening is followed swiftly by Les Jardins de Cimiex where the composer had her first lesson with the great man. One can guess that the first piece she played him was Villa-Lobos' Prelude No 4, as a subtle variant of its main theme opens this section, Then an arpeggiated section marked fluide leads into a climactic group of widely spread chords before briefly pausing for a moment on a reflective passage with a still centre to it. This however doesn't last long but in turn leads back to a semiquaver variant of one of the main opening ideas. A return to the fluide section brings about a coda based around the still section, ending on an enigmatic E major first inversion. Rue de Madrid follows, a reference to the Paris Music Conservatory, where humour and laughter are the basic themes. A tricky rising semiquaver idea leads to consecutive 9th chords and then to a section replete with off-beat accents and some heavy chordal work, It is quite difficult at this point and players would have to have a full command of the fingerboard as there is little let up, even when an apparent Più lento offers no real chance of relief, written as it is in sextuplet semiquavers throughout. After a lightningly fast run down to bottom F#, a brief return to the opening idea leads the work into its final section, Bis, and being a tremolo movement, is a homage to Lagoya's favourite Recuerdos de la Alhambra.
This is a very rewarding work, and is certainly never less than interesting throughout. This is a fine example of the “Hommage” genre and as such is worthy of any player's attention providing he has at least a moderately advanced technique.
Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar)
PRELUDE KARNÂTIQUE for solo guitar
by Erik Marchelie
Now here is something you don't find too often: a key signature consisting of a Bb and an F#, together with a direction to tune string 2 to Bb, Whilst adding a certain difficulty factor this slightly unsettling pair of directions does not in the end make it too hard to play. The key centre is one essentially of E minor with a foreign Bb in almost constant presence. Starting with declamatory octaves it then settles into a triplet quaver idea with a tremolo Bb as its basis, The triplets soon turn to semiquavers and thence to sextuplet semiquavers as the excitement factor mounts throughout the first few minutes. A climax brings a return to the opening octave idea, subtly changed before a lontano quaver idea in the bass heralds in a harmonic melody which in turn leads into a final Tempo I and a return to the octave theme. A final E/Bb pairing of bass notes brings the work to a close.
Not as hard to play as it first appears, this little work is quite entertaining and passes a pleasant three or four minutes. If the slightly exotic thematic ideas appeal to anyone, then this little work is definitely one for them.
Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar)
PRELUDIO y DANZA for solo guitar
by David Gaudreau
I have often enjoyed this prolific composer's music, published by d'Oz, so I was eager to try out this new work.
Firstly it comes in a newly designed cover which is particularly attractive, portraying an almost Picasso-like guitar in reds, greens and yellows, with a vibrant blue backing. The Preludio, marked Rubato, is a brief one and a bit pager with serious overtones and a couple of meaningfully emotive climaxes at salient points. It is written in D minor with a dropped D 6th string for added depth. A coda on the dominant leads into the Danza which begins Vivace with an offbeat D pedal. Time signatures dive around a bit here, as the common time opening quickly becomes 5/4 time with the occasional 6/8 thrown in for good measure. There is much excitement portrayed in the musical themes and all goes well for a while. A repeat of the whole of the opening material leads to a section in 3/4 which is very Spanish sounding consisting as it does largely of an arpeggiated chord with the second quaver becoming a triplet of semiquavers like much of the Spanish style of folk music. After a page of the foregoing, the original theme returns and everything ends on frenetic set of D minor chords.
Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar)
SUR LE ZINC for one or two guitars
by Nelly Decamp
One of my own personal highlights of a couple of years ago was the CD of the same name played by the talented Ms Decamp. Her writing, like her playing was imaginative interesting and definitely one for your “Desert Island Disc” Selection. So I was delighted to see this come my way after such a long time; having said that the piece as played on the recording was ostensibly a solo with some quasi-improvised parts for second guitar. That is apparently why she has reworked the piece to involve the 2nd guitar more fully. At a hair-raisingly fast pace of 218 crotchets-a-minute with the piece largely written in quavers, one can immediately see that this is for the fully fledged guitarist only. The music is jazz-like, and the first part consists mostly of solo runs with the barest attempt at any chord work. Likewise the second guitar part, while less demanding on the player is essentially the same (There are only one or two occasional chords). At the required speed this little gem is over in the merest of time but is nevertheless a great little item to show off your arpeggio technique and general command of the fingerboard, while going off at full tilt.
This is a nice little piece for a well-developed duo, (or even solo player) technically up to the required standard necessary to perform this piece as it should be performed - fast!
Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar)
ESCALES EN TRIO VOL. 1 for 3 guitars
by Jean-Pierre Grau
This is a great book - aimed at young learners - full of contrasting performance pieces. Hatikva is a popular Israeli tune with some pleasing imitation, and all within the first two positions.
El Pardal is Catalan, and though the bass line is in first position, line two is in seventh - fingered but with no position. The top part is in tenth position but is very playable.
Onto Sardinia next, with a hurdy-gurdy-like accompaniment to a more challenging arrangement in 2/4 time. It mixes minims (half notes) and semiquavers (sixteenth notes) - quite a handful for a learner to cope with. A mixed ability trio might enjoy this, all the same, as the bass line is more modest in its demands.
The book closes with my personal favourite, the Sad Bossa, with each part have little accented motifs to bring to the fore.
Fingering is thoughtfully applied and “borrowed” fingers are notated to help the continuity. Dynamics are similarly provided. Not all the pieces are the same standard, but there's something here for players from Grade 1 to Grade 3 to have a lot of fun with.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar)
ESCALES EN TRIO VOL 2 for 3 guitars
by Jean-Pierre Grau
Companion to Volume l, this collection adds another three varied and fun performance pieces, and provides a little more complexity and scale.
Danse des Sorciers is a great piece for staccato and marcato - a suitably magical waltz, but one which places quite a demand on the top part player, going as high as top F, and calling it E# just to add to the discomfort. The E#, of course, is correct.
Media-Noche has a definite Spanish feel, with the 3/4 time music characteristically modal, and interrupted by setting three minims (half-notes) against two dotted minims - a nice touch that novices will not find too hard. There is some rasgueado work that is atmospheric and effective, and all the while the music is nicely fitted into the three lowest positions. Everyone has a go at the chords, so it's as much fun to play as it is to listen to.
Tout Contre-tango is a little more off the beaten track. Although the “Brrrrum p- Dump-Dump-Dump!” that starts the piece is so obviously almost Piazzolla, the tune drops an almost ragtime rhythm on top. And then we top it all off with some Bach-like fugal imitation.
Unlike Volume 1, this is better suited to a mixed ability trio or ensemble, going from perhaps Grade 1 to Grade 4. The parts are nicely presented with guitar three laid out on the opposite face so that the page turns are all easy. A nice set of contrasting pieces.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar)
EL NOY DE LA MARE for 4 guitars
(arr. by Marc Bataïni)
This is another piece in the “Easy Music for 4 Guitars” series, and it's a well-known one. So short is the arrangement that the bound full score is accompanied (pardon the pun) by three loose leaf full scores, which is rather neat because it allows players to swap parts on the repeats. The top line is entirely in fifth position, and the other three parts are all first position. Line two broadly shadows the tune three and six notes underneath, with occasional and effective sustained notes. Line three plays on beats one and three, whereas the bass plays on beats one and two, This interweaving of the accompaniment gives the music more of a feeling of continuity when played slowly. It's a short review because it's a short piece!
l'm not sure of the cover price, but if [the price] is a good one, the arrangement is certainly a good one to match.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar)
KINGSTON RASTA for 4 guitars
by Christophe Leu
Although quite a short piece on paper, there's a generous repeat that turns this into a full-blown three-minute performance,
The title is so inviting that it can't fail to have you diving into the music as soon as the book lands on the table. Cursory inspection showed some reggae-like bass, some tight chords off the beat and some little runs that sit nicely under the fingers. Looks good! Jamaica here we come...
Off we go then, and, well, it's not quite what I was expecting - some majestic chord sequences - FM7, G6, Am - unusual; and then some smoochy jazz chords - rather unexpected; and all played in a swing rhythm; and with a quasi-fugal stretto at the end just to top it all off. Yes, it definitely has its feet in several camps here.
The standard is quite modest Grade three players would be able to play this, though it might benefit from a little more experience to achieve both the sense of effortless flow in the runs and the precision of the stab chords.
Fingering is sparse, but dynamics are more richly proffered. It's stylistically a bit of a mongrel, but it's nicely different from mainstream, and it's fun to play and to listen to, And isn't that what really matters?
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar)
TOCCATA for solo guitar
by Aaron Brock
Aaron Brock died of an unsuspected heart problem in 2006 aged just 31. The preface is not c1ear but he seems to have been Canadian: a graduate of the Eastman school he was building a recital career and teaching at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. His first CD was released 4 months before his death,
All of this struck quite some terror into the reviewer: what if this piece was terrible, published in sentimental tribute to one taken away so prematurely? You can't speak ill of the dead, nor of their music, in these circumstances.
Happily the piece itself is good, though plainly derivative of its inspiration, Brouwer. It requires an exceptionally high technical standard and is written in a style amalgamating early and more recent aspects of Brouwer's harmonic and rhythmic approach. One or two near-literal quotes are present. Much of the writing falls readily under the fingers and the technical level is raised so high by its rapidly changing complexity and the tempo of the fast passages.
Stephen Kenyan (Classical Guitar)
15 MICRO-ETUDES for solo guitar
by Adrian Andrei
Andrei is a young Romanian guitarist-composer and his introduction casts this set as inspired by the Brouwer studies but infused with the modal and rhythmic influence of his national identity. This influence is abundantly clear from the first piece with its modal inflections and the third piece in 5/8. The longest and most developed item is number 14 but overall the pieces are short and stay within a quite narrow technical remit, probably ranging from Grade four to six.
Most of the “étude” matter present is quite normal to guitar studies, the Romanian aspect imparting a useful rhythmic edge, the modes used making the player concentrate on some unfamiliar shapes.
There is a commendable c1arity and usable friendliness here.I really enjoyed these pieces - but then I do enjoy eastern European music.
Stephen Kenyan (Classical Guitar)
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