The speaker was Pascal Valois, a guitarist and independent scholar based in Montreal. Valois is a former student of Hopkinson Smith, with whom he recently completed a postdoc at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis—one of the world’s epicenters for early music and historically-minded performance.

The first part of the presentation was dedicated to a brief lecture on the guitar scene in Paris between 1800–1830, a time when both foreign-born and French guitarist-composers represented a major component in the city’s musical life. The abundance of composers, coupled with a healthy publishing industry and the meticulous archival practices of the Bibliothèque Nationale, meant that even today there is no shortage of repertoire and pedagogical material from the time, making it a treasure-trove for students and scholars alike.

Valois’s presentation was terse and succinct. After a discussion of nineteenth-century playing posture, he proceeded to demonstrate some ornamental practices, such as portamenti, arpèges, and harmonics, drawn from the method books of Adolphe Ledhuy, Pierre Joseph Plouvier, and Charles Doisy.

For the performance part, Valois presented a tried-and-true standard such as the Variations on the Magic Flute, Op. 9, by Fernando Sor, juxtaposed to two pieces by French composers I had not encountered before: the opening allegro from the Sonata Brillante by Louis-Ange Carpentras (1786–1854), and Five Andantes (from opp. 8 and 17) by Victor Magnien (1804–1885).

Valois played with grace, elegance, and élan. This repertoire is far from my favorite (let’s just say I would die perfectly happy if I never heard the Sor again), but I thoroughly enjoyed this performance: it was light, effortless, and full of spirit. The previously-unknown pieces were surprisingly good—motivically charming, harmonically inventive, and with a sort of ineffable “French” air. I heard much more counterpoint than you usually do in guitar music of the period, and some textures were almost suggestive of the Style Brisé of late-seventeenth century lutenists.

Performing on an instrument built in 1825, Valois was the right man for the job: he took advantage the shorter scale and lower action of the nineteenth-century guitar by slurring most scalar passages and thus projecting a sense of lightness and grace. His phrasing was similarly remarkable, as he imbued each melody with a beautiful vocal quality.

To top it all off, the audience—consisting largely of non-guitarist, with a couple of notable exceptions—absolutely loved it. As I left, many of the attendees were still showering Valois with questions and compliments. I was especially pleased to see such interest around the guitar in the broader musicological arena. Congratulations to Pascal Valois for his inspiring scholarship and inspired performance—he did the guitar world a great service today.

Related posts:

1. David Russell in Dallas, TX [Concert Review]
2. Edel Muñoz in Nashville, TN [Concert Review]
3. The Paris Guitar Duo in Columbus, GA

Review: Pascal Valois at the American Musicological Society, San Francisco (Lecture-Recital) from Classical Guitar

Kithara Duo opened Guitar Fort Worth‘s 2011/12 concert season on September 9th, 2011. Fernand Vera and Olga Amelkina-Vera make up the husband/wife duo.

Their concert opened with a short work by Olga: Prelude and Bagatelle. It was a restrained work, with a lot of beautiful harmonies. The next work, Los Buzos, was a originally a song by Fernand’s grandfather. This was the work where it became clear just how tight of an ensemble the Kithara duo is. There were times when you could not tell where one guitar stopped and the other started. Their tones, beautiful individually, matched perfectly as each player floated in and out of the melody and accompaniment roles of the song arrangement.

Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in E Major, a selection from Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Well-Tempered Guitars collection came next. Again, the tight musicianship shined here. Each voice of the fugue came in and out and necessary. If I could pick a word to describe this interpretation it would be deliberate: carefully thought out and executed extremely well. Two works by Alfonso Ferrabosco the Younger were next in line. Both pieces sounded very much like Dowland — contrapuntal, fun little works. An excellent follow up to the heavier Tedesco work.

The first half closed with another work by Olga: Beings, a short suite meant to capture the essence of several mythical creatures. There are times when modern works for guitar make uses of extended techniques just to use them. That is, they don’t add any musical substance of value to the work in which their placed. Beings is not one of those works. Every effect added to the mood and created a beautiful, evocative sound scape that, combined with the composer’s remarks, accomplished exactly what the piece set out to do. Each movement, Minotaur, Sylphs, and Salamander very effectively conveyed the image of the being after which it was named.

After intermission, the duo resumed the concert with Yurikago no Uta (Cradle Song) by Shin Kusakawa and Oborozukiyo (Dim Moonlit Night) b by Tei-ichi Okano. Both works were beautiful.

Next cam Mallorca and Rumores de la Caleta by Albeniz. To be frank, I’m a bit burnt out on Albeniz. It’s been a large part of the program at every concert I’ve been to in the past year. That said, I would like to hear more Albeniz like this. The duo tackled Albeniz’s sectional forms in such a way that they flowed together better than any other interpretation I’ve heard so far.

Another arrangement by Fernand, this time a medley of Irish and Scottish traditional music, followed the Albeniz. This was a fun piece, and some very creative arranging by Fernand made it a pleasant listen.

The penultimate work was another prelude and fugue by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, this time in B-flat major. Again, super-tight ensemble playing made this work. The duo effortlessly handled the involved counterpoint of the fugue.

The concert closed with Lo Que Vendra by Astor Piazzolla. Great playing here too, but I felt like it was a bit too restrained. More grittiness and energy would have added an extra element to close the program stronger.

See the Kithara Duo

If you get a chance, check out the Kithara duo in concert. They are a great ensemble. If they don’t happen to be in your area, you can check out their Beings CD. It includes the work by Olga mentioned above.

Related posts:

1. Concert Review: Valerie Hartzell in Dallas, TX
2. Gohar Vardanyan in Fort Worth, Texas [Concert Review]
3. Johannes Möller in Columbus, GA

Kithara Duo in Fort Worth, TX from Classical Guitar

Taking the stage after a brief delay due to nail issues, the Paris Guitar Duo nonetheless seemed calm and professional as they opened their concert at the 2011 GFA Convention. The duo, Judicaël Perroy and Jérémy Jouve, are both prize-winning French guitarists who program their repertoire with a special consideration for music from their native country. As such, the concert opened with a transcription of César Franck’s Prelude, Fugue et Variations op. 18, originally composed for organ. A sign of things to come, the group’s interpretation of the work was graceful and bit reserved, carefully colored and delicately handled as if to retain the cathedral-like atmosphere Franck initially envisioned for his piece.

François de Fossa’s transcription of Haydn’s Quartetto op. 2, no. 2 followed, exploiting the duo’s ability to act as perfect foils for one another. The arrangement’s charming voices and characteristics fit perfectly well within the guitar duo format, featuring virtuosic scale runs and whispered accompaniments that rang out utterly clear in the resonant acoustics of Legacy Hall at Columbus State University. As varied as their repertoire may be, the Haydn was a perfect example of the duo’s obvious love for 18th and 19th century music. The interaction between Perroy and Jouve was subtle and clipped, an obvious result of their refined communication. Again, the music was a bit reserved and somewhat subdued, yet the beauty of their playing resided in this, the delicate way in which they handle the gestures and the spirit of this music.

Napoléon Coste’s Grand Duo Concertant followed, building upon the drama an intensity of the concert’s atmosphere. This was the highpoint of the concert, the duo’s quintessential statement of their beloved French repertoire. Perroy and Jouve were purposeful throughout the piece as they built the music up into something truly special for the final movement’s dramatic conclusion. While alive and empowered, the performance still had traces of the cool reservation that had become the concert’s signature theme.

The final piece on the program, Giuliani’s arrangement of the Barber of Seville overture, fit perfectly in line with the duo’s musical personality. Any guitar arrangement of popular pieces runs the risk of sounding out of place with the material, almost like someone trying to fit into clothes far too big or small for the occasion. Nonetheless, the duo handled the material with responsibility and grace, interpreting the famous lines and gestures guitaristically rather than operatically, making the music work for the instrument rather than forcing the guitar to speak in an unnatural manner. Jouve in particular shined in this final piece, exploiting a light touch that spoke volumes more than an exaggerated accent would have. Their encore, the third movement from Gnatalli’s Suite Retratos, returned to the space and lush atmosphere displayed in the Franck.

In a sense, the Paris Guitar Duo are utterly romantic and respectful players. They don’t attempt to transcend the guitar’s abilities but rather exploit the instrument’s gentle nature to color their repertoire, pushing the dynamics only when the music truly begs for a demanding voice. Their contemporaries may enhance the drama and the dance of the format’s repertoire, but Perroy and Jouve prefer to let the music speak for itself, interpreting more like narrators than actors.

Related posts:

1. Concert Review: Valerie Hartzell in Dallas, TX
2. Gohar Vardanyan in Fort Worth, Texas [Concert Review]
3. Johannes Möller in Columbus, GA

The Paris Guitar Duo in Columbus, GA from Classical Guitar

The winner of last year’s GFA competition in Texas, Johannes Möller’s performance in Columbus, Georgia was in anticipation of his upcoming tour booked in conjunction with his victory. Unlike most winners of past GFA conventions, however, Möller presents a program comprised in great part of his own compositions. More than a vanity project, his music has already been compiled for an album release, as well as publication by Les Productions d’Oz. Judging from the balance of repertoire in his program, Möller appears ready to present himself as a self-sufficient artist.

Opening his concert with Song to the Mother Möller expressed a decidedly tonal side of his work. While thick with modern space and atmosphere, the work retained diatonic and folk-styled elements, leaning more towards accessibility while still retaining contemporary sensibilities and phrasing. Moments of serenity were balanced with rhapsodic gestures, all the while conveyed with a very purposeful, lyrical touch. Brave in introducing his concert with his own composition, he displayed honest extensions of his musical personality as opposed to flagrant showmanship.

Möller’s next two pieces were the only ones in the program he did not compose, a momentary detour into his facility as strictly an interpreter. Lamento-Scherzo by Denis Gougeon was the set piece from last year’s competition, and Möller’s performance conveyed the meaning he still finds in the material rather well. Much like his opening number, his control of the music’s modern atmosphere was virtuosic in its sparseness and feel, characterized by a fluid touch and delicate contrasts of color. Perhaps the least accessible work on his program, Möller did his best to give gesture and shape to the agitated moments of the scherzo section.

Sueño en la Floresta by Agustin Barrios followed, introduced with his anecdote of hearing the piece performed in Buenos Aires and being captivated with the idea that Barrios composed the piece while longing for the comfort of his homeland. For such a lush, romantic piece Möller seemed a bit restrained as he eschewed rubato for a more regulated sense of pulse. Nonetheless, his steady control and touch well complimented the music’s personality. The only non-modern piece on the program, his performance seemed to reflect his fascination and respect for the music rather than a mastery of toying with his musical options.

Poem to a Distant Fire followed, returning to his graceful modern sensibilities as a composer. Inspired by the image of trees encircled by surrounding fog in his native Sweden, Poem challenged the audience with its excessive silence and stillness, both evocative and ambiguous. Rather impressionistic, the piece was saturated with a calm accessibility throughout the balanced peaceful and chaotic moments. Currently available on his Naxos cd, Poem will serve as a calling card to his musical sensibilities.

Closing his concert was Ananda, a Sanskrit word equating to “universal love.” A deeply Indian/Raga flavor drove the music, featuring exotic lines slinking underneath a growling drone. The soft-aggressive-soft flow of the modern compositions became a theme throughout his performance, yet it cannot be denied that Möller has discovered a programmatic format that works well for his abilities. His taste clearly focuses towards modern works, and while some may find this narrow-minded, it’s an undeniable fact that Möller has found his trademark as a young concert artist.

Möller is in a unique position. His success as a musician is tied with his prowess as a serious composer, and his upcoming tour will promote his career as an all-inclusive artist. Modern yet still accessible, Möller’s display of innovation and interpretation were bold and refreshing to see in a GFA competition winner on the cusp of a promising career.

Related posts:

1. Concert Review: Valerie Hartzell in Dallas, TX
2. Concert Review: Jerome Mouffe in Fort Worth, TX
3. Gohar Vardanyan in Fort Worth, Texas [Concert Review]

Johannes Möller in Columbus, GA from Classical Guitar

The Brazilian Guitar Quartet was formed in 1998. They’re an interesting ensemble that performs a variety of works, including a lot of transcriptions. When the Villa-Lobos CD landed on my desk, I didn’t think much of it. Another guitar CD of all Villa-Lobos? What’s the big deal?

Suffice it to say this is not your typical Villa-Lobos CD. This album is a collection of transcriptions: Villa-Lobos’ piano and string quartet music rendered for guitar quartet.

Debussy and Ensemble Excellence

The CD opens with Suite Floral, a Debussy-esque work originally for piano. Suite Floral is a three movement work full of wandering melodies, a very free sense of development, and the clear sectional forms we hear in Villa-Lobos’ guitar music. Frankly, this was my favorite work of the CD.

As soon as Suite Floral started playing I was struck by how tight and together the BGQ was. The ensemble playing is excellent. In addition, there’s never in any question what the guys in the quartet want you to hear: melodies are brought out, and other interesting musical features ring through.

String Quartets & Other Things

Three piano transcriptions follow Suite Floral, all from the work Cirandas. A Canoa Virou is a fun little piece that has a very typical Brazilian sound. A Condessa is a slower work that would sound like a lullabye if it weren’t for some interesting dissonances in the accompaniment. Terezinha de Jesus begins with a bold homophonic statement then becomes a typical Brazilian sounding work. All the works were beautifully played, and after this far I began to get a sense of how much thought went into the programming of this CD.

The next work on the CD is a transcription of Villa-Lobos’ fifth string quartet. The first movement opens with strummed chords underneath short, scalar melodic fragments that are repeated and imitated. Like much of Villa-Lobos’ guitar works, this movement is very sectional without any real transitions. The bold opening is followed by a more subdued middle section that features syncopated melodies and accompaniments interrupted by scalar passages that allude to the opening. The second movement is a quick one to start with, using the same scalar passages as the first movement, but this time as accompaniment. After an energetic opening, however, the piece moves into a slower, more subdued section, then picks back up. Villa-Lobos’ use of short, imitative fragments remains in this movement. Andantino, the third movement, opens with homophonic chords similar to the first movement. It then moves into a texture familiar to the rest of the piece: two or three guitarists accompanying, with one or two playing the melody. This particular movement was the first time you really get to hear one of the Quartets more interesting features: two 8 string guitars. Some of the bass parts in the third movement demand the lower string. The final movement of the work opens with some dissonance building up to a break out melody that features abrupt leaps and the same scalar sounds as the first movement.

African Dances and More Piano Music

Three pieces from Danças Características Africanas, another piano work, are next on the CD. Farrapós is subtitled, “young people’s dance,” which it clearly is. The melodies are simple, folky-sounding and syncopated. Kankukus is an elder’s dance, and its definitely a bit more adult sounding with a more complex melody and interesting dissonances. Kankikis is a children’s dance, and has some fun, angular melodies.

Cirandas, the work for piano from which an earlier set of three pieces on the CD came, makes a reappearance next. A Procura de uma Agulha is the first of this second set. The melody and accompaniment here feature a lot of repeated notes. One of two things usually happen with repeated notes: (1) nothing, the musician doesn’t take time to shape them, or (2) they provide a sense of drive that moves the piece forward. Thankfully number 2 is true in this case. A Procura has a beautiful melody, and it’s perfectly executed. Senhora Dona Sancah followed by Qui Lindos Olhos, another Debussy-esque work with a meandering melody.

This set is not the typical Brazilian faire of the earlier Cirandas set. In fact, it seems as if the Brazilian Guitar Quartet is deliberately taking us away from what we think to be Villa-Lobos due to our over exposure to his guitar music.

String Quartet 12

This work deserves its own section because its so radically different from every thing else on the CD. The first movement opens with an angular melody in a pair of guitars, and then gets imitated by the other two. Eventually the work moves into a more free development section, like an episode, before returning to the original melody then moving into a middle section. While the middle section is of a radically different character, certain aspects of the original melody remain, holding the work together thematically. A brilliant transition leads the piece back into the original melody.

Andante melancolico, the second movement, is — well it’s melancholy. The texture of the movement in similar to the third movement of the earlier 5th string quartet: homophonic accompaniment in three guitars with one playing the melody. Speaking of melody, it’s time to take a brief interlude to discuss tone and color. The BGQ is good at both — really good. They have an beautiful sound and are adept as using color to reinforce the structure and mood of the piece.

The third movement is a Scherzo that begins with a fun melody and some pseudo imitation and moves into a section that definitely fits the Scherzo title. There’s a lot of dissonance here and Villa-Lobos is clearly playing with the more angular elements of the melodies in the earlier movements. The middle section of this movement is much more consonant with some catch melodies. The Quartet’s two 8 string guitarists come in handy here: low voices abound, and the texture and sound is not something typical for a guitar quartet. The final movement is begins dramatically, with a few extended techniques in use to create sounds similar to a string player moving the bow back and forth quickly. As dramatically as it begins, however, the final movement moves in a more subdued section shortly after opening.

Wrap Up

Villa-Lobos has far more to offer, it seems, than most of us are aware. And the members of the Brazilian Guitar Quartet, with their ensemble excellence and interpretive powers, are well qualified to show us just what that is.

Related posts:

1. Rico Stover on Rico Nails
2. CD Review: The Coda Duo – “Sonata Andaluz”

The Brazilian Guitar Quartet Plays Villa-Lobos [CD Review] from Classical Guitar

On Friday, April 29th, I took a seat next to department chair David Tanenbaum and took a look at the program for Matthew Holmes-Linder’s second graduate recital. I was immediately struck by the fact that all pieces (with the exception of Brouwer’s Concierto Elegiaco) had been written within the past year. Even though I knew that Linder was an advocate of new music, it was surprising and refreshing to see such a novel program come to life.

Linder opened with Jasmine in Winter (2011), a piece for guitar and flue written by the Iranian born composer Sahba Aminikia, and dedicated to the victims of the recent anti-government demonstrations in Iran. Colors reminiscent of Takemitsu, fused with more overtly maqam-inspired melodic turns, were impeccably delivered by Linder and flutist Sasha Launer.

For the following three pieces, guitarists Robbie Nance and Mason Fish joined Linder as the Mobius Trio, an ensemble that has premiered half a dozen new works in just over a year; most recently, the Trio appeared as part of the Conservatory Project at the Kennedy Center in D.C.

Aminikia’s second piece of the night, Persian Dances (2010), confirmed the composer’s talents in writing for plucked strings, and the quality of writing remained high for Garrett Shatner’s The Transition and Anthony Porter’s needle-play. This last piece in particular explored a seemingly infinite array of texture, timbres, and tones, as a series of short movements evoked the composer’s first encounter with acupuncture. The Mobius Trio played with elegance, command, and inventiveness—the chemistry between the players is undeniable, making for an absolutely enjoyable performance experience.

For the second half, Linder returned to the stage to give the world premiere of Porter’s hair of the thing that bit you, a solo fantasy for classical guitar and loop pedal. The electronic effect is used to create short textural webs of increasing rhythmic complexity, but the loops are kept short and ever-changing. Some of the resulting polyphonic passages in harmonics quite literally took my breath away. Once more, the guitarist met all challenges with unfaltering technique, strong rhythmic security, and pristine tone.

Finally, Linder closed the night with Leo Brouwer’s Concierto Elegiaco (1986), the piece with which he won this year’s Guitar Concerto Competition at the Conservatory. Whether confronted with the piece’s expressive Interlude or the relentless final Toccata, Linder shone as a soloist, showing a deep connection to the musical material. I’ll be looking forward to hearing the same piece with the Conservatory Orchestra next year.

Related posts:

1. Concert Review: Valerie Hartzell in Dallas, TX
2. Concert Review: Jerome Mouffe in Fort Worth, TX
3. Gohar Vardanyan in Fort Worth, Texas [Concert Review]

Matthew Holmes-Linder in San Francisco, CA [Concert Review] from Classical Guitar

Edel Muñoz

Now, almost a year later I got the chance to see Edel in a concert situation. Edel appeared today the seventeenth of April at the Nashville Public Library Concert Series with a casual air about him; what followed was far from a casual experience. The first half of the program consisted of what has been Edel’s competition set, Sonata in A Major, K. 208 D. Scarlatti, Prelude Fuga and Allegro, BWV 998 J.S. Bach, Andante and Rondo No. 2, D. Aguado and finished out with Elogio de la Danza by Brouwer.

After the first phrase of the Scarlatti I knew something was different and was going to continue to be different for this afternoon concert. I can only describe the Scarlatti Sonata as artistic and subtle with an extraordinary amount of elegance. The dynamic range was effective and thought out; even more powerful were the repeats. Edel took the repeats with ornaments, and they were some of the most tasteful and beautiful I have ever heard. Not only was the original melodic line intact and recognizable but even more exciting. Continuing on in the baroque fashion, the Bach PFA was just as engaging as the Scarlatti. I have personally heard this piece played more times than I care to admit to, but this time it was different. It was during this piece that I realized what I was enjoying most about the performance. Edel had mastered his neutral sound, where everything moves from, both dynamically and in tone color. The Bach was engaging and interesting and thoroughly thought out.

Both the Aguado Rondo and Elogio de la Danza were nuanced and stylistic performances. Muñoz played with grace and refinement in the Rondo, placing cadences and allowing the listener to enjoy arrival points, while in the Brouwer he maintained the intensity, keeping the audience guessing and making the closing piece as exciting as the first piece. It was obvious that the audience wished to give him a standing ovation right then before the intermission.

The second half consisted of two Cuban pieces, Mirandote by E. Martin and Guajira a mi madre by N. Rojas. I was unfamiliar with either of these pieces but enjoyed them. Muñoz ended the second piece by looking up at the audience and saying the only word he uttered the entire concert, “Cuba”. This word actually had an immediate effect: charm. It was a very clever moment in the concert. The rest of the concert finished out with Invocacion y Danza by J. Rodrigo and Sonatina by F.M. Torroba. Suffice it to say, the second half was better than the first half. All of the details were there, phrases, subtlety, nuance intensity and every moment that needed to breathe did.

Muñoz played a concert that was on the heavy side of the classical guitar rep but pulled it off with style. The few complaints I did have, such as obnoxious tuning and some strange stage deportment were overshadowed by the artistry of the music. I tend to feel one of two ways after a concert: 1) like going home and reading a book, watching TV or playing xbox or 2) like picking up my guitar and just playing. Edel did the latter of those two things for me. If you have the chance to see him, do so, you will not regret it.

Related posts:

1. Concert Review: Xuefei Yang in Seattle, WA
2. Concert Review: Jerome Mouffe in Fort Worth, TX
3. David Russell in Dallas, TX [Concert Review]

Edel Muñoz in Nashville, TN [Concert Review] from Classical Guitar

It goes without saying that John Williams has enjoyed a reputation and career that is matched by few guitarists. There are also few performers who have been able to sustain a career at his level, both in the sheer amount of repertoire that he has explored and in its diversity, for such a long time. On Sunday afternoon (March 20, 2011), I attended a solo recital that John Williams gave at Spivey Hall in Morrow GA.

First of all, there are very few artists who I will take the time to drive over three hours to see, but having never seen Williams play a solo recital, I decided to go. Spivey Hall is an impressive venue. It is acoustically amazing and the 400-seat hall seems perfectly suited to guitar performance. Somehow, I was able to have a front row seat just to Williams’ left, the perfect seat for anyone (like a guitarist) who wants to watch the details of the performance closely.

The program consisted of the repertoire that Williams has helped to make famous throughout his long career, including pieces by Brouwer, Barrios, and Villa-Lobos. The program opened with all five of the preludes written for guitar by Villa-Lobos. The opening set provided enough breaks for late-comers and Williams seemed happy to warm-up with them, though most guitarists will know these pieces quite well. Following this was an addition to the program, a lovely piece by Couperin, of which I did not catch the name. Next was El Decameron Negro, the famous piece by Leo Brouwer. While the whole piece was played well, the second movement was especially interpreted well and was quite beautiful. At this point, Williams began to display his characteristically impressive command of guitar technique, but with impressive musical sensitivity. The Brouwer concluded the first half of the program.

The second half was much more diverse in its offering and showed Williams’ versatility as an artist and his willingness to explore music of other cultures. It opened with a piece from the album The Magic Box, which is a recording in which Williams explored African music. This piece O Bia, by the late African composer Bebey, was some of the most joyful music that I have ever heard. O Bia provided the rhythmic framework for Williams’ composition, Hello Francis. The next two pieces were composed by Williams and recorded on his most recent release From a Bird. Both pieces are based upon bird songs that Williams heard in Australia and were lovely, short pieces.

Following these was a nice set of music by Paraguayan composer Agustin Barrios. The set began with La Catedral, which was played marvelously and with precision. The gorgeous Julia Florida followed and was played with a beautiful sensitivity to melody and sense of contrast in the form. Next was a set of two waltzes, the well-known Op. 8, no. 3 and 4. These were also played very well, though I could have used a bit more rhythmic flexibility and contrast between sections throughout these pieces. The final piece on the program was Un Sueno in la Floresta, the large tremolo work by Barrios. This piece was handled well with expressive execution of the tremolo, especially with regards to dynamic changes and tone color, which can be quite difficult during the tremolo. Overall, the Barrios pieces were the well-played of the concert. The technical demands were met with ease, but more important than the technical prowess was the presence of a real sense of musicality. This was expressed through technique in terms of dynamics and timbre, but also in musical space with regards to rhythmic flexibility. For encores, Williams played two Venezuelan dance pieces from his recording El Diablo Suelto.

I enjoyed the concert, but I also tried to learn as much from it as I could, and given my fortune in seating, I treated it as a masterclass of sorts. Williams seemed uninterested in the pretense often found at classical concerts and took every opportunity to talk with the audience in a friendly and frequently humorous manner, bringing them information about the pieces and the composers. He also took his time between pieces, when speaking, and when tuning. When starting a piece however, there was no delay or excess hesitation, it was straight into the pieces with ease. I was struck by his stage presence and security of performance, which one would expect from someone who has been performing at a high level for over a half-century, but it is still remarkable. There isn’t much point in talking about his technique, which was graceful and impressive.

I was also struck by the fact that John Williams is 70 years old! He seemed youthful and gave a great concert. I can only hope that my fingers move half as well by my seventieth year. For some people, Williams is viewed as an inexpressive, technical player. I didn’t find this to be the case on Sunday and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I noticed a fine sense of nuance that, while certainly not overly expressive, did make for an enjoyable performance.

Related posts:

1. Concert Review: Valerie Hartzell in Dallas, TX
2. Concert Review: Jerome Mouffe in Fort Worth, TX
3. Gohar Vardanyan in Fort Worth, Texas [Concert Review]

John Williams in Morrow, GA [Concert Review] from Classical Guitar

Autographed Concert Ticket & Program

David Russell is one of the greats in the guitar world. His musicianship and skill are second to none, and he was a pleasure to listen to last weekend (March 5, 2011) at the UT Dallas Guitar Festival.

Russell walked on stage with an easy smile and the confidence of a veteran performer and quietly announced that he was going to begin with a piece not on the program. The piece started off easily enough, but soon became complicated and contrapuntal. Looking back, it was a preview of what was to come: perfectly handled lines and voices the entire night.

Perfect Tremolo

The official program began with Regondi’s Reverie. The piece is one of the greatest romantic guitar works we have, and David’s interpretation was fantastic. Reverie includes two substantial tremolo sections, and Russell’s tremolo is literally perfect: fast, even, and well balanced within the texture.

Later on, for an encore, he also played Barrios’ El Ultimo Cancion, another tremolo piece. Russell appears to be one of few guitarists who understands that the melody is the tremolo and it has to project over the rest of the texture.

A Nice Baroque Center

After Regondi came a Handel suite that Russell arranged. This piece was substantial: long and extremely well done. Both Regondi and Handel have a difficult left hand part in common, and it was striking how legato Russell is able to sound on the guitar. No easy feat. After intermission was a set of Bach Sinfonias, also arranged by Russell.

Programming a concert is no easy thing, and David Russell is clearly an expert at it. When intermission rolled around, the audience, I think, was a bit in awe. After intermission, coming back to the same general style/period of music felt like the concert never stopped. It was as if we’d picked up right where we left off.

Finishing Up

A piece by Patrick Roux followed Bach. Le Bourdon d l’ame begins with a section of typical melody/accompaniment, and sort of freely develops the melody and material for several minutes. The pieces ends with a slightly more dissonant, guitaristic portion of fast material. A lot of the seconds and sevenths and other dissonances found in the accompaniment during the slow, first second make a more prominent appearance in the final, fast section. Overall, it’s an interesting piece. Worth a listen, if you haven’t heard it before.

Russell’s program closed with a set of Albeniz: Capricho Catalan, Cuba, Granada, Preludio, and Rumores de la Caleta.

Albeniz gets a lot of stage time in Texas. In fact, nearly every guitar concert I’ve attened this year has had at least an Albeniz piece or two (or three). I’m a bit tired hearing the usual, and, fortunately, David didn’t play the usual stuff! This set was great, and Russell’s interpretation was top notch.

If you haven’t seen David Russell in concert, please try to. It’s worth it. Seriously, his playing is what guitar is supposed to sound like: beautiful tone, legato, and completely in control of every musical detail.

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1. Concert Review: Xuefei Yang in Seattle, WA
2. Concert Review: Jerome Mouffe in Fort Worth, TX
3. Chad Ibison in Fort Worth, Texas [Concert Review]

David Russell in Dallas, TX [Concert Review] from Classical Guitar

Notes from Argentina

Gohar’s program opened with three pieces from Argentina, including Cardoso’s beautiful Milonga. My favorite of the set, however, was the famous Verano Porteño by Piazzolla. There’s been a lot of Piazzolla being played around Fort Worth lately, and this was the second or third time I’d heard Verano Porteño this season. But Ms. Vardanyan’s concert was the first time I actually heard a well executed, shaped bass line. The piece came to life.

A Romantic Touch

Gohar followed up with Andante y Polonaise, Op. 44 by Napoleon Coste, which showed off her technical chops nicely. To me this one felt a bit rushed, and the melody was sometimes lost. That said, Vardanyan’s phrasing, shaping and conveyance of the piece’s structure was top notch.

Two Barrios pieces followed: Valse No. 3 and Un Sueño en la Floresta. Valse No. 3 felt a bit rushed again, but Un Sueno was great — Vardanyan has a great tremolo and great phrasing.

A Trip to Spain

As all classical guitar concerts are legally required to have some Spanish music, Gohar include a Andaluza by Regino Sainz de la Maza and Sevilla by Albeniz.

The Sainz de la Maza piece struck me as a bit weak. From a musical standpoint, there wasn’t a lot of depth. That said, it’s was a nice show piece, and Gohar played it very well. Sevilla was great: fast clean, well phrased and well executed. Over the entire first half of the program, I got the sense that we really hadn’t seen anything yet. Gohar seemed to be taking it easy, and there were no big pieces yet.

Turina & Rodrigo

Ms. Vardanyan opened the second half with Turina’s Sonata, Op. 61. The first movement was good, but the second and third stand out in my mind. The second movement, an Andante, was beautiful. Gohar’s color palette, which, in my opinion, we didn’t get enough of in the first half came out in full force: a perfect mixture of beautiful, dolce sounds combined with fiery, bright scale runs when necessary. The third movement, Allegro Vivo, was great as well: well phrased, and really clean.

Rodrigo’s Invocacion y Danza was the best piece of the night. The piece, for those of you not familiar with it, opens with a section of harmonics and syncopated bass notes and alternates with faster, more intense sections before the Danza begins. There are very few times that I go to a concert and am completely enraptured by the person on stage. I can honestly say that happened last Friday. Gohar’s performance was evocative, and had my attention from the start. To come out of the comparatively straight forward music thus in the program and tackle the a piece with the depth of the Rodrigo was an amazing programming choice.

Counterpoint and the Big Finish

Vardanyan followed the Rodrigo with two Scarlatti Sonatas. Gohar’s strong thumb and well shaped bass lines made an appearance again in Scarlatti, and the counterpoint was very well done.

She finished the concert with Fantasie Hongroise by Mertz. First up, perfect ending piece, and, second, there isn’t much I can say about this work other than Gohar played the hell out of it. There’s a lot of flashy passages that she pulled off really well, and, of course, there’s a lot of depth that has to handled delicately.

Wrap Up

What I enjoyed about Ms. Vardanyan’s concert was the duality: her ability to handled the delicate sections and, on the other side of the coin, her technical skills and ability to take on the most difficult passages with ease.

I do think there were times when she got a bit ahead of herself, and things got a bit rushed. But those few instances were overshadowed by all the great playing and musicianship. Gohar Vardanyan is truly a young guitarist to watch in the coming years.

Related posts:

1. Concert Review: Xuefei Yang in Seattle, WA
2. Concert Review: Jerome Mouffe in Fort Worth, TX
3. Chad Ibison in Fort Worth, Texas [Concert Review]

Gohar Vardanyan in Fort Worth, Texas [Concert Review] from Classical Guitar