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WINTER 2015

SPECIAL FOCUS: REPERTOIRE

CLASSICAL GUITAR XUEFEI YANG REDISCOVERS HER ROOTS

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CLASSICAL GUITAR CONTENTS WINTER 2015

FEATURES

28 38

Exploring the Americas Pablo Villegas talks about his Americano CD, and more by Blair Jackson One Guitarist, Many Styles Romero Lubambo thrives playing jazz, Brazilian, and classical by Lawrence del Casale

34 42

Solo, Duo, Trio The multifaceted career of Meng Su by Mark Small

The Guitar as Tool and Artifact Inside the Harris Guitar Collection at the SFCM by Lawrence del Casale

SPECIAL FOCUS REPERTOIRE

53

“‘Un Sueño en la Floresta’ is one of the most soulful pieces ever written for the guitar.” —Pablo Villagas, p.28

4 Fall 2015

The Importance of Repertoire It’s not just how you play, but what you play by Blair Jackson, Derek Hasted, Chris Dumigan, and Steve Marsh

On the Cover Pablo Villegas Photographer Lisa-Marie Mazzucco Classical Guitar Winter 2015 Issue 380

CONTENTS WINTER 2015 NEWS

BONUS STAGE & STUDIO

10 CG News Segovia scholar Alberto López Poveda (1915–2015); Banff Centre’s classicalguitar residency; and more

• How to be successful on the house-concert circuit • Microphones designed with the acoustic player in mind • Improve your sound using a handheld recorder

16 View from the Front Row Xuefei Yang rediscovers her roots by Blair Jackson

MISCELLANY

20 High Society The Southampton CGS carries on by Guy Traviss

8 Letter From the Editor 52 Holiday Gift Guide 94 Competition and Festival Listings 97 Ad Index 98 The Last Word

22 Reverberations The Tarrega–Leckie manuscripts by Graham Wade 24 Letter From . . . 4th Changsha, China, guitar fest by Guy Traviss

PLAY 60 Method Evolution of the barre chord by Rhayn Jooste 66 Keepers of the Flamenco Cornerstones of the repertoire by Jason Webster 68 Momentito On recording and performance by Graham Wade

CRAFT

REVIEWS

72 Fret Work Canadian luthier Joshia de Jonge by Stephanie Powell

80 Stage David Russell and Declan Zapala are worlds apart in London

Tools of the Trade 74 Takamine’s full-voiced H8SS 77 Oretga’s RCE159MN is a dynamic electro-acoustic by Adam Perlmutter

82 Discs Berta Rojas’ Historia del Tango, Duo SF, Stein-Erik Olsen, David Tannenbaum plays Sofia Gubaidulina, and more

78 Classic Guitars 1929 Francisco Simplicio by Adam Perlmutter

6 Winter Fall 2015 2015

CG reviews the Takamine H8SS p.74

88 Print Part 3 of Hoppstock on Bach, The Techniques of Guitar Playing, pieces by Simon Molitor, Oleg Kiselev, Stephen Goss, and more

The 25th Anniversary of the West Dean International

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR CLASSICAL GUITAR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT Editorial Director Greg Cahill Editor Blair Jackson Managing Editor Stephanie Powell Copy Editor Anna Pulley Production Manager Hugh O’Connor Contributing Editors Guy Traviss, Thérèse Wassily Saba, Maurice Summerfield, Graham Wade, Chris Dumigan, Steve Marsh, Derek Hasted Creative Director Joey Lusterman INTERACTIVE SERVICES Interactive Services Director Lyzy Lusterman Creative Content Coordinator Tricia Baxter Community Relations Coordinator Courtnee Rhone Copywriter Kelsey Holt Single Copy Sales Consultant Tom Ferruggia

With this issue, Stringletter completes its first year of publishing the new quarterly version of Classical Guitar. For me, it’s been a challenging but ultimately rewarding experience taking the reins of such a well-established entity—trying to preserve the best of the format that had existed for more than 30 years before the operation transformed from a monthly published in England, to a quarterly based in the San Francisco Bay Area, while also moving in some new directions and establishing our own voice and visual approach. We’re still finding our footing, so to speak, and there will be more tinkering and experimentation to come, but we hope you are enjoying the “new” CG. And if you’re not, tell us why. I really would like to hear from you: What’s working and what’s not? Do you wish we had more practical articles about playing technique? Do you like the balance of historyoriented articles and interviews with contemporary players and composers? What current CDs and sheet-music releases are turning you on? The more we know about your tastes and desires vis-à-vis the magazine, the better we can serve you. Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the magazine has been dealing with the

limitations of the quarterly format. There’s so much to write about! But we’re finding that there is a way to extend coverage beyond the magazine. If you have not already investigated ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com or our Facebook page, I urge you to do so, to bookmark them, and check them often, as we are constantly adding news stories, providing links to outstanding classical-guitar videos (we scour YouTube so you don’t have to!), offering a new pick-of-the-week CD or sheet-music review you won’t find in the magazine, as well as exclusive reports on guitar festivals, and much more. Our online presence truly is a vital component of the new Classical Guitar, and it’s only going to become more important as time goes on. Please let us know what you think about our web efforts, too. Don’t be shy. You can write to me directly at the email address below or at our more general mailbox: [email protected]. Also, I’d like to note that in this issue, there is a new supplement called Stage & Studio, offering helpful articles about performing and recording that fall outside the magazine’s usual purview. I hope you like that, too. —Blair Jackson [email protected]

DISTRIBUTED to the music trade by Hal Leonard Corporation (800-554-0626, sales@ halleonard.com). GOT A QUESTION or comment for Classical Guitar’s editors? Send e-mail to editors.cg@ stringletter.com or snail-mail to Editor, Classical Guitar, 501 Canal Blvd., Suite J, Richmond, CA 94804. TO SUBSCRIBE to Classical Guitar magazine, call (877) 252-8156 or visit us online at ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com. As a subscriber, you enjoy the convenience of home delivery and you never miss an issue. You can take care of all your subscription needs at our online Subscriber Services page (ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com/Subscriber-Services): pay your 8 Winter 2015

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NEWS

From left: Noted luthier José Romanillos, Graham Wade, and Alberto López Poveda

SEGOVIA SCHOLAR PASSES A tribute to Alberto López Poveda (1915–2015) by Graham Wade

It was with great sadness that I received the news this past summer of the death, at age 99, of Alberto López Poveda, founder of the renowned Segovia Museo de Linares, Spain, a treasure-house of information about Andrés Segovia and the place where the maestro is buried. Don Alberto, the official biographer of Segovia, worked for 40 years to write Andrés Segovia, Vida y Obra, the 1,500-page, two-volume compendium of Segoviana published in 2009. Formerly the director of an aluminum factory (having started at the bottom as an apprentice at a foundry), Don Alberto became acknowledged throughout the world as the leading Segovia scholar, as well as an authority on 20th-century classical guitar and Andalusian culture. As a favored son of Linares, the city named a street lead-

10 Winter 2015

ing to the museum after him, and erected a bust by the sculptor Alfonso González Palau, both during Poveda’s lifetime, a singular honor. I was fortunate to know Don Alberto for some 40 years and visited the Museo many times. With respect to my own writings on Segovia, he was an indispensable ally, always enthusiastic to supply information and eager to discuss every aspect. His archives contained complete documentation concerning Segovia’s medical history, travel tickets over the years, concert programs, some of his guitars, spectacles, and bow ties, and a thousand other pieces of memorabilia of all kinds, including extensive correspondence. Don Alberto’s files were meticulously ordered and catalogued and beautifully presented in handsome cabinets.

Don Alberto was uncannily similar in appearance and build to Segovia himself, though he seemed to attribute any such phenomenon to coincidence rather than any distant kinship. Like Segovia, Don Alberto was an example of an Andalusian gentleman from a wiser, gentler era, always generous and hospitable to visitors, a loyal friend at all times. I last went to see him during December 2012 when he had already attained a great age and recent anxieties had taxed his strength. Despite a certain frailness, he accompanied my wife and me to his favorite restaurant near the Museo and we were treated to a wonderful meal of excellent seafood with fine wine. One of the great personalities of the Segovia era has passed on.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GRAHAM WADE

Berta Rojas Earns Latin Grammy Nomination The latest album by Paraguayan classical guitarist Berta Rojas, Historia del Tango, recorded with the Argentine chamber group Camerata Bariloche, has been nominated for a Latin Grammy in the “Best Tango Album” category. The ceremony was set to take place on November 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can find CG’s review of that album on page 82. Rojas has been nominated twice before for Latin Grammys— in 2012 for “Best Instrumental Album” for Dia y Medio (A Day and a Half), her collaboration with Cuban saxophone great Paquito D’Rivera; and in 2014 for “Best Classical Album” for Salsa Roja.

MARTÍN CRESTPO PHOTO

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NEWS

Banff Centre Closes Second Year of Guitar Residency The Banff Centre, the esteemed Alberta, Canada-based arts-culture-education hub, has wrapped the second year of its guitarresidency program. The center, which welcomed back the guitar residency in 2014 after a several decades-long hiatus and a change in program philosophy, was gifted a donation to resurrect the program for a three-year period. “We had a lot of specific residencies for different instruments and it was becoming a lot of work to recruit [musicians],” Simon Gamache, manager of classical music at the Banff Centre, says over the phone from Newfoundland, explaining the programming change a few decades prior. “What we did was rethink our programs—the idea was to make space to have musicians come when they needed to, not necessarily to prescribe time; [to encourage] self-directed residences, creative residences.” He adds that the first two years

generated a lot of interest and that the Banff Centre is extremely pleased with the programming and master classes. The 2015 residency featured two rising classical guitarists: Croatian Robert Belinic and Curtis Institute of Music student Jiyeon Kim. Although the reaction has been positive, that doesn’t necessarily mean the residency will be extended beyond 2016—that, he says, would require another donation specifically for classical guitar. The series ran for five weeks and featured collaborations with the Rolston String Quartet, Banff’s quartet-in-residence, which formed at Banff Centre in 2013, and choreography by indemand dance-choreographer Mark Morris. “We’ve been changing and evolving for 30 years,” Gamache says about the organization which manages to stay current in the ever-changing music industry. The residency will be back next year either in the summer or fall, he says; Banff is still in the preliminary planning stages. More information should be available within the next few months. —Stephanie Powell

Jason Vieaux Premieres ‘House of Cards’ Composer Jeff Beal’s ‘Six Sixteen’

Jason Vieaux

Jeff Beal

12 Winter 2015

Robert Belinic (guitar) and Jonathan Lo (cello) at the 2015 Banff Guitar Residency

Jeff Beal, an award-winning composer who has scored music for House of Cards, Blackfish, and Monk, premiered his latest work, Six Sixteen—for guitar and a string quartet—at the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington, Kentucky, where he was named composer-inresidence. The fest also welcomed classical guitarist Jason Vieaux, who graced the cover of CG’s Summer 2015 issue, as the inaugural David P. Reynolds Visiting Artist, and to take part in performing the world premiere of Beal’s composition. Beal says he kept Vieaux in mind while composing Six Sixteen—a piece he says that he named for the number of strings being played: six on the guitar and 16 by the quartet. “The first thing you think is, ‘I don’t have to limit myself,’” Beal told Kentucky.com. “When you have world-class musicians, you want to play with that. “Music is storytelling,” he added, “and having worked in film has really honed my skills at storytelling.” —SP

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Behind the Scenes at La Guitarra 2015 Who knew that San Luis Obispo, a lovely and tranquil city of 45,000 located on the Central Coast of California, was such a hotbed of classical-guitar activity? At least it is every two years when concert producer Russ D’Angelo puts together La Guitarra California Festival. This year’s gathering was a spectacular success from every standpoint, with big crowds turning out to hear concerts by some of the finest guitarists on the planet, attend master classes, enjoy a colorful exhibit of guitar art, and check out the wares of top luthiers in a special exhibit hall. The list of performers was impressive. The opening night concert that drew close to 1,000 people to the Cohan Performing Arts Center was a tribute to the legacy of the late Celedonio Romero, featuring performances by his sons and grandsons in the Romero Guitar Quartet (and individually and in duos), as well as a slick video presentation about the Romeros. Other top players at La Guitarra included Ana Vidovic, Roland Dyens, Duo Melis, Tony Harmon and Nathan Towne, Vladimir Gorbach, Massimo Della Cese, Agnew-McAllister Duo, Jácome Flamenco Trio, and, performing free outdoors, the Incendio Guitar Trio. The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet’s Scott Tennant was among those giving master classes.

Luthier Michael Elwell and festival organizer Russ D’Angelo

14 Winter 2015

Zoë Holbrook gets the Ana Vidovic master-class treatment

A guitar by luthier James White

JOEY LUSTERMAN PHOTOS

Luthier Chace Miller shows off the ‘butt’ of her guitar

Luthier Eric Reid poses with one of his guitars

Upper-bout soundport

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 15

VIEW FROM THE FRONT ROW

XUEFEI YANG REDISCOVERS HER ROOTS The gifted guitarist’s Chinese identity is showing more and more by Blair Jackson

Xuefei Yang saved the best for last. Although the previous two hours of her concert at Oklahoma City University’s beautiful and acoustically sumptuous Petree Recital Hall had been faultless—an eclectic mélange of early masters (Dowland and Bach), classic choices (Rodrigo and Albéniz), and adventurous modern pieces

16 Winter 2015

(Brouwer, Goss, and Chen Yi)—it was her encore selection that seemed to resonate most strongly with the large crowd on that second night of the Guitar Foundation of America’s convocation in late June. It was a short piece called “The Fisherman’s Song at Eventide,” a dreamy traditional Chinese folk song she had tran-

scribed herself for solo guitar and had originally planned to play a little earlier in the second half of her concert. After an evening of so much serious and technically challenging music, the lilting sonority of “Fisherman” seemed to float and dance through the hushed hall, as it conjured images of the rural China of our collective

NEIL MUIR PHOTO

imagination. In a sense, the piece felt like a natural choice for the best-known guitarist to emerge from China so far, yet it was actually quite a bold selection—after all, Yang’s musical education in her homeland was steeped in the same Western composers guitar students in Europe or the Americas would have studied, and for the past 15 years she’s been based in London. “Everybody in China knows ‘The Fisherman’s Song,’” Yang had told me the previous afternoon, as we talked in an empty lounge off the lobby of the Oklahoma City hotel where she and other artists playing at the four-day GFA confab (including Pavel Steidl, Pablo Villegas, and others) were staying. “It’s normally played on a guzheng, which is this plucked [table] instrument with 13 strings and sounds a bit like a harp or a zither. The arpeggios [in the song] sound like water to me; so beautiful. It took me two months to figure out [how to arrange it for the guitar], but I’m proud of it.” When Yang started playing at the age of seven, three decades ago, “classical guitar was not like violin and piano, which have a much longer tradition in China. Guitar is a new thing. Before I was born, during the Cultural Revolution [a period in Communist China during which the influence of Western culture was largely banned], guitar was regarded as a ‘hooligan instrument,’” she says with a smile. She was the first guitarist in the country to enter a conservatory there: “It sounds nice, but there were a lot of barriers to conquer and we didn’t really have any Chinese repertoire to play; maybe a simple melody for beginners. But I really wanted to play something substantial [from China], and this concept actually became stronger for me after I went to England. “In China, even now, the trendy things are Western things; Chinese folk music is not trendy. When I was younger in China, I was trying to play the big pieces, the typical things [by Western composers], but when I went to England and started a professional career, I asked myself, ‘What is my identity?’ I’m a Chinese artist. There are French artists and Russian artists and Spanish artists, and they have their own heritage to play—this big heritage of music, some of which I have learned. But I feel

my culture is rich, too, and I want to do something that expresses my identity.” “The Fisherman’s Song at Eventide” is just one of 19 short pieces on Yang’s appealing new CD, Heartstrings, and the only overt nod to her nationality; most of the rest are culled from many of the big names associated with the traditional and modern guitar repertoire (Falla, Barrios, Albéniz, Pujol, Llobet, Brouwer, Dyens, York), and a wide range of other classical composers (Debussy, Elgar, Schubert, Paganini, Mussorgsky). It covers an impressively broad range of styles and the emphasis is on more melodic, accessible pieces. The playHeartstrings ing, needless to say, is impeccable—del- Decca icate on the ballads, technically flawless, and even dazzling in places. The record- of the guitar, which I want to do. Even if ing, by engineer Arne Akselberg at Potton other guitarists have done [transcriptions] Hall in Suffolk, England, in August 2014, is of some piece, I like to see what I can do with it. Like with the Bach violin concertos bright and full of life. “I wanted to do an album that might get [recorded for her 2012 CD Bach Concertos, to a wider audience, with lighter and short- a collaboration with the Elias String Quarer pieces,” she explains. “I want it to appeal tet], I spent a lot of time really studying the to somebody who is not just a classical- score and comparing different versions. guitar player. If I record the Benjamin When I do a transcription, I know every Britten piece I’m going to play tomorrow note and why I put this note here—why [“Nocturnal After John Dowland”], that’s this octave and not a lower octave?—and going to appeal mainly to classical guitar- why I kept this part this long. And you do ists or classical-music lovers. But I want your fingering accordingly. If you play oththis CD to be more appealing to people er people’s transcriptions, they have their even if they don’t listen to classical guitar own idea, but if I want a brighter sound I will use more open strings, and if I want a or classical music. “I want to do everything,” she continues. darker sound I won’t have so many open “I can play really serious, obviously, but strings. Especially playing Baroque music, I also like to do light things. I don’t think there can be so many options for the finthere’s anything wrong with playing light- gering, but that’s part of the fun.” In keeping with her desire to control er pieces. And there’s nothing wrong with as many aspects of her creative life as posbeing ‘commercial’ if the quality is good.” Besides arranging “The Fisherman,” sible, Yang produced Heartstrings herself. Yang also worked up her own solo-guitar “For a solo album I can do it,” she says, “But transcriptions for several other songs on you need a good producer on a concerto Heartstrings, including Manuel de Falla’s recording—someone with a very good ear. “Spanish Dance” from La Vida Breve, which In a way they’re like a conductor behind she had previously played as a duet with the scenes, keeping track of everything. a cellist; Albéniz’s “Torre Bermeja,” which When you go to a concert, it sounds fine, follows the composer’s piano score more you don’t notice small things. But through closely than many guitar arrangements; the microphones you hear this instrument and Edward Elgar’s lively “Salut d’Amour,” and that instrument don’t quite match, written originally for violin and pia- and maybe the sound of the bassoon is no—“I’ve never heard anyone play it as a not quite in tune, all sorts of things. When it’s just me, I know what I’m looking for and solo piece,” she says. “I like to do transcriptions,” she contin- want to hear, and by now, too, I’ve done a ues. “It’s one way to expand the repertoire lot of recording.

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 17

VIEW FROM THE FRONT ROW

WHAT SHE PLAYS Xuefei Yang plays guitars made by the Australian luthier Greg Smallman. Her first Smallman instrument was given to her by John Williams in 1995 (after many years playing one crafted by Japanese master builder Masaru Kohno), but now she plays a more recent model.

“When you record with an orchestra, of course, it’s different. For me, the hard part of concerto recording is I always want to really spend a lot of time with it—with solo recording I want to start at 10 AM and go to 10 PM, no problem. But with an orchestra they have musician union rules. It seems like every 15 minutes they have a break, and no more than six sessions a day, or something like that, so it’s a little harder to stay focused. The orchestra is like a big elephant,” she laughs. “I treat live performance and recording as two different things,” she adds. “When I play for the microphone in a studio it’s totally different from playing onstage. Sometimes in the studio [on this project] I’d listen back and hear maybe too much and think, ‘I need to hold back a little bit.’ “When I play a big venue, I’m often amplified and I think some of the nuances get lost. But in the recording studio, especially

NEIL MUIR PHOTO

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with these super-sensitive mics, you don’t to try in the future,” she says without hesneed to worry so much about projecting, itation, “but at the same time, I know I’m or about chair noises, or the audience not going to be Beethoven, or even Broucoughing. So for me the recording is about wer, whose work I admire so much. Right now, I feel I’m the most appropriate person details, and that’s what I focus on. “Classical-guitar players spend so much to transcribe Chinese traditional music, time in their rooms practicing and play- because I know guitar so well and I know ing by themselves—and of course that’s my culture so well. “The other thing I can do is encourage important—but some of them don’t really know how to play out to an audience; they Chinese composers to write for me. Before, kind of play for themselves like they’re I had Western composers write for me— still in a small room. Intimate is good, but Stephen Goss [who was at her GFA concert, you have to play out for an audience. The where she played his “Illustration to Book studio is different and you need to find a of Songs,” written for Yang in 2014] and Carlos Domeniconi [I Ching]. Chen Yi was balance.” Having mastered almost every style the first Chinese composer to write for me of classical guitar you’d care to mention, [“Shuo Chang,” also played at GFA]. I want created her own transcriptions, and also to play more Chinese repertoire, but the commissioned works by notable modern truth is we need more of everything.” This past summer, too, Yang agreed to writers, the question naturally arises: Does be the artistic director of a guitar festival she have any plans to compose, too? “Composing is something I really want and competition in Changsha, China (see

Guy Traviss’ “Letter from China” on page 24), enticing fellow guitarists Jason Vieaux, Roland Dyens, and Johannes Moller, to join her as judges and players there. “For the competition, we used all new pieces by contemporary composers, because the new repertoire is very important. There are no recordings or videos of these pieces yet online, so they had to figure out how to play them. “In China, so many guitarists are very good at copying pieces—they find recordings of pieces by Sor or Giuliani or other things from the traditional repertoire and they copy them very well, but that’s not a good way to learn music. So we found these new pieces they can’t copy,” she adds with a laugh. “I got involved to raise international awareness of classical guitar in China. That’s something that interests me and I want to do.” CG

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Featured festival artists, led by Benjamin Verdery, will represent the United States, Argentina, Costa Rica, Cuba, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. The composition competition welcomes the young and emerging composers’ submission of new guitar compositions for solo, duo, or trio with or without fixed media and/or live electronics in two age categories. migf.org Learn more at ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com/ Sponsored/2016-Miami-Guitart

SPONSORED ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 19

HIGH SOCIETY

BACK ON ITS FEET The venerable Southampton Classical Guitar Society has weathered uncertainty, but thrives by Guy Traviss

The Southampton Pier, 1890

20 Winter 2015

Southampton—not the ritzy beach town in Long Island, New York, but the original seaport city in Hampshire, England—is home to one of the UK’s most active guitar circles, the Southampton Classical Guitar Society (SCGS). Officially formed in 1972, SCGS has more than 100 members, a few of whom were present at the organization’s inaugural meetings more than four decades ago. It has had a long and complex history, but it has managed to endure. The first time I researched the society, for an article back in 2011, then-chairman Wayne Lines noted, “Forty years on and I still worry about our name: Only the word ‘guitar’ doesn’t cause an issue. We don’t meet in Southampton itself, nor are our concerts held there. Likewise the words ‘classical’ and ‘society’ can create the wrong image in some people’s minds, but what are the alternatives?” It is a point that current SCGS chairman (and notable regional luthier) Stuart Christie shares, but he admits his concerns are more aligned with the society’s finances, rather than branding, for the time being. SCGS in financially autonomous, which is unusual for such organizations in the UK. “We remain financially independent,” he says, “but have had to make some recent changes to compensate for falling attendance and consequent losses at concerts over the last few years. “For about four years now, we have made losses on every concert, of varying magnitude. This followed a trend in reduced concert attendance for guitar at many venues and other societies. Midway through last year, our treasurer predicted our potential financial demise later this year unless we made changes. We had a little leeway, as prior to this, concerts had made a little capital, which we were working through.” Christie’s first order of business as chairman was to streamline the society’s activities in order to correct this predicted trajectory. By changing venues to save on rent, and rethinking the group’s meeting times, he has managed to turn things around. Now it seems the society is back on its feet, and looking forward to a brighter future. This is, of course, very good news, since the society is strongly connected to the classical guitar’s modern history in Britain. During its 13th anniversary

celebrations in 2002, for example, the society was delighted and honored that John Mills accepted the position of Honorary Life President. This is most fitting, as Mills has done much to encourage the society during its long history, performing many superb concerts. He is a figure nearly on par with Bream and Williams in the UK, and so provides the society with a true cultural asset. SCGS is rightfully proud of its long history of concerts, with past visits from performers including David Russell, Ben Verdery, Xuefei Yang, Fabio Zanon, and Berta Rojas. Its first recital was given by then-student lutenist Nigel North, who proved so popular he was invited to return only a few months later. In the years since, hundreds of memorable concerts have taken place. Many venues have been used over the years, including a sell-out series held in the most unlikely of places: IBM’s Research and Development Laboratory. “The strangest thing about using the lab was that we were not allowed to tell anyone precisely where the concerts were,” Christie says. “The posters had to be rather inventive, but the concerts were hugely successful.” SCGS still organizes a number of major concerts in its Celebrity Series each year. In keeping with the society’s financial independence, these concerts have to pay their own way. The series is complemented with smaller recitals in its Young Artist and Members series held in a variety of locations around the region, aimed at both assisting young talent embarking on professional careers and spreading the guitar’s voice further afield in the area. Plus, there are regular monthly meetings at St. Boniface Church in Chandler’s Ford in Hampshire, close ties with a number of guitar teachers in the region, and occasional one-day workshops. “There are so many wonderful players graduating from the top music colleges,” Christie notes. “I don’t understand why more societies don’t encourage them. They are capable of putting on great concerts and, if carefully organized, can be highly successful for both the performer and the society.”

Stuart Christie

For more information on the society’s future activities, visit scgs-guitar.org.uk.

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 21

REVERBERATIONS

these are transcriptions of pieces by various composers—Tárrega, of course, was one of the great pioneers of arrangement for the guitar. Take, for example, Albéniz’s Serenata “Granada”—the Tárrega approach can be appreciated in meticulous detail. A few extra corrections and clarifications are included in red ink. Tárrega carefully marks positions for “Granada” with a T for traste (fret), so that in the first four measures alone, there are 16 such indications (e.g. T.7, T.6, etc.), not only for the first-finger position of the left hand, but also for other notes held in chords. Individual fingerings are lavishly distributed—over 30 such markings written for just the first two measures. Playing directly from these pages involves absorbing a mass of information, visually akin to reading a page of lute tablature. But that (like it or not) is the Tárrega method, enormous detail is applied to each musical thought. On page nine, Whitehouse comments in his introductory essay, “It has been concluded that Vyvyano di Zanoni [a name printed on the cover of the red book] was a stage name adopted by Dr. Leckie. Considerable research has been undertaken by myself and Dr. James Westbrook, who first postulated this theory, and all have failed to produce any biographical information regarding a guitarist of this description.” I googled the name Vyvyano di Zanoni. The very first entry was from eBay announcing the sale of a letter for 120 euros from a guitarist of this name. In the left-hand corner of the letter was a photo of Dr. Leckie. The discovery of the letter thus confirms Westbrook’s theory. Unfortunately the letA definitive facsimile edition makes the music come alive ter had been sold five days previously, a fragment of guitar history dispatched to by Graham Wade an unknown buyer. The book is trilingual, with text in EnThe Tárrega–Leckie manuscripts have an the composer’s own handwriting, but time honored place in guitar history. Francisco and circumstance have whittled the quar- glish, Spanish, and Japanese. The presentation of the work is immaculate, printed on Tárrega’s friend, Walter James Leckie, was tet down to two books, a blue and a red. fine paper with the utmost clarity. Whitea remarkable Englishman—a physician by In 2012, the Museum Collection of the house is to be congratulated on producing profession, a traveler, a polyglot who spoke Classical Guitar Centre (classicalguitar.co.uk) the definitive book on the Tárrega–Leckie seven languages, and an amateur guitarist. purchased the books and Brian Whitehouse manuscripts. I sincerely hope that uniLeckie’s close association with Tárrega has now produced a magnificent facsimile stimulated the great 19th-century Spanish edition, The Tárrega–Leckie Guitar Manu- versities, conservatoires, and college music departments—as well as all Tárrega composer to write out many of his pieces scripts. If players wish to verify authentic devotees—will be keen to acquire this and transcriptions for Leckie to perform. Tárrega fingerings in the 36 pieces included publication. CG Originally there were four books set out in here, this is the opportunity. Twenty-five of

INSIDE THE TÁRREGA– LECKIE MANUSCRIPTS

22 Winter 2015

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LETTER FROM CHINA

‘BOOM!’ GOES THE CLASSICAL GUITAR A report from Changsha’s fourth CG festival by Guy Traviss

My arrival in China was not in the city of Changsha, but in Guangzhou, the country’s third largest city, located just 120 kilometers from the Hong Kong border. I was there to visit Martinez Musical Instruments, one of China’s largest manufacturers of guitars, and the principal sponsors of this year’s Changsha International Classical Guitar Festival. After a quick tour by founder Alex Wang, I was off on a highspeed train to Changsha in the company of other festival guests, including Swedish guitarist Johannes Moller and California luthier Kenny Hill. Changsha is the capital of Hunan Province in south-central China, neatly positioned on a branch of the Yangtze River. It was the site of Mao Tse-tung’s conversion to Communism, and for this the city has a special significance. Today, it has over seven million inhabitants, a lot even by Chinese standards. If you are visiting China, and you are a musician, the first thing you must know is that the country is in the middle of a classical-guitar boom. This is measurable not only by the number of players, but in the quality of the playing. The Chinese approach to performance is often criticized for emphasizing technique over musicality, but I believe this is now, or very soon will be, an outdated view. Performers for the 2015 Changsha included Xuefei Yang (who was also there as artistic director), Johannes Moller, French composer/guitarist Roland Dyens, and American Jason Vieaux. Though Moller was at the end of his China tour and a returning performer to the country, Vieaux was on Chinese soil for the first time. My understanding was that Dyens’ experience

24 Winter 2015

was somewhere in between. Whatever relationship these individuals have with their Asian following, it was clear that in Changsha they were all on an equal footing: They all shared the identity of high-profile guitarist-outsiders. It was fascinating to see, as so often guitarists carry with them their own personal “brand,” one refined in Europe and America for a number of years. So what about the practical considerations of visiting Changsha, perhaps for a future festival? Bear in mind the temperature averages 25–33 degrees Celsius (that’s 77–91 Fahrenheit) in August, with killer humidity (and spice in the food!). Obviously, English is not as widely adopted in Asia as it is in Europe and elsewhere in the world, though this shouldn’t be seen as a hindrance. The festival organization did a fantastic job of ensuring foreign guests were well looked after. My advice would be: Embrace the difference. The clearly defined cultural barrier allows foreign musicians to get a fresh view of the music they play. Many of the Chinese participants I spoke with (via translator) were completely divorced from the cultural context in which much of the music they play was actually written. Though this can create all sorts of problems, it also promotes an entirely unique approach to the repertoire we are so used to hearing. As for the performances, Moller was due to play what would be the final concert of his China tour. In the previous month, he had performed in 13 different cities. During that time, a film crew had documented his every move, and some of that footage was shown onscreen moments before he gave his farewell concert. This set an expectant tone for his time on the platform, and

in return Moller delivered a memorable program. The standout piece was a set of variations called Five Chinese Impressions, which were enthusiastically received from the first note. Where competition is concerned, Changsha supports a number of different guitar events. Whether you are an advanced player (young professional) looking to enhance a CV, or a newbie looking to gain some competition experience, there is a category to suit you. Since returning from China and visiting other festivals, I am most frequently asked what the competition in Asia is like. I can usually guess straight away that they are fishing for stories of child prodigies and the like. No doubt Chinese guitar students are advanced, but I will have to disappoint when it comes to stories of young Segovias. And the senior category managed to attract a fair number of foreign participants this year, which is impressive when you consider how far away China is from most of the world’s classical-guitar centers. So, back to the concert platform, where Jason Vieaux was about to give his China debut. It had been a while since I had last heard him play. Expectations become high when you haven’t heard a concert player in a long while; somehow you expect the time in between to result in some proportional amount of improvement. Unfair, yes, but entirely natural. I was particularly impressed then to find Vieaux’s playing not only as good as I had remembered, but that the intervening years had added something as well. I quickly recalled his attachment to the music of Pat Metheny, and other compositions that he was fond of playing. But it

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Clockwise: Roland Dyens performs; a group of guitarists warm up before the competition; and Johannes Moller poses with a fan.

GUY TRAVISS PHOTOS

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 25

LETTER FROM CHINA

was his performances of music by Albéniz and other standards of the repertoire on this occasion that really stood out—a sign of a truly great concert. If outward enthusiasm for classical guitar is to be found anywhere in China, it is in the post-concert madness that ensues when guest performers leave the safety of the green room and head out to meet their public. I have a great deal of experience when it comes to guitar festivals, and concerts in general, so believe me when I say that in very few places in the world can you find so much excitement over a classicalguitar player. Even factoring in the relative novelty of a visitor from as far away as the US or Europe, this still doesn’t account for the strong pull the classical guitar has in China. A very good example of this was the response exhibited for fellow countrywoman Xuefei Yang. Predictably, her concert was a sensation for the Chinese listeners,

but it was the arrival of her new book of music that week that really caused a stir. In the days following her performance and master class, a press conference was held for its release. I think it was the first time I had seen people literally scrambling for a classical score. So far, I have highlighted many of the differences that exist between East and West at these events. However, it is important to also say that we are inexorably moving toward what we commonly call the Global Village. Largely the consequence of the Internet and consumer capitalism, the homogenization of world cultures is seen by many as an unacceptable consequence of this movement. But to watch a figure like Roland Dyens, the quintessential Parisian jazz improviser, step onto the platform in Changsha, seemed to deny the Global Village’s influence here. Dyens began his concert, as he begins all concerts, with an

improvisation. Then came arrangements of tangos, then Django, all the things we have become so accustomed to him doing. But not to the Chinese. I can well imagine this concert as an example of what it might have been like to watch Dyens when he was a much younger man. In conclusion, the lineup in Changsha was fantastic. This should come as no surprise, since Xuefei Yang was responsible for programming the event. As a Chinese native living in London, she knows better than anyone what would work. I have no doubt that she will be able to deliver a similarly exciting set of events next year. If you are not already familiar with the scene (if it is even possible to be familiar with a scene on this scale), the Chinese community of guitar teachers and players is highly interesting. The economic boom of China may now be beginning to slow, but Chinese guitar shows no signs of faltering. CG

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PABLO VILLEGAS

EXPLORES

THE AMERICAS THE SPANISH GUITARIST TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW CD, AMERICANO, AND THE CHALLENGES OF PLAYING CONCERTOS BY BLAIR JACKSON

From all outward appearances, Pablo Sáinz Villegas has led a charmed life. A native of the La Rioja region of northern Spain, he started playing the guitar at age six, and by his teens was routinely winning guitar prizes, including the prestigious Andrés Segovia Award and, much later, the Gold Medal at the first Christopher Parkening International Guitar Competition; more than 30 in all. These honors have led to numerous recordings and a globe-trotting career (nearly 40 countries on five continents) as a solo performer and/or a featured player working with orchestras and chamber groups (more than 70 different ones so far), as well as appearances in smaller configurations. This year alone, he has played in Spain several times, Germany, Peru, Brazil, and in 12 US states (plus Puerto Rico), most with local orchestras, many featuring Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. (Next year he’s featuring Rodrigo’s Fantasia Para un Gentilhombre at a number of his symphonic dates.) Villegas has always used his guitar artistry as a springboard to do charity work, dating back to when he was eight years old in La Rioja and his mother urged him to play for the elderly in nursing homes. Within the past decade, he formed a group called The Music Without Borders Legacy, which promotes classical guitar, and music in general, among disadvantaged kids in San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico. He has helped reach some 15,000 children, and more recently he’s shifted his

28 Winter 2015

attentions to La Rioja, working with the help of a bank to start music programs during what has been an economically challenging time for the region. Though he still spends much time in Spain, Villegas has lived in New York City for 15 years, and it was at nearby Westchester Studios that he recorded his excellent and superb-sounding new album of solo-guitar pieces, Americano (on the Harmonia Mundi label) with noted producer/engineer Adam Abeshouse. The disc is a sort of musical tour of the Americas, with Villegas performing pieces from Brazil (Heitor Villa-Lobos, Luiz Bonfá, João Pernambuco), Venezuela (Antonio Lauro, Pedro Elias-Gutiérrez), Paraguay (Agustín Barrios), Mexico (Agustín Lara), and the United States (John Williams, Leonard Bernstein). Oh, and there’s one geographical exception—a tango from French composer Roland Dyens. But it’s a lively and wide-ranging program that moves easily among styles—from folk dances (jaropo, samba, tango, waltz, maxixe) to a medley from the Broadway show West Side Story to American bluegrass (which also features rhythm guitarist James Chirillo). It’s an invigorating ride, magnificently played. CG caught up with Villegas in Oklahoma City at the 2015 Guitar Foundation of America convention in June. I found him to be passionate, articulate, warm, witty, and, like his music, thoroughly engaging. We started by discussing his fondness for the Concierto de Aranjuez and for playing concertos in general.

LISA-MARIE MAZZUCCO PHOTO

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CLASSICAL GUITAR: I would think it would be a challenge to play an iconic piece such as the Aranjuez with different orchestras, where every conductor is going to have a slightly different interpretation and the instrumentation might be different. PABLO VILLEGAS: When you’re playing with orchestras, of course, there is the orchestra and the conductor and then there is you, so in the end it’s trying to get an agreement between these elements, and the most important ones are going to be the conductor and yourself. The conductor is usually very open to what the soloist has to say, because they trust that you know the piece even better than they do sometimes—because we have spent years of our lives learning the piece, going back to the piece, trying to find the magic of that piece between the notes; so they’re open to letting you find what you want to say through this piece. But I also am always open to their ideas, because that enriches the interpretation. Sometimes they might have a perspective that is different from mine and that’s always going to benefit the piece in the end. That process of discovering the piece together is very important. For me, before going to the first rehearsal with the orchestra, it’s important to talk to the conductor, get to know him, and then go over the piece—not only defining the tempi, but also the general emotional statements you want to transmit through it, and the general musical shape of it—the parts where you want to create momentum, the parts that are most emotional for you in each movement. In what places do we need to be careful to play together; perhaps make eye contact? There are all these different subtleties that, depending on the conductor, can be different. And as you said, each orchestra is going to bring a different emotion and atmosphere to a piece. In the end it’s, how do you bring the three personalities together and then invite the audience—the fourth personality—into it? If the three personalities on the stage are in synch, it’s going to be much easier for the audience. They feel welcomed to that journey. As a soloist playing with an orchestra, it’s nice to be open to what the whole group wants to say. You accept it as a unique version in the moment in that place.

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CG: What other concertos do you like to play? VILLEGAS: I’ve played so many guitar concerti and I can honestly say I like many things about all of them. Of course, besides the Rodrigo Aranjuez and Fantasia [Para un Gentilhombre], I’ve played the most traditional ones—the Villa-Lobos [Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra]; the Ponce [Concierto de la Sur] which I recorded with Alondro de la Parra; the Castelnuovo-Tedesco; older ones by Giuliani, Vivaldi. But I’ve also played some of the more off-stream concerti, like Lorenzo Palomo’s Nocturnos de Andalucia, which is a piece that was commissioned by Pepe Romero. Actually, Lorenzo Palomo is writing a new guitar concerto right now, and that should be ready next season. CG: What sort of input would you have in something like that? Is he sending you ideas, or are you giving suggestions? VILLEGAS: I like to give a lot of freedom to the composer, and it depends on how open he is to me being involved in the process. For me, it’s important to talk before he starts composing the piece. If the composer knows the guitar, or doesn’t know the guitar, that’s going to make a difference, because if he doesn’t, he’s going to need more guidance on how to approach the instrument and the orchestra. In this case, with Lorenzo Palomo, he knows the guitar and he has composed a lot of things for guitar. Other contemporary concerti I’ve played: I did the premiere of Tomas Marco’s Concierto de Córdoba a couple of years ago in Córdoba, Spain [the piece is dedicated to Villegas]. Also, Joan Guinjoan has a beautifully written guitar concerto. Another recent concerto I’m playing is called Travadors by John Corigliano [debuted by Sharon Isbin in 1993]. I played it in Lima [Peru] last month—it’s so beautiful and atmospheric, and the guitar is so well treated. Tomorrow night, I’m playing the premiere of one by Sergio Assad called Concierto Popular do Rio. A lot of the concerts I’m doing now—maybe 80 percent—are with orchestras, and 20 percent [solo] recitals. So, one of my missions is to develop the symphonic repertoire for the guitar. At the beginning of this process, I asked

Sergio Assad to write a concerto and he agreed and was excited about it. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Duo Assad so it was good timing. He asked me, “What kind of concerto do you want?” I told him, “Something that speaks to you, to your truth,” and also, “I want this to excite general audiences. I don’t want it to be too intellectual.” He said he was open to write in the Spanish style, Argentinean, or Brazilian. I said, “If you’re asking me, I say write something Brazilian because that’s your culture, that’s your language.” He liked the idea, so he wrote this concerto we are about to premiere. In the last movement, which is named after a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, there’s even a samba. It’s been very exciting working with him. He was in charge of everything, and the guitar parts are beautifully designed. I think people are really going to like it. Orchestras are always looking for new things to play. CG: Do orchestras differ much continent to continent? You mentioned playing in Peru recently: Is there a particular style or strength of South American orchestras? VILLEGAS: I’m not sure there is a South American orchestra style, but there is definitely a style for a Russian orchestra, for example, and there are certain subtle differences between orchestras in the United States, Russia, and Europe. Like, the brasses here in the United States are fantastic, amazing! The strings in Russia are so good, so strong, and can play anything. But there aren’t as many differences now, because musicians travel more—there are Russian musicians in the United States and European musicians in South America, and so on. CG: Let’s talk about your new CD, Americano. It’s an interesting concept to, in effect, unite the musical traditions of North, Central, and South America. How was the idea born? VILLEGAS: Everything started when I met John Williams, the film composer [Star Wars, Jaws, Schindler’s List; he’s had 49 Academy Award nominations]. He’s a good friend of Christopher Parkening and he was composing a piece for the

‘South American music is defined by rhythms, but in a different way [than Spanish music]. The rhythms in South America developed in all these unique directions because of the influence of the native cultures that were there.’ PABLO VILLEGAS Parkening International Guitar Competition, and since I had won the 2006 competition, Mr. Parkening asked me to premiere that piece [“Rounds”]. I said, “Wow, that’s a great honor!” So I went to LA and John Williams invited me to his house two days before the premiere and it was amazing to meet him. He’s such a humble, beautiful human being. He welcomed me into his home, sat me by his piano and we went through the piece over a few hours. Everything was so well-written. After that I asked him for permission to record it and he said he was honored. So I thought, “If I’m going to record it, how can I build a concept around it?” And I had been thinking about how the guitar is so popular in these two huge American continents. Not just there, of course—it’s become the most popular instrument in the world. So I thought that for this CD, I would explore the evolution and repertoire of the guitar in the American continents. I looked at it as a musical journey: A guitar flying in from Spain, and since I’ve lived many years in New York, it was also partly my own story—a Spaniard going to New York. I decided to start the journey exploring different countries—Brazilian music with Villa-Lobos, and different folk music that inspired Villa-Lobos; and his music also has the inspiration of French music— Nadia Boulanger and all these influences from Europe. So it’s a mixture of European influences on the American continents. Like the jaropo, this Venezuelan music is a mixture of two rhythms—6/8 and 3/4— playing at the same time. In Spain, those are traditional rhythms, and we combine

them, but we don’t play them simultaneously. The buleria is that combination, or a petenera. But in South America, they combined both rhythms and create a new one. CG: Can you articulate some of the other differences between the great South American writers and the great Spanish writers? What is “South American” about Barrios that you’re not going to hear in Turina or Torroba? VILLEGAS: That’s an excellent question. If I had to give a score, I’d say they’re on the same level. The South American continent has produced so much repertoire, and the guitar has been a very important instrument for the culture there. If I think of it in an analytical way, in Spain we have the influence of the European tradition, and also the particular Spanish traditions: flamenco music on one hand—Falla, Granados, and others inspired by the roots of flamenco—and also from the folk music of Spain. Sometimes people don’t think about these two roots. The flamenco music is about grounded rhythms: You never see a flamenco dancer jumping in the air! They’re always stamping on the floor. But folk music is all about leaping and being up there—the jotas. I danced that as a kid. These two opposite forces form the basis for so much Spanish music—these two rhythms. I would say South American music is also defined by rhythms, but in a different way. As I said before, the rhythms in South America developed in all these unique directions because of the influence of the native cultures that were there. So you get the samba, bossa nova, chacarera, jaropa. The versatility and diversity of South American music is so rich, it’s been a great way to complement the repertoire of the guitar. “Complement” isn’t even the right word. It’s more than that. It’s helped make the guitar what it is. So, it’s the tradition of the Spanish repertoire and then this huge contribution from the Americas. CG: The Barrios pieces you chose to record are ones a lot of people know. VILLEGAS: That’s true, but for me, “Un Sueño en la Floresta” is one of the most soulful pieces ever written for the guitar,

so I couldn’t leave it off! Barrios is very important to this CD. Back when there were no airplanes, he would cross the Atlantic [from South America] for two months to tour in Europe and he was very popular there. So there was this interchange between Europe and South America. He was so proud of his culture and he brought some of that to Europe and influenced people there. CG: I hadn’t heard these versions of songs from West Side Story. The arrangements are by Jorge Morel? VILLEGAS: And further revised by Miguel Ubis. CG: I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the transition is between Agustin Lara’s “Granada” and Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story suite. VILLEGAS: Well, it’s just crossing the border from Mexico into the US! [Laughs] And “Granada” was also arranged by Morel and Ubis. CG: Which brings us to the American music selections. “Kansas City Kitty” reminds me of Django Reinhardt’s version of American jazz, whereas “Dear Old Dixie” and “Big-Eared Mule” sound like more traditional American folk-country songs. VILLEGAS: Exactly. That also has a story: I was at the Grand Teton Music Festival [in Wyoming] two years ago and while we were there, our friend Tom Miller said, “I think you should listen to some real bluegrass music from this region.” Of course I had heard banjo music before, but [later] when I thought about what piece to include from the United States, I said, “What if I could play some banjo music on the guitar?” CG: When it says in the notes on the album that you re-strung your guitar for those “banjo” pieces, what does that mean? VILLEGAS: I converted my six strings into a five-string guitar and the fifth string I changed it to the prima—the first string. So you put the first string on the fifth and then you change the E into D, I think, and then you tune it in G major. You put the sixth string away and you have a banjo!

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32 Winter 2015 PHOTO ADRIANA LANDALUCE

CG: It has that metallic banjo sound.

WHAT HE PLAYS “My main current guitar is built by German luthier Matthias Dammann, from 2007. Before this guitar, I had a 1992 Dammann. I have played his guitars since 1996 and from the first time I played one, I felt a unique and deep connection. I played my 2007 Dammann for all pieces on the Americano recording except for the ‘banjo’ pieces, which were played on a Paco Santiago Marín guitar from Granada, Spain.”

VILLEGAS: I know! I didn’t want to play banjo, although I probably could have done that. “Let’s make this a wink to the history of the banjo and the popular music in the US.” So I was so excited the first time I heard how much it sounded like a banjo. CG: Is anyone horrified? VILLEGAS: So far, no. CG: It’s early. VILLEGAS: [Laughs] Are you horrified? CG: No, but it’s a bit of a jolt, an adjustment, at the end of the album after what’s come before. VILLEGAS: It’s only about three minutes. These are almost like bonus pieces, like encore pieces. I think it’s good to— CG: Shake people up? VILLEGAS: Yes. Even if they’re horrified. Because it’s new. People are often horrified by new things. I’m not going to become a banjo player! [Laughs] And in the end it’s about music. It’s about emotions. It’s about having a good time. We’re there to entertain and inspire people through music. We are experiencing a beautiful moment with the guitar. There are great, amazing guitarists all over the world. The classicalmusic world, in terms of symphonies, is paying a lot more attention to the guitar because they’re looking for new audiences, and the new audiences relate more to the guitar than other instruments. There are audiences who have never been in a hall to listen to a symphony. The guitar speaks to them. More and more, orchestras are open to exploring the borders [between music styles] that 20 years ago were like . . . a sacrilege, a sin. Look at [cellist] Yo-Yo Ma. He plays Schumann one day and the next day he’s playing the Silk Road [a free-wheeling ensemble of musicians from different traditions] with banjo music and all these other things. All these people are trying different things and that’s good for music. It brings in new perspectives, new ways of looking at music. Why not, if you do it with respect and caring and putting your emotions into it? That’s what art and music is about. Music is very profound and it’s the language of emotions. And our job is to inspire people. But we are also entertainers.  CG

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Solo. Duo. Trio. THE MULTIFACETED CAREER OF MENG SU BY MARK SMALL

When Meng Su took the top prize in the Parkening International Guitar Competition in Malibu, California, in May 2015, it was a triumph in more ways than one. She became the first female guitarist to win the Gold Medal at this prestigious solo-guitar competition with the largest cash prize of any guitar contest ($30,000). But it was also a victory over the stage fright that had kept the 27-year-old virtuoso from entering competitions for nine years. Despite winning four international youth contests (in Vienna, Tokyo, Iserlohn, and the Parkening Young Guitarist Competition in California) and performing extensively with Yameng Wang in the Beijing Guitar Duo, Su had lost her nerve. It happened after she and Wang left their homes in China to journey to America together to study with the renowned teacher Manuel Barrueco at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland. “Before I turned 18, I never had stage fright in concerts or competitions,” Su says. “After I came to Baltimore, my mental state changed. For a period, I felt I played horribly and I lost my confidence onstage. Other people didn’t notice, but I realized that I wasn’t being as musical as I thought I was. “I managed to kill the stage fright in the concerts, but competitions are a different thing. You can’t make mistakes in a competition; they count there. But I prepared well for the [2015] Parkening Competition—my mental state was different this time. In the finals, I was very relaxed because I treated it like a performance rather than a competition.” The paths of Su and Wang crossed early on. Both grew up in Qingdao, China, and studied with the same guitar teachers. “I had heard many good things about Yameng,” Su relates. “At 12, she won the Tokyo competition. She was older and more accomplished, and an inspiration to me. It was my childhood dream to play with her.”

34 Winter 2015

The two began playing duets in 2003, often sharing the bill at concerts, playing some solos and some duos. “We still play some of the pieces from those early days, such as [Radamés Gnattali’s] Suite Retratos,” says Su. “I love that piece. Every time we play it, there is something new.” Su began taking guitar lessons as a child in Qingdao. After two years of study, she won a children’s competition. “When I won, my mother wanted me to have a better education and started taking me to Beijing,” Su says. At nine, she began studying at the Beijing home of professor Chen Zhi, who had taught both Xuefei Yang and Yameng Wang. At 12, she continued with him at the Central Conservatory of Beijing, until age 18. The decision to commit to weekly studies in Beijing required a huge sacrifice for both young Su and her mother. “We’d get on a train every Friday night,” the guitarist recalls. “It was 16 hours one way and we’d sleep until we got to Beijing the next morning. Then we would go right to my teacher’s house or the school. I’d have my lesson and then watch the lessons of the other children. Sometimes we would have group lessons. After that, we got back on the train and went back home. My mom was very dedicated.” Around 1999, Barrueco heard Caprice, a CD Wang made at 16 for the GHA label. On his behalf, Barrueco’s wife, Asgerdur Sigurdardottir, sent a fax to Zhi asking if Wang would consider studying with Barrueco at the Peabody Institute. But Wang opted to stay in China for college. Around the time Su was graduating from high school and Wang was a first-year master’s student, they learned that Barrueco was to play a concert in Hong Kong. Professor Zhi, Su, and Wang went to Hong Kong for the concert, where Barrueco was also giving a master class. Wang and Su were accepted to play in it. After that, Zhi recommended that both guitarists go together to study with the maestro at Peabody. They arrived in Baltimore in 2006.

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 35 WASIN PRASERTLAP PHOTO

Meng Su with Yameng Wang (Beijing Guitar Duo)

Barrueco’s mentoring has made a substantial impact on Su’s playing. “I could play fast when I was young,” she says, “but as I look back now, it wasn’t good. I didn’t work on tone production until I came to America.” She also played only free stroke. “I just thought free stroke was better and never played using rest stroke. But when I had my first lesson with Mr. Barrueco, he asked if I played rest stroke. I thought, ‘Why would I?’ I felt I could get that sound with free stroke, but it was a totally different sound. Then I started working a lot on rest stroke.” Barrueco also provided insights for improving musicality that Su felt she lacked. He instructed her to sing the lines as she played her pieces and not to make a display with technique. “He always says that if people can’t hear your technique, you are a success,” she says. “For example, if you play a difficult piece and people say afterward that you played musically, powerfully, and that it was exciting, that’s better than hearing that your technique is amazing or that you can play very fast. We work hard for the technique not to be heard.” In 2009, Barrueco encouraged Su and Wang to pursue their duo as a professional enterprise. He connected them with Bill Capone’s Artist Management Group,

36 Winter 2015

‘I could play fast when I was young, but as I look back now, it wasn’t good. I didn’t work on tone production until I came to America.’ MENG SU

the company that manages him. Capone signed the duo immediately after hearing their Carnegie Hall debut recital in 2010. Barrueco’s Tonar label had released their 2009 album Maracaipe, a Latin Grammynominated disc featuring all South American music composed or arranged by Sergio Assad. In 2011, Tonar issued the duo’s Bach to Tan Dun, which showcases works by Bach, Scarlatti, Tedesco, Granados, and Su and Wang’s countryman, Tan Dun. Barrueco joined them on China West, a 2014 outing that includes music by Bach, Torroba, Piazzolla, Assad, and Chinese female composer Chen Yi in trio, duo, and solo settings. As for the future, Su will continue down all avenues in her career with the duo, the

trio with Barrueco, and as a soloist. “I want to keep everything going,” she says. “The duo is for the long term and solo playing is something I’ve just started working at again. Winning the Parkening Competition was a very good way to tell people that I am serious about solo playing.” In August, Su gave a solo recital and master class in Denmark at the Copenhagen Guitar Festival. She says she will use her winnings to make a solo recording. During the fall, the Beijing Duo gave several performances of Rodrigo’s highly virtuosic Concierto Madrigal, in addition to recitals and master classes. So it’s full steam ahead for Meng Su: “I am very dedicated to the guitar,” she says. “I just want to play better and play more.” CG

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ONE GUITARIST, MANY STYLES ROMERO LUBAMBO HAS PARLAYED HIS LOVE FOR JAZZ, POP, BOSSA NOVA, AND CLASSICAL GUITAR INTO A MUSICAL CAREER IN WHICH HE PLAYS ALL OF THEM BY LAWRENCE DEL CASALE

Listening to guitarist Romero Lubambo perform, I am reminded of the words of the great Brazilian maestro Carlos BarbosaLima who, over the years, has tried to explain to me what it means to be a true Brazilian guitarist: “In Brazil, we don’t have the strict lines of demarcation—what is classical guitar, jazz guitar, or blues guitar? We just try to play at a very high level, incorporating one style into another.” And that is exactly what Romero Lubambo does: incorporates many styles into his playing on the classical guitar. His many videos on YouTube are endless testimonials to this great master. Since moving from Brazil to New York in the early 1980s, Lubambo has managed to carve out a career that combines studio work with a variety of pop, jazz, and classical artists (including Ivan Lins, Dianne Reeves, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Brecker, Grover Washington Jr., Wynton Marsalis, and Diana Krall to name a few); more traditional classical guitar explorations, both alone and in collaboration with such artists as the Assad Brothers and Sharon Isbin; recorded a number of albums as a leader; and even recorded a series of instructional videos demonstrating his craft. We caught up with Lubambo in New York.

38 Winter 2015

CG: You’re one of the most sought-after guitarists on the New York scene, yet you started out not knowing how to read music for some time. How did it all begin? ROMERO LUBAMBO: I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [1955], into a very musical family. My mother was a classical pianist, so at eight years old I began to study classical piano for two years. At the same time I was playing my guitar and eventually I settled on the guitar. My oldest uncle was a Brazilian guitarist who sang very well; he accompanied and comped chords to accompany himself. This was very important! My uncle played and sang a lot of Johnny Alf tunes [Alfredo José da Silva, 1929–2010] and later on it was [noted Brazilian composer] Antonio Carlos Jobim who fell in love with Johnny Alf’s music. In the mid-1960s, every weekend my family would get together and play music at my house. We had no television, just an old radio and a record player. I was lucky that my family had good taste in music. My uncle also loved American jazz and my mother loved to listen to the big American orchestras, particularly the New York Philharmonic.

CHRIS DRUKKER PHOTO

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 39

CG: That’s a solid musical foundation! What was the next big development for you during this early period? LUBAMBO: By the time I was 17 years old I had created my own style and technique on guitar, very much influenced by Wes Montgomery, but also by great, popular rock bands of that time. For instance, Yes [Steve Howe, guitar; he had studied classical guitar], and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. My mother obviously saw how important music was to me, so she took me to get the “proper technique,” and that’s when I began to study classical guitar at the VillaLobos School of Music, where I studied with Milton Rodriguez for five years. As I was studying guitar, I was also studying mechanical engineering at the PUC [Pontifical Catholic University in Rio], which I entered at 19 [in 1975] and I received my degree in engineering. Simultaneously, I was playing gigs while in college and getting a lot of calls from jazz musicians to perform with them and their groups around Rio de Janeiro. I turned professional and that’s when I sat down with my parents and my father told me: “Go and be the best guitarist you can be; you will always have your engineering degree. No one can take it from you.” And I never looked back. CG: When did you make your move to New York City? LUBAMBO: In 1981 I was working a lot of gigs in Rio de Janeiro, and in 1982 a jazz club opened in Rio and my quartet became the house-show band. For four years every night I played in that club, honing my skills, and every week there would be a guest artist that we would back and perform with. In 1984, the bass player Nilson Matta joined me in this band until we left for New York together in 1985. The impetus for the move to New York came from [drummer] Duduka da Fonseca, and that’s when the three of us really started to play as a trio. [He told us], “You both have to come to New York; there is a lot of work there, and the jazz scene is really happening.” So I left everything there in Rio de Janeiro—my family and my nice gig at the jazz club, which provided a steady income and a chance to play with great Brazilian players.

40 Winter 2015

But I had to leave because I needed to prove to myself that I could really make it. In a strong way I wanted to have what Duduka and Nilson had in this great city of New York! CG: How did you meet up and perform with “The Girl from Ipanema,” Astrud Gilberto? LUBAMBO: At that time, Duduka had his own band in New York City called the New York Samba Band—this is before we started Trio da Paz—and after a while I started playing in that band. Duduka used to be the drummer for Astrud Gilberto, and she asked me to perform and record with her. CG: Soon after you settled into the New York City jazz scene, you became friends with the legendary flutist Herbie Mann. LUBAMBO: When I met Herbie we connected so much on a musical level but also on a personal level. Herbie was a great friend of mine; actually he was like a father to me, he considered me a “son.” After Astrud Gilberto, Herbie Mann became my sponsor and that is how I got my green card in [the United States]. In the beginning, Herbie came to hear Duduka’s NY Samba Band and Herbie liked us so much that he took the entire rhythm section to perform with him. Herbie said, “That’s what I want! That sound!” So he took me, Duduka, Nilson, and the pianist and we began to travel with Herbie. He was really a very intelligent man and I learned a great deal from him. So now, the exposure I was receiving from these two giants of jazz and bossa nova was overwhelming, and the phone calls just kept coming for session work and live performances. Besides working with Herbie and Astrud in the 1990s, I also had the opportunity to work with Charlie Byrd, who was one of my idols. Trio da Paz recorded a whole album with Charlie Byrd. Then, in 1996, two things happened: First, I began to play with the great jazz singer Dianne Reeves and we were invited to do a small tour in Rio de Janeiro. The band consisted of Dianne on vocal, Michael Brecker on saxophone, César Camargo Mariano on piano, and myself on guitar, and we went down to perform with Ivan Lins. The follow-up to these concerts working with Ivan Lins was to work with

César Camargo Mariano; I have a DVD and a recording with him. Our musical interactions are a high point for me. CG: What are your important, current projects? LUBAMBO: Well, the most important thing is to keep my various styles of playing up and running. For example, I play classical music with Sharon Isbin and with the Assad Brothers. Sergio Assad arranged a piece by Carlos Lyra titled “Influéncia do Jazz,” which is written in a classical style, but with open solos where the cadenza is a blank page, so this is one style, and I had to practice more than usual for that. My instrument is the nylon classical guitar and I play lots of jazz incorporating a classical technique. When I go back to Brazil, the people there, especially in Rio, expect me to play different styles of guitar. They are saying; “Hey, you’ve lived 30 years in New York—bring those styles to us!” So for me it’s important to do everything. CG: Is there a new recording we can look forward to? LUBAMBO: Last year I released a CD called Só: Brazilian Essence, on which I play Brazilian jazz classics on my classical guitar and also some of my own compositions, and it was really my first solo recording. People were always asking me to record a CD like this because they hear me perform solos live whether I’m with Trio da Paz or accompanying a singer or whatever the ensemble situation I’m in. I was pleasantly surprised how the public loved this recording. And I received five stars in Downbeat magazine. Setembro, my second recording, was released on September 4, 2015. “Setembro” is the title of a song written by Ivan Lins. So, you won’t hear me play classical like a classical guitarist, nor will you hear me play solo jazz like Joe Pass. On this recording, I play my classical guitar and I mix jazz and the Brazilian groove with the classical guitar sound. Most of the songs are played on my Richard Prenkert classical guitar, but I also play my [Gibson 175] electric guitar. And on the last tune on the CD I use a fretless classical guitar—it sounds like a cello; a very interesting sound. CG

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42 Winter 2015

THE

GUITAR

AS TOOL AND ARTIFACT INSIDE THE HARRIS COLLECTION AT THE SAN FRANCISCO CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC BY JEFF KALISS

Of the many instruments that are taught, learned, and practiced at the renowned San Francisco Conservatory of Music, there’s only one that you’ll hear, if you’re lucky, as you enter from Oak Street into the crystalline light of the three-story atrium. It’s the classical guitar, which enjoys the unique privilege of permitted practice within that shared space. “It sort of has become the soundscape of the place,” says L. John Harris, whose Harris Guitar Foundation has established a supportive relationship with the Conservatory. “And that’s not inappropriate, because the guitar department is highly important to the school.” Last year saw the installation of an impressive glass case, just off the atrium on the mezzanine level, where 14 instruments selected from the 40 in the Harris Guitar Collection, plus one representing a living luthier, form a rotating display, beautifully lit, humidity-controlled, and secured against both acts of nature (braced for any earthquake) and criminal acts (watched over by security and departmental staff). But the instruments, representing two centuries of lutherie, are not just there for their sinuous beauty.

“The guitar is a real tactile instrument, one of the only ones where you’re touching the strings with fingers of both hands,” notes David Tanenbaum, chair of the guitar department. Tanenbaum, the only person besides Harris with keyed access to the priceless display, was eager to arrange for Harris to join him in the atrium once a week to put those guitars in the hands of students, seated on benches and chairs in front of the case. “I take the students progressively, chronologically, and carefully I should add, through the collection, from the oldest to the newest guitars,” Harris explains. “The oldest guitar is from 1810, and I have quite a few from that first half of the 19th century, which led up to the birth of the modern guitar. But I start the school year with the 1888 Torres, and I may explore a theme. The guitar has always evolved, and I don’t think it should stop evolving. But it should stay in touch with its traditional sound.” Harris grew up in Los Angeles with a love of guitars, but later put them aside while attending the University of California, Berkeley, as a writer and visual artist. He followed other whims, becoming a publisher of cookbooks, and provided for financial

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 43

security with wise real estate investments, (a field in which he’s still involved). After selling his book business, he made a couple of his own films, one of which helped bring him back to the guitar and into contact with the expatriate Spanish guitar dynasty of the Romero brothers, who live close to each other in northern San Diego County. “I was divorced and I wanted a new guitar. They were the source for Rodriguez guitars, and I loved the ‘traditional’ sound,” Harris recounts. “I became one of the regulars at their house, where we’d sit around and play.” The late, great Celedonio Romero, paterfamilias of the dynasty and founder of their performing ensemble, had coined the term “guitarradas” for such spontaneous melodious gatherings of players, luthiers, composers, dealers, and students. “The Romeros’ collection of guitars was inspiring,” says Harris, “and seeing old guitars from the 19th and early 20th centuries for the first time was a revelation for me. You could hear stuff that you couldn’t in new guitars. It was in their homes that I first heard a Torres, and a Hauser I. So after I made that film about them for PBS [Los Romeros: The Royal Family of Guitar], I had the financial means and the collector mentality, and I really started to collect guitars in earnest.” Among his early acquisitions was a “bright and loud” Miguel Rodriguez that Angel Romero had used for both touring and recording. “Collections become almost like children,” Harris says. “You take care of them and house them, but then you become proud of them and want to show them off.” He started inviting conservatory faculty guitarists Tanenbaum, Marc Teicholz, and Richard Savino, all of whom lived near Harris in the East Bay (near San Francisco), and they became collectively involved in decisions about buying and selling instruments. With the regular participation of Pepe Romero, they also launched annual public guitar festivals, borrowing (with the permission of the Romeros) the term Guitarrada for these events, held at the conservatory. About five years ago, Harris wondered, “What am I going to do with these guitars when I’m no longer able to play them, when I’ve gone upstairs, to the Harp Department? And I decided, I’d like to see these guitars stay together, within a foundation, where they’d have a role to play at the conservatory.” Tanenbaum readily agreed to the plan, which required that Harris first cre-

44 Winter 2015

A

C

D

E

B

A. 1930 Santos Hernández guitar, B. John Harris with Celin and Pepe Romero at Guitarrada VII C. José Ramirez I label and rosette D. Miguel Rodriguez 1984 label E. Katie Gavelin plays the Hauser II, 1967 F. SFCM guitar students Kyle Sampson (left) and Ben Dameron (right) practice a piece for two guitars from the collection, an 1830 René Lacote and an 1846 Manuel Gutierrez.

F

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HARRIS GUITAR FOUNDATION, JOEY LUSTERMAN

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 45

ate the Harris Guitar Foundation as a nonprofit foundation, with a mission statement to support the conservatory. Harris added a second supported foundation, the Omni Foundation for the Performing Arts, presenters of the Bay Area’s premier international guitar concert series. In April 2014, the first 14 guitars from the Harris Guitar Collection were transported to their glass-enclosed temporary home at the conservatory. In December, in connection with his extended family’s Los Romeros concert at the SFJAZZ Center a couple of blocks away, Pepe Romero Sr. visited the collection and, along with Harris and faculty and students from SFCM, incorporated some of its instruments in the presentation of the eighth annual Guitarrada. “Pepe really worships the collection, as do we,” enthuses Tanenbaum, who also serves on the Harris Guitar Foundation Board. “There are certainly other guitar departments that own guitars, but there’s nothing like this, where students have access to vintage guitars, and the art of lutherie is really a part of their experience. I believe this is the only thing of its kind in the world.” “I want guitars in the collection that I love playing,” says Harris, “though sometimes I’ve made mistakes. I’ve been filling in a few things that I didn’t have, and I’ve been lucky, because they’ve just come my way. Recently, a Benito Ferrer came my way from Granada, because a fellow had shown it to Pepe Romero, and Pepe said, ‘John Harris would love this.’ The first guitar Segovia ever played was a Ferrer, when he was a kid, and Manuel de Falla used a Ferrer to compose his Homenaje. This one is from 1917. There’s a kind of network of small collectors around the world, often guitar builders or players who have a side business, like Richard Bruné, Aaron Green in Boston, and Bruce Banister, who lives part-time in Spain.”

46 Winter 2015

Harris’ Hausers: Above: Hauser I 1948 Right: Hauser II 1967

It’s important to Harris that an individual guitar’s story and provenance as a valuable artifact not obscure its function as a musical tool. Although he follows a chronological line in his Wednesday afternoon sessions with students over the academic year, he’s inclined to skip around a bit and to discuss “schools” of lutherie. “Some people like to talk about a French School of guitar-making, like there’s a Madrid School, a Granada School, and a German School,” Harris offers. Representing the French School in the collection are a Bouchet and a Friederich. As for the Germans, Harris points to the Hauser I on display. “I naturally had to have in the collection both a Hauser I and

II, but I usually don’t show both at the same time,” he says. “Julian Bream used the expression ‘Teutonic engineering principles’ to describe Hausers. The cliché is, ‘Hauser is perfect for playing Bach because they’re not Spanish-sounding.’ When Segovia went from playing his Manuel Ramirez [also represented in the collection] to a Hauser, it was a huge shift, a political decision [repudiating Franco-controlled Spain], and he didn’t go back to Ramirez guitars till later in his life. Hauser tried to impress Segovia for years, and he was influenced a lot by Torres and by Santos, and was trying to make guitars that would appeal to Segovia’s Spanish side. But you’re affected by your own time and place.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HARRIS GUITAR FOUNDATION

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Harris owns guitars made in 1878 and 1888 by Antonio Torres, who “deepened the body of the guitar somewhat, but also broadened the plantilla, and gave us what we recognize as the modern guitar.” Torres was, of course, also luthier to Francisco Tárrega, credited as the father of modern guitar-playing. The Santos in the collection is from 1930 and “still has that power and quality of age.” From almost a century earlier, there’s an instrument built by Manuel Gutiérrez, “before the Torres influence had taken hold. Some contemporaries of Torres were accepting his influence, others were resisting. The shape here is like the Baroque guitars [with a narrower plantilla], but it’s even deeper than the Torres.” The collection also showcases the influence of the makers’ choice of wood. “[Some believe] that cypress guitars are meant for flamenco and don’t have the tonal properties of rosewood, and are therefore not suitable for classical,” says Harris. “But I’ve wanted students to play this cypress Torres, to see that you can make beautiful music on a cypress guitar. Pepe Romero Jr., our current featured luthier, can build in rosewood, maple, and cypress, and what’s also unique is that the neck is made of maple, not cedar. Historically, he harkens back to Santos. But when Pepe picks up a guitar, he wants to be able to play anything.” As Harris’ “children” are removed from their display case each week in the conservatory’s atrium, some of the students gazing at them and stroking them inevitably fall in love. “They’re hearing the nuances and beauty of tone of some of these 100- or 150-year-old guitars for the first time,” Harris has observed. “And what’s even more

interesting is that they fall in love with different ones. There are the colorists, and some guitars, like the Bouchet, may have the color but not the power. Then there are the [people] who want to play really strong, powerful music, and there are other guitars that turn them on. The Santos is particularly powerful, as is the Miguel Rodriguez.” Kyle Sampson, who came to the conservatory as a student after performing with a Seattle punk band, credits classical guitars, and the older guitars from the collection in particular, with transforming his life and his approach to music. “When I started playing on Romantic or Romantic-copy instruments, my fingering changed completely,” Sampson says. “All of a sudden, big, ridiculous glissandos sounded really fantastic and easy, and the top line in the melody would come out better, separate from the arpeggiated bass line. And the Romantic guitars can respond to my emotional feeling, whereas I feel I’m just fighting that on modern guitars.” Now a teacher in a charter school, Sampson has conveyed his historical revelations to his own students.

1888 Antonio de Torres

1888 Antonio de Torres

48 Winter 2015

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HARRIS GUITAR FOUNDATION

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SFCM student Nathania Isnandar enjoys trying out the Hauser II during a Harris Collection Wednesday session

But it’s also important to Harris, in the “Featured Luthier” portion of his display, to showcase living craftsmen “who have deviated from Torres. The hot thing now is to have experimental bracing systems, raised fingerboards and sound ports in the sides,” and to incorporate man-made [nonwood] materials. The first two “Featured Luthiers,” Alan Perlman and Pepe Romero Jr., have not only loaned representative instruments, but have shown up to “present the case” for modernization to curious students. Another goal of the Harris Guitar Foundation is promoting new repertoire to be performed on its instruments. Along with conservatory faculty member Marc Teicholz and New Music USA, the foundation has commissioned a concerto from Clarice

50 Winter 2015

Assad, daughter of Sergio Assad, also on the guitar department faculty. The piece will premiere at the conservatory in January 2016, as part of the International Guitar Competition Maurizio Biasini. Teicholz will perform the piece on one of the guitars from the collection, which will also supply instruments for student performances. Harris will speak at the event. In the meantime, Tanenbaum’s curriculum at the conservatory will continue to benefit during the school year from handson access to the collection. “A lot of education is teaching context,” Tanenbaum notes, “and we are giving a palpable sense of it, what the instrument felt like in 1823 or 1890.” Further on, Harris envisions a student competition on instruments from the collection, performance videos by visiting

virtuosos, acoustic and structural analysis of the instruments (which Sampson and luthiers Alan Perlman and Greg Byers are currently compiling), and even a standardized glossary of terms for describing the universe of sounds of guitars. But the core of Harris’ love for his favored musical source lies in his sense memory of the sound of a plucked string, which first entranced him as a child. He cites the words of Celedonio Romero, grandfather of the collection’s latest Featured Luthier, as spoken in historical footage in Harris’ film about the family. “Celedonio says that when you pluck a guitar string, the sound energy goes down into the guitar, comes out as beautiful music, and continues for eternity. That’s the sound I’ll always be happy hearing.” CG

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52 Winter 2015

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

SPECIAL FOCUS REPERTOIRE

The Importance of Repertoire IT’S NOT JUST HOW YOU PLAY, BUT WHAT YOU PLAY In the grand scheme of things, nothing is more important for classical-guitar professionals, and those who aspire to grow into the field, than playing with creativity, passion, power, and, of course, a high degree of technical precision and acuity. But not to be overlooked or taken lightly is the issue of repertoire. What selection of pieces spanning 15, 30, 45, or more minutes will allow a guitarist to plumb the depths of his or her soul, imbue the material with a combination of confidence and an unmistakable mastery, and thoroughly entertain an audience that might range from master guitarists to people with little or no previous exposure to classical-guitar music? The good news is that there has never been a broader range of pieces written and/or arranged for guitar than there is today—nor an audience as receptive to pieces that fall outside the traditional strictures of so-called “classical” music. It’s not quite “anything goes,” but it’s no longer unusual to find programs that span five centuries of music and include arrangements of contemporary pop or jazz tunes, as well. At the school level, guitar pedagogy has traditionally been quite inclusive, with students exposed to the Baroque perfection

of Bach and Scarlatti, the great early-19th century Italian and Spanish composers, other European Romantics, the instrument’s evolution in Central and South America, and, once that foundation has been laid, some of the more adventurous and idiosyncratic modern figures in guitar music. Along the way, guitarists discover the styles and composers that make their hearts sing, that “speak” to them, and which they are most comfortable performing. In that way, a program finds the guitarist, and if the stars are aligned, that program will move an audience or, in the case of young guitarists trying to impress judges in a competition, sway critical evaluators. So picking the right pieces to play, whether its money or a competition on the line, is a vital skill every guitarist must develop. We recently contacted a handful of guitarists and asked them to weigh in on issues connected to repertoire, including competitions, concerts, or commercial CDs. Participating were regular CG writers Derek Hasted, Chris Dumigan, and Steve Marsh (who sent in their comments via e-mail from England), and US-based guitarists Christopher Mallett and Yuri Liberzon, whom I interviewed by phone. —Blair Jackson

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54 Winter 2015

Yuri Liberzon Russian-born Yuri Liberzon studied guitar at the Yale School of Music and Johns Hopkins’ Peabody Conservatory, where Manuel Barrueco was a principal teacher. He recently released his first solo guitar CD, Ascension, which has works that run the gamut from Bach and Scarlatti to the Beatles and jazz pianist Keith Jarrett. I never thought of a “correct” order of how to learn things. But I wanted to challenge myself consistently, so I chose pieces that would let me try all time periods and also touch on the major composers. In general, I never wanted to play music that everybody else played, except for some of the masterpieces, like Bach’s “Chaconne” or some of the well-known pieces by Scarlatti, Piazzolla, Leo Brouwer, those types of composers. I was very selective. Especially these days, you want to stand out, and one way to do that is to play something unique or different, whether it’s a piece that’s written specifically for you or it’s a modern piece. However, I don’t want it to be too “modern,” if that means it’s inaccessible to general audiences. It has to be something people can relate to. I just commissioned a piece from Konstantin Vassiliev, who is from the same town I’m from in Russia, and it starts off very tonally and relatable—it’s based on a folk melody—but then he goes and explores some atonal and kind of avant-garde sounds, before he goes back to the melody you can relate to. For my CD, I decided to choose pieces from my live concert program. I’ve changed it a bit since then; I edited some pieces and took out some. But what I like about this program is its variety. Not that many people have done the whole Bach Partita [No. 2 in D minor for solo violin]. Of course the “Chaconne” is the popular piece from that, but it’s the fifth—and last—movement, and I think the whole thing is one of the greatest pieces of music I know of, and the “Chaconne” should be heard in context of the whole piece. But I’m also playing the Beatles, I’m playing Keith Jarrett, so it’s not just what people call “classical music” anymore. Audiences like variety and they also like things that are familiar to them. I used to

play the Beatles toward the end, and I usually start with some Baroque music— Scarlatti or Bach. It’s much more difficult for audiences to sit through a concert of pieces by composers they haven’t heard of before, but it’s still important to have [some of those], along with things people have heard before or relate to. I want to keep playing different styles. I would like to learn more concertos. I’m also very interested in arranging music for guitar—things that have not been played on the guitar. I’d like to play “Take Me to Church,” by [Irish singer-songwriter] Hozier. Classical music is going through a change and I think audiences are more open to new things. And I think people want to hear more variety.

Chris Dumigan Manchester, England-based Chris Dumigan has had a long, varied career in music, with stints in folk groups and working in musical theater in various capacities. He also played classical guitar from an early age, and that is what has consumed him most for the past three decades or so, as a composer of considerable note, transcriber of works by Barrios and others, critic for CG, and a member of the Acoustic Moods trio with Tony Ward and bassist Dan Coghill. In the past, when repertoire had to be picked for a concert or competition, guitarists felt that they only had limited choices to choose from. Perhaps this stems from the fact that 30 or 40 years ago much of the guitarist’s repertoire was considered not challenging enough when compared to other instruments’ music. Since then, however, the number of [sheet-music] publications for guitarists has multiplied significantly and changed that picture. Gone are the days that all one could pick up were the Schott editions of Segovia, some Novello, one or two Eschig publications and little else. Now? The choices are almost endless!

There are wonderful pieces by modern composers such as Thierry Tisserand, Eugène den Hoed, Mikhail Sytchev, Nick Fletcher, Nelly Decamp, Jim Ferguson, Vincent Lindsey-Clark, Livio Torresan, and Brian Wright in all manner of differing styles, plus 19th-century composers such as Simon Molitor, Ferdinand Rebay, and Paul Schutz, to name just three, who have one thing in common—they are still grossly underplayed by all but a very few in-the-know. Of course, there is a place for the old warhorses—there has to be—but in moderation. There is no excuse for turning up to a guitar recital to be met solely with the same old Dowland, Sor, Albéniz, Granados, et al, with all the choices we have now. The catch-22 is that guitarists often complain that they are so busy they don’t have time to learn new pieces. Well, they should make time because if the guitar is going to be considered—as it should be—every bit as relevant as all the other solo instruments that people often think are superior, guitarists have to vary their repertoire. Forty years ago there was little the players could do about it; now there is.

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56 Winter 2015

Christopher Mallett Originally from San Diego, California, Christopher Mallett received his bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and his master’s from the Yale School of Music, where he studied with Benjamin Verdery (among others). He is co-owner and teacher at the California Conservatory of Guitar, and performs both as a solo guitarist and as part of DuoSF with Robert Miller. His solo album, The Porcelain Tower, and DuoSF’s Corta Jaca, are reviewed on page 83. When I came up, going through school and the conservatory, you were required to play the standard pieces—Bach, some Fernando Sor, [Mauro] Giuliani; something from all the different eras, because what it’s really about is making yourself more well-rounded as a musician, so you’re ready for any situation as a professional. With my students, I try to make the repertoire very broad for them, so they’re able to tackle a Bach sonata or one of the cello suites, and they’re able to do a classical sonata as well, so they understand the form and can analyze the music, eventually without the teacher’s help. In competitions you’ll run across guitarists who try to impress [the judges] by playing some really difficult piece, and [as a judge] it is nice to hear some things that are different from the usual pieces, but really what’s most important is not what the piece is as much as if it’s played well.

If it’s a simple piece but they really handle it well—if they have all the dynamics and the phrasing down—compared to someone who plays some huge piece by [Johann Kaspar] Mertz, or something they obviously aren’t ready to play, we’ll choose the person who has control over the piece. It’s important that players know their own limits. [As for creating a program to play for a concert], I think it’s important to have variety, and they should be thinking beyond the guitarists [in the audience], because our goal is to spread music to the general public. As an instrument that’s not as big as the violin or the piano, I think we should be playing these pieces for an audience we have to expect has never heard them before, so if that means playing some of the more popular “warhorses,” they will be new to some people and many of them are great pieces. I also think in small doses you can throw in some modern pieces for any audience. I don’t think you want to go in and play a full program of [Luciano] Berio and Milton Babbitt. But there are certain 20th-century composers audiences really like, such as Nikita Koshkin, Dusan Bogdanovic, Sergio Assad, and [Leo] Brouwer. You can program a couple of pieces like that and even an audience that’s new to classical guitar will probably enjoy it. Like at Marcin Dylla’s concert [in San Francisco in April 2015, reviewed in the Fall 2015 issue of CG]—he

played a lot of new music, but he was able to convey it in a way that showed he was clearly in total control, so the audience felt comfortable and safe listening to it. On the other side of that, I think some people in the audience like knowing that there is a pop influence in [some pieces], because now a lot of audiences that go to these concerts are people who don’t strictly listen to classical music. They might have been raised on the Beatles and classic rock. So going to a classical-guitar concert and hearing a Beatles song is maybe nostalgic for them, but it can show them something new and different about these songs they know, because of the arrangements. For my debut solo album [The Porcelain Tower], I didn’t set out to play standard repertoire, but I did throw in a little Villa-Lobos. I wanted to play things I really enjoyed and which I felt inspired me as a musician. I thought, “If I love it, I can play it in a way that listeners will enjoy it.” I knew it wasn’t going to sell a million copies, so I wanted to have fun. I wasn’t out to make something heavy that I was forcing upon people. I was hoping people would hear it and, if they liked something, it might lead them to explore other genres and even explore beyond classical guitar—maybe look at more modern music and help them understand that all modern music isn’t really crazy.

REPERTOIRE FOR CONSERVATOIRES If you’d like to get a sense of the range of suggested classicalguitar repertoire that turns up on exams given by a couple of the top groups in England—and also utilized in many places around the world—go to the website of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (abrsm.org) and Trinity College (trinitycollege.com). Another valuable repertoire resource is a just-published book by Arnaud Sans called Approche du repertoire de la guitare, (published by Éditions L’empreinte mélodique, with French, English, and Spanish text) which contains extensive lists of pieces that have been used by the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, and the Confédération Musicale de France, as part of their competitions and entrance criteria; plus, breakdowns of pieces by chronology, composer, and degree of difficulty.

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 57

SPECIAL FOCUS REPERTOIRE

Derek Hasted

Steve Marsh A music reviewer for CG for more than 30 years now, Steve Marsh of Derbyshire (UK), is a guitar teacher, player, and prolific composer and arranger with more than 300 works to his credit, many of them published by top music houses in Europe and the US, and some of which have been used in the examination syllabus of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Associated Board of the Royal College of Music. In 2000 he formed Lathkill Music Publishers, which has published a wide variety of classical works by many composers. In my experience, adjudicators of highergrade and diploma-level guitarists expect the majority, if not all, of the following abilities when judging a performance: The player needs to demonstrate the ability to construct a thoughtful, contrasting program, taking in pieces from a wide range of periods and styles (unless it is a more specific “themed” program). He or she should exhibit a sense of musical insight and a confident understanding of the various stylistic differences between the chosen pieces, which in themselves should contain a range of techniques. Whatever program is chosen, the player should try and strongly communicate their passion for each particular item. With regard to the repertoire, the player

58 Winter 2015

should be aware that choosing “celebrated” works which have been heard countless times will understandably invite comparisons with the best of them, and unless the player has something different to give to the interpretation of these pieces, they should be chosen with care. Music that stretches the technical and/ or musical boundaries of the performer should be avoided; a beautiful performance of, say, Francisco Tárrega’s “Lágrima” is far and away better, and more preferable, than a lukewarm version of Isaac Albéniz’s oftplayed “Asturias.” Herewith, some suggested repertoire representing composers from the 16th century to the present in a variety of styles. (Obviously time restraints may limit the number of movements performed in the larger works): Eduardo Sainz de la Maza: “Hommage a la Guitare” and “Campanas del Alba;” Sergio Assad: Sonata No. 1; Daniel Bachelar: “Monsieur’s Almaine;” J. S. Bach: Lute Suite No. 2 BWV 997; Agustín Barrios: “Danza Paraguaya No. 1” and “Prelude in C minor;” Leo Brouwer: “El Decameron Negro;” Abel Carlevaro: “Campo” and “Tamboriles” (from Preludios Americanos); Mario CastelnuovoTedesco: “Tonadilla on the name ‘Andres Segovia’” and “Capriccio Diabolico;” Johann Kaspar Mertz: “Hungarian Fantasy” and “Elegie;” Manuel Ponce: Sonata Romántica. Giulio Regondi: “Reverie-Nocturne;” Joaquín Rodrigo: “Passacaglia (from Tres Piezas Espanolas); Fernando Sor: “Grand Solo Op.14;” Francisco Tárrega: A small set made up from a selection of his miniatures, such as “Adelita,” “Marieta,” and “Maria;” Milan Tesar: Four Ballad Stories; Mauro Giuliani: “Grand Overture Op. 61;” John Dowland: “Lachrimae Pavan;” Roland Dyens: “Felicidade.”

Veteran CG writer and UK South Coast denizen Derek Hasted first started teaching guitar when he was 15, long before receiving a degree at Cambridge and being awarded a diploma from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. In 1988 he founded the Guitar Workshop and formed what is now known as the Hampshire Guitar Orchestra [HAGO]. Besides leading the ensemble, he has contributed many arrangements for the group. There’s a temptation to say that guitar competitions are primarily a measure of technical prowess, and it’s true that recent competition winners have shown a level of ability that even as little as a generation ago would have made eyes water. But a diet of nothing but technical showmanship is not a balanced diet, and a successful program will allow a player’s breadth of expression as much room as his depth of ability. As someone who has left it rather too late to storm to the top, I have nonetheless programmed-up and played in about 175 concerts, and there’s no doubt that a fastpaced “crowd-pleaser” always gets more applause. But just as a diet of fast food quickly loses appeal, so does a concert of technical showmanship—I sat through one of those a few years ago and my initial astonishment at the technical prowess soon gave rise to mischievous thoughts of “onetrick ponies” and eventual boredom. My own program choices are steered by something an old friend of mine—chairman of a local theater—once said to me: “Make ’em laugh, and then make ’em cry.” In other words, take the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotion. The guitar isn’t as efficient at peppering the audience with notes as a piano or violin, but it has a unique mix of polyphony, vibrato, tone, and volume. And ultimately, it is the mastery of these that will serve a competition winner well when he later has to impress audiences to earn a living.I’d hate to think of a fast player only being able to afford fast food, while a player who takes time to shape every note and every phrase using the full range of the guitar, can dine in a restaurant with a full range of food. CG

How to use barre chords in classical-guitar music p. 60

PLAY Method

Keepers of the Flamenco

Momentito

The evolution of the barre chord 60

Cornerstones of the repertoire 66

On recording and performance 68

JOEY LUSTERMAN PHOTO

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 59

METHOD

the CAGED system (C-A-G-E-D), based on barre chords. So the question arises: Are there any new insights into this technique? This article aspires to shed some new light onto this familiar topic by examining the various types of barre chords available, beginning with the basic shapes and then delving further into more complex fingerings. This is neither an exhaustive search nor a historical appraisal; rather it is intended as a reference for the various types of barres available and their use.

Agustín Barrios

THE EVOLUTION OF THE BARRE CHORD How the simple barre was innovated by one guitarist by Rhayn Jooste Where would we be without the humble barre chord? An integral part of the classicalguitar landscape, it would be impossible to play “Etude No. 13” from Sor’s Op. 29, Gi-

60 Winter 2015

uliani’s “Grand Overture,” or the opening of the Concierto de Aranjuez’s famous second movement without it. Indeed, there is an entire fretboard geography method, called

TECHNICAL STUFF Let’s cover some common theoretical and technical ground before diving into the shapes. The barre chord symbol in guitar music is usually indicated by a C, which is derived from its Spanish name cejilla (“nut” in English)—as there has been no editorial consensus to these shorthand symbols, for it is possible to find others such as a “B” for barre. It is commonly found with a Roman numeral to indicate its relative position on the fretboard. Barre chords are mostly derived from open string chord shapes, the barre being employed to move that chord shape into a different key. Or simply put, your left hand first finger taking over the role of the nut. This technique requires correct thumb placement, behind the first finger, to support the pressure; along with a slight twist to expose the outside bony edge of the finger. However, fingers, being unique to each person, range in shape and size, so some experimentation is required to find the perfect fit. As music has become more technical and ambitious, so the barre chord has evolved to meet these challenges. This is evident in the four types of available barre chords: the full barre, the half barre, the hinge barre, and the cross barre. Each one has a specific function and is used to achieve the musical requirements of a particular piece and its key signature. Thus, the further you travel away from C major around the cycle of five, the more frequently you will employ barres. Let’s examine the four types, beginning with common knowledge and then moving onto newer material (for some of you).

FULL BARRE There are a plethora of shapes to be utilized with a full barre, however most of these are derived from open string chord shapes, commonly referred to as cowboy chords. Realistically, there are only three practical shapes: G, A, and E; of which the two most commonly used are the E and A shapes. These shapes can be combined to play a multitude of pieces and songs. As they are so common, it is worth noting the contour they make on the stave, i.e. the spacing. This does not change as the chord moves into a new key. So the chord of F♯ major has the same structure as the six-string E shape (Fig. 1); the shape has just been moved up two frets and the fingers rearranged to allow the first finger to barre. The B♭

major chord has the same structure as the 5-string A shape, just moved up one fret, again employing the first finger as a barre. (Fig.2) This knowledge is handy for sight-reading big chord shapes, and therefore worth memorizing. The open G shape when barred is slightly more complex and requires the left hand to have sufficient stretching capabilities between fingers. Agustín Barrios is one of the few guitar composers to employ it—see bars 25 to 27 in the third movement of La Catedral, where he exploits it to imitate the sound and swing of cathedral bells. (Fig. 3) The CAGED system is a great place to explore these basic shapes, as it utilizes five chord shapes to acquire the fretboard notes in all keys.

Fig. 1

Full barre B

Fig. 2

FIG. 1

FIG. 2

CII

CII

1 1 2 4 3 1

1 3 2

0 0 1 2 2 0

1 4 3 2 1

4 3 2

2 2 3 4 4 2

0 2 2 2 0

1 3 3 3 1

Fig. 3 FIG. 3

25

CII

CIV 4 2

1

1

3

7 5

4

7 4

4

4

5

4

5 4

4 7

4

2

5 2

2

2

4

2

3 2

2 5

2

0

3 0

0

0

2

0

0

0 3

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 61

♭

1

METHOD

HALF BARRE The half barre is used to play not only chords, but scales and melodic fragments. It is traditionally used in combinations of two, three, or four strings, but can be also be worked into a hinge barre (see below) when employed on the bass strings. Chord shapes such as the open D become half barres when moved up the FIG. 4

fretboard. In order for this barre to function properly, the left hand first finger has to flex at the distal interphalangeal joint commonly referred to as the DIP joint, or for us guitarists, the tip joint. Leo Brouwer’s “Estudio No. VIII,” from Nuevos Estudios Sencillos, makes effective use of the half barre in bars 10 to 11 (denoted by the 1/2C in the music, alternatively ₵). (Fig.4) Half barre

Fig. 4 1/2CV

10

1/2CV

1 1

3

1/2CII 2 3

2 1

5 5 7

0 0 6

0

5 5 7

0 0 6

3 4 2

0

2 2 2

3 4 2

0

0

2 2 2

3 4 2

0

0

Fig. 5

Fig. 5

HINGE BARRE There are two types of hinge barres—a bottom hinge and a top hinge; these are the first evolutionary steps away from the traditional barre chord. These barres are employed for facilitating movement on the fretboard. Generally, a hinge barre (denoted by the “H.C” in the music) assists a change into and out of a full barre chord in places where polyphony dictates open strings or notes are required rapidly after. It is worth noting that both types are more a technique than an actual chord shape. The bottom hinge is best described as a pre-barre. The left hand first finger hinges on string 1 like a door away from the other strings; hence name. It is deployed H.CIIits CII where open notes are required with a melody before a barre chord, such as bar 21 of 4 1 1 Bach’s “Bouree” from BWV 996 (Fig. 5), or before and after a full barre, such as bars 2 to 4 of “Caprice No. 29” 1from Legnani’s Op. 20. (Fig. 6) 0

5

3

2

0

62 Winter 2015

2 0

2 2

2 2 2

Fig. 6

FIG. 5

H.CII CII

21

1

CII

2 4

1

1

0

5

3

2

0

2

2

0

Bottom Hinge

5

Top Hinge

2

Fig. 6

2

FIG. 6

2

H.CII

CII

4

5 2

4

4

2

2

2

5

CII 3

4

1

2

2

4

4

2

2

2

4

4

2

2

2

The top hinge practically is a half barre. However, it is placed in this category because it is used with open strings as a hinge. It is utilized to great effect by Villa-Lobos in bars 30 to 31 of “Etude No. 7.” (Fig.7)

knowledge) no one has acknowledged the use of the forward barre within his music. Barrios was influenced by jazz, in which the forward barre is used extensively. I would postulate that given these influences, and because Barrios already employed the reverse barre, it is no stretch of the imagination to discover cross barre chords in both directions within his pieces. The reverse cross barre (denoted by the Greek χ in the music) found in bar 28 of Barrios’ “Choro de Saudade,” is where the first finger holds down a main fret with the lower half of the finger and points to the left, away from the body, to fret a bass note. (Fig.8)

CROSS BARRE The cross barre can be considered the pinnacle of the barre chord’s evolution, and again it was Barrios who further innovated this technique. The cross barre is where the first finger holds down a series of notes across two adjoining frets. There are two types of cross barres—forward and reverse. The reverse cross barre is already associated with Barrios, however (to my

Reverse cross barre

FIG. 7

30

H.CX

1

0 1

28

3

0

14 0 0 12 10 10

FIG. 8

H.CXI

4

0

0

0 12

0

15 0 0 13 11 11

0 12

0

0

0 13

0

0

0

13

0 13

0 0

2

13

Fig. 8 χ .CII

CII 4

4

1 2

1 2

1

2

FIGS. 3, 8, 9 THE COMPLETE WORKS OF AGUSTIN BARRIOS MANGORE VOL. 1 & 2 (2003) RICHARD “RICO” STOVER MEL BAY PACIFIC

1

6 2

6 2

5

5

6 2

6 2

5

5

1

FIG. 4 NUEVOS ESTUDIOS SENCILLOS (2002) LEO BROUWER CHESTER MUSIC

6 8 7

6 8 7

6 8 7

8 8 7

0

FIG. 5 BACH LUTE SUITES FOR GUITAR (1980) JERRY WILLARD ARIEL PUBLICATIONS

FIG. 6 LUIGI LEGNANI 36 CAPRICES OP. 20 (1986) SIMON WYNBERG (ED) CHANTERELLE

6 8 7 0

FIG. 7 VILLA-LOBOS COLLECTED WORKS FOR SOLO GUITAR (1990) EDITIONS MAX ESCHIG

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METHOD

For the forward cross barre found in bar 7 of Barrios’ “Preludio en Do Menor,” the first finger holds down a main fret with the lower half of the finger and then points toward the body to fret one or more bass notes. (Fig. 9) This type of cross barre is used often in jazz guitar today, probably due to the guitar neck being thinner and the mu-

sical language constantly asking for more harmonic sophistication. Barres require stamina and correct technique to deploy properly. But as modern classical guitarists, we need to understand where these barres can be employed, as they offer solutions to the maze that music on the fretboard epitomizes. CG

Forward cross barre

Fig. 9 FIG. 9

7

χ .CIII

CIII 3

1

4

2 1

4 4 4

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5

3

4 4

4 4

5

3

4 4

5 3

5

4

3 5

5 3

5

3 5

KEEPERS OF THE FLAMENCO

CORNERSTONES OF THE REPERTOIRE An introduction to six key forms by Jason Webster

In flamenco, repertoire is understood in a slightly different way than it is in other musical forms. Although certain pieces may be considered standards—for instance, Paco de Lucía’s “Entre Dos Aguas”—a guitarist’s role is principally to accompany singers and dancers. And in order to do this well, the guitarist needs to have perfect rhythm and a thorough knowledge of flamenco’s different styles, known as palos. There are dozens of palos, many with multiple sub-categories based on provincial variations. To learn and understand them all requires a lifetime’s study. Thank-

66 Winter 2015

fully, a handful are performed repeatedly in performances and recordings. Here is a short introduction to the basic palos within flamenco.

Jerez, Málaga, and Seville are also great centers of the style. (These tangos have only a passing resemblance to Argentinian tangos and should be considered quite separate.)

TANGOS Joyful and erotically charged, tangos com- SOLEÁ plete the best flamenco parties. Tangos Slow and soulful, the soleá is one of the have a 4/4 rhythm, the first beat being most important palos in flamenco and its silent. The tempo is usually very fast, al- 12-beat rhythm forms the basis for many though it may slow down a little to accom- other styles. There is debate about the pany a dancer. The style of playing is light meaning of the name, but one etymoloand jocular. The city of Cádiz, Spain, is gy links it to the Spanish word soledad— particularly known for its tangos, although “solitude.” This may offer a clue to its

MARCIN KRZYZAK / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

There are dozens of palos, many with multiple subcategories based on provincial variations. To learn and understand them all requires a lifetime’s study. emotional intensity and the cathartic, almost blues-like charge at its heart. The soleá is often followed by a more upbeat bulería. BULERÍAS Along with tangos, these are quintessential flamenco party pieces, with a 12-beat rhythm. Usually played at the end of a performance, with the musicians and dancers standing in a semi-circle together onstage, the bulería has become the most popular palo in flamenco, thanks in part to its development by the nuevo flamenco players of the 1970s and 1980s. It is typically the piece guitarists use to demonstrate their virtuosity and speed, often with a backing of jaw-droppingly fast palmas clapping. SEGUIRILLAS One of the oldest palos, the seguirilla is, along with the soleá, one of the most emotionally intense and tragic styles, typifying the cante hondo, or “deep song” that true aficionados consider to be the very soul of flamenco. It is somber, slow, and requires as much sentimental as technical skill to play well. The rhythm is counted in a number of different ways, but can be broken down into a 12-beat compás, according to preference. ALEGRIAS Alegre means happy in Spanish, and as the name alegria implies, it is a very happy palo, often associated with Cádiz and usually focused on the dance. It is rare in that it is played in a major key and Ionian mode (as opposed to Phrygian, which dominates most flamenco). The alegria includes two sections for the dancer to show off her skills—the silencio, in which a minor key is briefly introduced, and the escobilla, in

which the tempo is gradually increased, highlighting the speed of her footwork. It is played with a 12-beat rhythm. FANDANGOS Often cited as the palo with the greatest influence from Moorish music, a fandango has a 3/4 rhythm with particular emphasis on the first beat. There are many variants of the style, but the best known come from the city of Huelva. Many aficionados will

insist that no understanding of flamenco guitar can be developed without first mastering fandangos. It has a wide emotional range and can be both playful and serious. Tarantas, granaínas, and malagueñas are all palos that develop out of fandangos. Each of these palos can be played as solo pieces for guitar, but it should be remembered that the form, feeling, and mood they carry come from their origins as music created for song and dance. CG

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ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 67

MOMENTITO

PERFORMANCE AND RECORDINGS: IS THERE A CONFLICT? What is ‘real’ when it comes to guitar sound? by Graham Wade

Recordings of classical-guitar music go back over a century. The earliest are those by Simon Ramírez (recorded c. 1897–1901) and Tárrega (1899 or 1900), available on Volume 12 of Andrés Segovia and his Contemporaries (Doremi). The first prolific recording guitarist was Agustín Barrios Mangoré, whose studio experiences from 1910 to 1942 resulted in some 60 tracks. Segovia first heard his own playing on record in Cuba in 1923. But his studio career began in 1927 when EMI released 78 rpms of Sor’s “Variations Op. 9,” and Bach’s Gavotte en Rondeau, and Courante. Miguel Llobet first recorded during the 1920s. Throughout the 1930s, guitarists such as

68 Winter 2015

Emilio Pujol, Daniel Fortea, Regino Saínz de la Maza, Julio Martinez Oyanguren, and Luise Walker contributed to the legacy of recorded sound. With the advent of long-playing discs at 33 rpm in the late 1940s, the field broadened. Segovia produced nearly 40 LPs, and Narciso Yepes, Laurindo Almeida, Julian Bream, and John Williams, among others, followed with a mass of recordings over the decades, issued on a basis of one or two albums a year. With the new generation, recording became a different art from concert performance. Segovia always recorded his tracks in one take. He disliked altering tapes, pre-

ferring to play the work again rather than be subject to editing. The late Ron Purcell discovered in the more than 60 tracks Segovia recorded during the 1950s that there was no evidence of a second take in any sessions. This contrasted with the recording techniques of Bream, who, with RCA, aimed at perfection within LPs, editing various takes to produce immaculate versions of the highest quality. A divide naturally occurred between recordings and performance. With modern equipment, listening to a record can be equivalent to sitting next to the player with an ear close to the soundboard. The same problem occurs with recording quiet

instruments such as lutes or clavichords, where too enthusiastic deployment of the volume knob produces distortion. Ideally, the volume should be turned down to produce a realistic effect but this rarely happens. Instead, magnificently expensive amplifiers boost the plucked string sound to orchestral proportions of rich sonorities. Classical-guitar enthusiasts listen to more recordings than they attend recitals. As a consequence, listening to recordings and going to concerts have become disparate activities. Without amplification, a classical guitar in concert is magical and beautiful, but very different from recordings played at home. Some players have for years used amplification in concerts to bridge the gap. John Williams has expressed the view that he does not admire the concept of the guitar tinkling from afar in a large concert hall. Segovia loathed amplification, whether playing with an orchestra or solo, while Bream’s concerts were not amplified unless he was playing a concerto. It is no accident that in the theater, actors almost never amplify their voices when playing Shakespeare or classicaltheater works. Amplification, some believe, destroys the humanity of the sound, whether with the natural plucked string or the speaking voice. But recordings, especially with the volume turned up, now resonate as if dealing with an amplified guitar. Various guitarists on the concert platform have felt a need to amplify, to enlarge the details of the performance in an unambiguous manner. This is a kind of reaction to the Segovia/Bream tradition of whisperingly intimate guitar sonorities in concert, where the message of the music is as much in the distant enchantment of the web of sound as in anything explicitly loud. To meet the need, many guitar makers have tried to create louder instruments, sometimes disregarding the essentially subdued nature of plucked sound. Such instruments may indeed sacrifice emotional subtlety for overwhelming volume and the homogenized intensity of a keyboard. A different kind of classical guitar is often now in vogue—different, that is, from the sensuous, silky essence of traditional Spanish instruments. In flamenco circles, massive amplification has been popular for many years, though solo flamenco delivered without amplification possesses its own intensely spiritual appeal. As they say, the world moves forward and we cannot resist the tide of progress

with all its vagaries. As for myself, after 60 years of attending concerts, I still prefer the sweet attractiveness of an unamplified classical guitar. For the same reason, I continue to listen to recordings with due regard to an appropriate volume emanating from the speakers. This may seem a personal idiosyncrasy. But in terms of concentrating on the actual qualities of guitar music, for me, serenity and receptivity are usually associated one with the other. Listen to a symphony orchestra or a big band, etc., and different principles apply.

But surely every classical-guitar recording should be a true image of the performance itself, not like a vast sonic balloon expanded to unrealistic limits. Recording engineers have been obsessed for years with the problems of verisimilitude in reproducing the actual qualities of guitar sound. Hearing tracks from Barrios to the present day brings home the immense variety of approaches that have been attempted in terms of technical expertise in the studio. CG

Guitar Faculty Sérgio Assad Lawrence Ferrara David Tanenbaum chair Marc Teicholz Richard Savino baroque guitar, lute Featuring historic and rare guitars of the Harris Guitar Foundation

Hosting the Third International

Maurizio Biasini Guitar Competition and Festival January 14-17, 2016

800.899.SFCM | [email protected] | www.sfcm.edu

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ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 69

Rosette of Takamine H8SS p. 74

CRAFT Fretwork

Tools of the Trade

Canadian luthier Joshia de Jonge has woodworking in her blood 72

Takamine’s well-built H8SS 74

JOEY LUSTERMAN PHOTO

Ortega’s full-sounding RCE159MN 76

Classic Guitars 1929 Francisco Simplico with split soundhole 78

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 71

FRETWORK

FAMILY TIES Second-generation luthier Joshia de Jonge was born with woodworking in her blood by Stephanie Powell From hobby to handwork, secondgeneration luthier Joshia de Jonge went from whittling her first alto classical guitar out of Bolivian rosewood with a mahogany neck in her father’s workshop to crafting her own line of classical guitars, complete with a traditional, trademarked rosette.

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It was the woodworking that hooked her, she says—that and perhaps a little old-fashioned sibling rivalry. “It started when my brother was eight, tinkering around in the shop, building a ukulele-like thing,” de Jonge says over the phone from Canada. “I thought, ‘What? He’s doing that?’

I wanted to do it, too, so we both started building guitars side-by-side at the same time.” Today the instrument remains the center of a family affair—Joshia’s father, Sergei de Jonge, is a Quebec-based luthier who also founded the de Jonge School of Lutherie, and she has six siblings who have each taken a stab at building classical guitars. For Joshia, building does not equate to playing, she reminds me when I ask if she plays. “No, I totally don’t,” she admits with a small laugh, adding that her father got into building guitars because he played and, at the time, couldn’t afford to buy one. “Everyone asks that and is shocked that I don’t—I mean I’ve taken a few lessons and I play enough to try my guitars and test them out, but really very little. I need to dedicate all of my time to building and to be able to build the way I want to build,” she adds, acknowledging the rigorous schedule of serious classical guitarists. And so, for most of the past 23 years, she has followed her passion—carving necks and bracing tops (two aspects of guitar building she considers her favorite and most challenging)—in her father’s shop along with her luthier-husband Patrick Hodgins. “It’s nice to be close to him,” she says of working with her father in his shop. She’s learned innumerable lessons; her first: “Maybe not to cut my fingers off,” she recounts with a laugh. “It’s really hard to say, because there’s so much—everything I know really stems from his knowledge; lots of little things, like learning how to look at wood, recognizing quality wood, and how to tell differences between grains.” While working under the same roof as her father has offered her unparalleled mentoring, Joshia says she is looking forward to finding her own space, a transition that is underway—in late fall or early winter, Joshia and Patrick will be opening up their own shop in Rupert, Quebec. However, she will remain involved, occasionally, with the de Jonge School of Lutherie, she says. “[Teaching people] helped me learn what I know and what I don’t know,” she says. “When you’re showing someone something, you really have to think about why you do what you do.”

The most challenging hurdle for most students, she says, is bending sides, which Joshia prefers to build with Indian rosewood. But she also offers options of African blackwood, Brazilian rosewood, ziricote, cocobolo, and wenge. Standard model guitars hand-built by Joshia also include Englemann or European spruce, Western red cedar tops, mahogany or Spanish cedar necks, ebony fingerboards, rosewood bridges, and French polished finish. When Joshia was 21, she studied with Geza Burghardt, a luthier based in Vancouver, British Columbia, who “was a huge influence” and taught her French polishing, a technique that she quickly adopted to replace conventional lacquering. French polishing—which the fatherdaughter luthier pair share in their craft— is now taught in the de Jonge School of Lutherie, too. But Joshia is quick to note that many of the duo’s other building techniques differ—including wood choices (Sergei prefers to use Sitka spruce) and bracing patterns. The work ethic, however, remains the same. “My father really instilled that in us,” she says. “He would make us redo jobs over and over. It’s all I’ve ever known, but we’re definitely a family of pushing each other and checking each other’s work—getting each other to strive not for perfection, but improvement. We learned in the shop to put our best in everything.” Her determination and resilience have proven to be beneficial for more than just her craftsmanship—as a female luthier, Joshia admits there is something of a divide in what has always been primarily a male trade. “Mostly [it’s been] quite positive—I mean, for sure it’s a thing,” she says of working as a female luthier. “Often at [guitar] shows, people would think I was there representing my husband or my father and not there to represent myself.”

Growing up with four brothers helped: “I was used to that kind of environment and comfortable around my brothers, but mostly it’s been positive and people have said, ‘Oh, wow, a female luthier.’ But there are little things where it’s hard for people to take you seriously and you kind of have to prove yourself a bit. It’s been a challenge.” She did have female role models, contemporary luthiers such as Canada-based Linda Manzer (known for her archtop, flattop, and harp acoustic guitars), Shelley Park (master luthier of gypsy-jazz guitars), Judy Threet (known for her fingerstyle acoustics), and Cyndy Burton (luthier of contemporary classicals). “They are women I knew of, respected, and looked up to,” Joshia says, adding that while they all remain influential, they didn’t necessarily affect her building style. “I’m finding that there are more and more female luthiers popping up,” she adds, “so, it’s becoming not so lonely, though it has been, for sure, something I’ve been aware of. We’re getting more females [at the school], and it’s nice having more women joining the craft.” CG

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 73

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

74 Winter 2015

VIDEO REVIEW CLASSICALGUITARMAGAZINE.COM

TIME-HONORED TONEWOODS, FULL VOICE Takamine’s well-built H8SS boasts a balanced, transparent sound by Adam Perlmutter

Takamine might be best known for pioneering the steel-string acoustic-electric guitar, but when the luthier Ohzone started the company in the Japanese Alps in the late 1950s, he and a small team of craftsmen made nylon-stringed instruments, and these instruments have been a part of the company’s lineup ever since. Takamine’s Hirade series takes its name from Mass Hirade, the brilliant luthier who was assigned as head of production and design in 1968, and who in the 1970s oversaw the company as it expanded into the international market. The line includes both traditional guitars and models with cutaways and electronics, all

handmade at Takamine’s shop in Sakashita, Japan. I auditioned the H8SS, a lovely concert-classical model. A SOLID COMBINATION The H8SS is built from the time-honored tonewood combination of a spruce soundboard and rosewood back and sides, all solid; the neck is mahogany and the fretboard ebony. All of the woods on the test model appear to have been carefully chosen. The quarter-sawn Indian rosewood has a beautiful deep-brown coloration and the Sitka spruce possesses tight, straight grains and no cosmetic anomalies; the ebony is inky black. With its simple but elegant appointments, the guitar cuts a nice

AT A GLANCE

TAKAMINE HIRADE SERIES H8SS BODY Non-cutaway classical; solid spruce top with Spanish fan bracing; solid rosewood back and sides; rosewood bridge; high-gloss polyurethane finish NECK Mahogany neck with ebony fretboard; 650mm scale length; 51mm bone nut; deluxe Gotoh tuning machines; high-gloss polyurethane finish

EXTRAS D’Addario EXP45 normal tension strings; deluxe hardshell case; polishing cloth PRICE $2,691.99 list/$1,749.99 street Made in Japan takamine.com

figure. Engraved gold Gotoh tuners with pearl buttons are a classy touch, as is the multicolored marquetry pattern used for the rosette. The review model feels solid and wellbuilt. The frets are perfectly seated and smoothly polished, and the bone nut is precisely slotted. The thin polyurethane finish is flawlessly applied, rubbed to a uniform gloss. With smoothly sanded bracing and kerfing and no evidence of excess glue, the interior is just as clean as the outside. EXCELLENT-SOUNDING AND VERSATILE With its 51-millimeter (just over two inches) nut, the H8SS has a traditional feel. It came perfectly set up with an easy action. (Unlike on many classical guitars, this one has a truss rod, should adjustments be needed.) The neck is full, but not overly so, and I experienced no fret-hand fatigue when playing the guitar for a solid hour. Overall, the H8SS’s voice is full and clear, with good projection, likely owing to its spruce-and-rosewood construction. The registers are evenly balanced, from firm lows to solid mids to crystalline trebles. All of the notes on the neck are true and clear, with perfect intonation and a good amount of sustain, and the natural harmonics at all locations are vivid. Because of its balanced, transparent sound, the H8SS doesn’t recommend itself to any style or era of repertoire in particular. It feels equally inspiring to play Matteo Carcassi studies and Astor Piazzolla arrangements as it does for approaches like chord-melody-style jazz and bossa-nova comping. The response and playability are excellent. THE WRAP Takamine’s Hirade series H8SS won’t necessarily be the right guitar for a concertlevel professional, but its all-solid-wood construction, excellent build quality and playability, and winning sound make it a wise choice for intermediate and advanced players looking to explore the classical literature and beyond—a guitar whose sound will no doubt blossom with the player. CG ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 75

VIDEO REVIEW CLASSICALGUITARMAGAZINE.COM

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

TRADITION AND INNOVATION Ortega’s RCE159MN sounds good plugged or unplugged by Adam Perlmutter

Acoustic-electric guitars might offer modern conveniences such as built-in preamps and tuners, sleek necks, and smooth cutaways, but played unplugged they tend to sound less robust than their fully acoustic, non-cutaway counterparts. That’s why it’s so satisfying to play Ortega Guitar’s RCE159MN, which, although incorporating all of these features, has a surprisingly full unamplified sound—at a wallet-friendly price. SMARTLY DESIGNED Since 1994, Germany-based Ortega has offered a range of nylon-strings, among other fretted instruments, many of them

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reevaluating traditional aspects of the classical guitar. The RCE159MN is made from the time-honored tonewood combination of a solid cedar soundboard and rosewood back and sides, mated to a mahogany neck with a 650-millimeter scale-length rosewood fretboard. Departing from tradition, the guitar has a Venetian cutaway, with a nut width of 48 millimeters; the neck is slightly narrower than on a standard classical guitar; and it has a two-way adjustable truss rod instead of none at all. The instrument’s electronics package, the MagusPro-NL pickup and preamp system, is another obvious departure from tradition. Subtler deviations include a 12-hole bridge, said to enhance the guitar’s sound and tuning stability while making it easier to change the strings, and positional side dots on the neck, like on a standard steel-string or electric guitar.

The RCE159MN is a handsome guitar. Its distinctive rosette, concentric rings of rosewood and mother-of-pearl studded with a wing-like maple motif, offers a nice counterpoint to the cedar soundboard, with its warm reddish hue. The rosewood back and sides have a deep, rich coloring. That same wood also appears in the binding, heel cap, back strip, and end strip. This feels classy, as does the curvature of the instrument’s headstock. Overall, the craftsmanship on our review model is good. The guitar’s finish is cleanly executed, save for a hint of sloppiness at the neck-to-the body junction; the binding is tight and flush with the body. Inside the box, everything is tidy, without any unwanted artifacts from the manufacturing process. The frets could’ve been more smoothly crowned and polished at the factory, but a good luthier or repair tech could address this. And the tuning machines don’t have the smoothest action, but they could be swapped out easily enough. WARMLY VOICED AND HIGHLY VERSATILE It’s a breeze to play the RCE159MN. The MN in the name stands for medium neck, and, relative to a typical classical neck, it does indeed feel streamlined in its width and profile, but not overly so. The guitar is intonated perfectly, and the notes on all 19 frets ring clear and true, with impressive sustain and without unwanted buzzing. The guitar has a lovely voice. Overall it sounds warm, slightly dark, and full; it has a very good balance between registers as well. Though not necessarily a concert instrument, it lends itself to a range of repertoire. Whether I play Lily Afshar’s arrangement of J.S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 or Frederic Hand’s “Late One Night,” the guitar feels both responsive and forgiving of momentary lapses of technique. Likewise, the RCE159MN works well for an arrangement of jazz pianist Bill Evans’ “Turn Out the Stars,” as cluster-voiced chords

AT A GLANCE

ORTEGA RCE159MN BODY Classical cutaway; solid Canadian cedar top; rosewood back and sides; gloss finish NECK Mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard; 650mm scale length; 50mm nut; Ortega gold-plated tuning machines; gloss finish EXTRAS Savarez Cristal Corum 500CJ high-tension strings; Ortega MagusPro-NL electronics; deluxe gigbag

PRICE $900 list/$600 street Made in China. ortegaguitars.com

have good definition and note separation. It sounds terrific for comping on a bossa number like Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “Este Seu Olhar.” In a different direction, the guitar has a vigorous sound when subjected to single-note improvisations played with a plectrum. OPTIMIZED ELECTRONICS Like many acoustic-electrics, the MagusPro-NL preamp, which Ortega designed in-house, is installed on the side of the guitar: not the most aesthetically pleasing solution. But the system is optimized for the nylon strings, and plugged into a Fender Acoustasonic amplifier it sounds clean and natural. As a bonus, the built-in tuner is illuminated only when it’s switched on, and it’s easy to read. On the screen, Ortega’s O logo turns green when the string is in tune: a cool detail in a smart modern nylon-string that’s filled with neat flourishes.

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 77

CLASSIC GUITARS

BARCELONA SPLIT A 1929 Francisco Simplicio with unusual touches by Alan Perlman

Francisco Simplicio, born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1874, began his career as a master builder of fine furniture. In 1919, after labor disputes forced him out of his profession, he began working with his longtime friend, the illustrious luthier Enrique Garcia, who had previously worked in the shop of Manuel Ramírez. During the time Simplicio worked with Garcia, he became an exceptionally skilled luthier. When Garcia passed away in 1922, he left his shop to Simplicio, who ended up achieving international fame, producing nearly 340 instruments in his lifetime, and attracting illustrious clients, including Paraguayan guitarist and composer Augustín Barrios Mangoré. Simplicio also trained his son Miguel, who in turn took over the shop after his father’s death in 1932. Simplicio guitars are known for their ornate purfling; elaborate binding and marquetry; complex, perfectly crafted rosettes; exquisitely carved headstock overlays; and, in some cases, unusual woods, such as the

78 Winter 2015

deeply figured Ceylon satinwood used on the guitar pictured here. Even his labels— which describe Simplicio as a pupil of Garcia—were quite ornamental. The bridges often had delicately inlaid mother-of-pearl and wood on the tieblocks. The Simplicio guitars I’ve heard are all exceptional in warmth, clarity, and nuance, touching the listener’s heart with significant color. The guitar seen here, courtesy of the Harris Collection (see page 42), is one of eight that Simplicio built with an unusual split-soundhole configuration. Designing the soundhole as two half circles—one on either side of the fretboard—allowed Simplicio to significantly lengthen the fan braces, creating a longer vibrating surface that Simplicio felt would increase bass resonance. I’ve heard this guitar in both a concert hall and more intimate settings, and it’s a guitar of great depth, power, and charm, with sonorous bass and exceptionally clear, lyrical trebles. This article originally appeared in the November 2010 issue of Acoustic Guitar.

Raphaëlla Smits is in command on Johann Kaspar Mertz: La Romantique p. 85

REVIEWS Stage

Discs

Print

David Russell, Flaugissimo Duo, and Mela Quartet at IGF; Declan Zapata 80

Berta Rojas’ Historia del Tango, Tanenbaum plays Gubaidulina, Stein-Erik Olsen, and more 82

Hoppstock on Bach, The Techniques of Guitar Playing, Simon Molitor, and more 88

MARLEEN PEETERS PHOTO

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 79

STAGE

Kings Place, London July 24-25, 2015

AN OLD FAVORITE AND NEW FACES David Russell and young artists Flauguissimo Duo and Mela Guitar Quartet shine at IGF Guitar Summit by Thérèse Wassily Saba I always look forward to David Russell’s performances. I sometimes ask myself, if I could choose the program, what would I most like to listen to? Then the list starts in my mind: Bach, Couperin, Albéniz, Granados, Tárrega, Giuliani . . . not in any particular order of preference, as I find his approach to the works of all of these composers so enlightening. In the end, I always am relieved that it is not me who decides on his program! However, after hearing his performance at Kings Place, I now know which piece I would put at the very top of my list: Suite Compostelana by Federico Mompou. Russell gave an unforgettably beautiful performance of this piece. His interpretation used all the detailed aspects of his playing

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that I so admire in his performance of other works, but added a picturesque range of tonal colors, which were delicately shaded and full of variation—a reminder that he is the son of painters. A Spanish pianist and composer, Federico Mompou used to teach at the international summer master classes of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, as did Andrés Segovia, for whom the Suite Compostelana was written. Russell studied the piece with José Tomás, who took over Segovia’s teaching post in Santiago de Compostela. This gives Russell an even stronger connection to the piece he generously shared with us. The other music on his program was also outstandingly played. The Partita No. 1 (BWV 825) by J. S. Bach moved into a

completely different soundscape, appropriate to the Baroque style. The piece was originally written for keyboard, but Russell played the technically challenging transcription by the German guitarist Gerhard Reichenbach, and what was most absorbing about the performance was Russell’s poetic phrasing of the musical lines and the elegance of his ornamentation. The clarity and phrasing of the individual voices were also exemplary in Isaac Albéniz’s “Capricho Catalan,” “Granada,” and “Asturias;” Russell plays his own transcriptions of these piano works. The recital ended with a flourish: the “Gran Jota” by Francisco Tárrega, which he played with a touch of humor, wit, and the requisite show of technical virtuosity. This solo recital was part of the fourday International Guitar Foundation Guitar Summit at Kings Place in central London. As the IGF has a strong commitment to promoting up-and-coming guitarists through its Young Artist Platform, its evening recitals feature young musicians as support artists—a practice with a long tradition in performances of other styles of music, aside from classical, as well. Thus, at the start of the evening, we heard the Flauguissimo flute and guitar duo, with flautist YuWei Hu and guitarist Johan Löfving. They gave a fine performance of a new IGF-commissioned piece by the British composer Charlotte Bray called “Here Everything Shines,” which had a good natural flow of ideas and a discernible momentum that held our attention throughout. When Xuefei Yang gave her solo recital on the following evening, her young supporting artists were the Mela Guitar Quartet—George Tarlton, Matthew Robinson, Daniel Bovey, and Jiva Housden— who deserve a mention. They demonstrated an impressively unified approach which stood out immediately, beginning with their own transcription of an “Organ Fugue” (BWV 578) by J. S. Bach. They were equally strong in their playing of contemporary music, giving fine performances of “Opals” by the Australian composer Phillip Houghton and Stephen Dodgson’s “ChangeRingers” (inspired by bell-ringing “changes”), which they have recorded on a soonto-be-released all-Stephen Dodgson CD.

JOEY LUSTERMAN PHOTO

Bach and bold percussion from guitar upstart Declan Zapala Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall, London July 6, 2015 “Innovative,” wrote Stephen Pritchard, a reviewer from one of the United Kingdom’s best-selling newspapers, the Guardian. He was describing his own reaction to Declan Zapala’s debut album, Awakenings; whereas I was to measure my own reaction during a concert put on for the launch of that album. So who is Declan Zapala? It’s not likely that you have come across him in conventional classical-guitar circles, since he chiefly operates outside of them. On the rare occasion you do find him among other classical players, it is because of some special event, such as his work with the Eclectic Guitar Orchestra, which features John Williams, among other celebrity players. No, Zapala prefers to mingle with a different audience. Testament to this was his month’s-worth of sold-out solo concerts at the famous Edinburgh Fringe in Scotland. Zapala has described what he does as “crossover classical-percussive guitar;” quite a mouthful, but after so many years trying to define his act, this is the best he has come up with. His “percussion” is added completely by his hands. His guitar is a custom instrument made by Stephen Hill for the job: It contains internal microphones to highlight percussion sounds, which can mimic the sounds of snare drums, kick drums, and a variety of other percussion instruments, achieved with the nails, fingers, palm, and whatever else he can throw at the guitar. His concerts are quite varied, though, and during his Albert Hall show, Bach was featured alongside composers for the acoustic steel-string guitar. But what seems to get most people excited are his own compositions, which carry the signature of many of the other composers he advocates. In particular, his rendition of “Crystal” (which has more than a quarter-million views on YouTube) is an audience favorite, as is his version of “Perc-U-Lator” by the Irish steel-string guitarist Eric Roche.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DECLAN ZAPALA

Sitting through a Zapala concert, you might very well ask yourself: “Is this art or entertainment?” Whether or not you believe such a distinction exists, it’s hard not to talk in terms of these broad and over-simplified categories. The reality is that audiences love many of the new colors and techniques he brings to the instrument, so the entertainment value is high. But whether or not entertainment is a trade-off for art is unclear. It really depends on what pre-existing assumptions you have about music and music performance. But if you can’t bring yourself to call virtuosic displays of guitar percussion “art,” there’s always the Bach. —Guy Traviss

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DISCS

Historia del Tango Berta Rojas ON Music

Historia del Tango Berta Rojas ON Music

A NEW WAY TO TANGO Berta Rojas and Camerata Bariloche dazzle with inventive new disc by Blair Jackson

Since it was written in 1980, Astor Piazzolla’s four-part Histoire du Tango has become an increasingly popular choice for duos—it was composed for guitar and flute, but it has also been performed and recorded in other combinations, including guitar and violin (I like the Pablo Villegas-Augustin Hadelich version from 2013), accordion or bandoneon and violin, piano and concertina, flute and harp, and so on. But leave it to the great Berta Rojas, a sublime interpreter of music from her native Paraguay and neighboring Argentina, to spearhead a unique, dramatic, and ultimately brilliant reimagining of this modern masterwork. Her twist was to enlist arranger Carlos Franzetti to create lush but tasteful chamber-orchestra settings for the four movements, and to have Rojas’ always-present and dominant guitar accompanied by Camerata Bariloche, Buenos Aires’ storied

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17-piece ensemble, directed by Freddy Varela Montero and conducted by Popi Spatocco (who also produced the recording earlier in 2015 in Argentina’s capital). Former Piazzolla associate Néstor Marconi also contributes some marvelously atmospheric bandoneon work. Those familiar with the piece know that the four parts follow the evolution and history of the tango, from its roots as a sensual “people’s” dance music beginning in the early 1880s (“Bordello 1900”); to its legitimization as a mainstream art form and concert attraction played by small tango ensembles (“Café 1930”); its worldwide popularization and melding with jazz, bossa nova, and other styles (“Night Club 1960”); and the tango’s absorption of modern classical and other influences (“Concert d’aujourd’hui”). This is hardly simple, smoldering, “commercial” tango,

but rather a rich and varied rhythmic landscape full of surprises, skillfully navigated by Rojas and the orchestra. Beyond that centerpiece, Rojas and Camerata Bariloche serve up seven other pieces by Argentine composers and songwriters, including several well-known works (at least in South America), such as Carlos Gardel’s “Por una Cabeza” and “El Día Que Me Quieras” (both popular vocal tunes), Mariano Mores’ “Taquito Militar,” Anibal Troilo’s “Sur,” and Piazzolla’s splendid “Oblivion.” All in all, it’s a lively, creative, and altogether brilliant excursion into the world of tangos, milongas, and Argentinian popular music. Just as Rojas turned out to be a definitive interpreter on Barrios (Intimate Barrios), she can now add Piazzolla and tango repertoire to her impressive list of conquests.

After two well-known Albéniz pieces comes Gnattali’s wonderful Suite Retratos, which contains many places where lesser players would struggle, so complex is this music and its rhythms. But DuoSF has no trouble coping, and this interpretation is one of the very best I have heard. Bellinati’s “Jongo” (often a solo work, too) completes what is an outstanding recording of some lovely music in superb performances beautifully captured. One to hunt for! —Chris Dumigan

The Porcelain Tower Christopher Mallett christophermallett.com

Corta Jaca DuoSF (Christopher Mallett and Robert Miller) duosfguitar.com Even the most complex music sounds effortless on Duo and solo discs Christopher Mallett’s solo CD shows him instantly to be a fine player, with great tone and some lovely playing in technically challenging pieces—for example the opening “Zapateado” and “Rondeña” by Regino Sainz de la Maza, the complex three-movement Jazz Sonatina by Dusan Bogdanovic, or the beautiful but still surprisingly underplayed Lennox Berkeley “Sonatina.” The other pieces are by Morel, Koshkin, and Villa-Lobos. All sound effortless, and the guitar is lifelike and nicely recorded throughout. The DuoSF CD is equally well-recorded with Piazzolla’s wonderful “Lo Que Vendra” opening the set in superb fashion. Sergio Assad’s “Jobiniana No. 1” is perhaps the least well-known of the recital; it boasts a plethora of complex rhythms and some gorgeous melodic ideas. The full Valses Poeticos by Granados is next, with some lightning-fast runs in the “Vivace Molto” that really make this an outstanding version— many times these pianistic runs are not as effortlessly played as they are here.

Sofia Gubaidulina: Complete Guitar Works David Tanenbaum Naxos Russian composer’s guitar music is challenging but rewarding Recorded between 2010–14, this substantial offering finds two solo-guitar miniatures from the 1960s flanked by a pair of epic chamber works on which Tanenbaum is joined by a string ensemble drawn from the San Francisco Symphony. Guitarists Thomas Viloteau, Paul Psarras, and Marc Teicholz also make appearances, although Tanenbaum is the only performer present on all items. Toccata (c.1969) is a premiere, although the program as a whole is likely to be new ground to many. Textures are dense and often abstract, but adventurous listeners should find their efforts amply rewarded. Particularly impressive are the virtuosic lines for cello and double bass, which Tanenbaum’s notes highlight as a Sofia Gubaidulina specialty. Anyone unfamiliar with Gubaidulina’s guitar writing, as I was until now, can discover it in a single sitting with this challenging yet ultimately compelling release. —Paul Fowles

Ghosts & Shadows: Music of Spain Artyom Dervoed Melodia A rare journey through all 14 of Torroba’s ‘Castles’ Long recognized as one of the most gifted Russian players of the new generation, Artyom Dervoed centers this release on the complete 14-movement version of Federico Moreno Torroba’s evergreen Castillos de España. Now, I have to confess a long-standing preference for the more compact set of eight recorded by Segovia. This is partly because the shorter duration felt just right, but also because the jaunty “Turégano” provided a natural opening move, while “Alcázar de Segovia” (surely this choice of edifice was no coincidence) made an obvious finale. In any extended Castillos, these landmark movements tend to find themselves hidden somewhere in the middle, as is the case here. But it’s all good news when it comes to Dervoed’s interpretations, in which the rich lyricism of Torroba’s wonderfully retro guitar writing is captured to perfection. Elsewhere, Dervoed makes brief but memorable excursions into the worlds of Mudarra, Tárrega, and Falla, before signing off with a triumphant Rodrigo double-bill comprising the much-loved “Invocación y Danza” and rather less cuddly Sonata Giocosa. —PF

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Bach Transcriptions Marek Wegrzyk [email protected]

Alternate tunings make for intriguing versions of Cello Suites The raison d’être behind this recording is that Wegrzyk has found that playing certain works by Bach using unusual tunings, in his own words, “open up new and rich possibilities in polyphonic writing.” Hence, what was originally an experimental approach has become an alternative solution to the existing transcriptions of some of Bach’s masterpieces. The recital opens with the Cello Suite No.1 BWV 1007, with a tuning of D, A, C♯, F♯, B, and E, and what I immediately began listening for was what difference the tuning made to the piece and to me as the listener. With the original work in G and this transcription in A, what struck me was the effortless flow of it all, and the very cantabile style that makes it a performance worth hearing; the “Courante” and “Gigue” sounding suitably speedy and dance-like. The same tuning was used for the Cello Suite No. 3 BWV 1009, (original in C, here played in D), and again my response is how natural and correct the performance sounds. For the Violin Sonata No. 3 BWV 1005 (original in C, here in A), the tuning is the same as that for the Cello Suites, with the exception of the sixth string being a normal E. This is a work not played on guitar as often as the cello, and his performance is musical and exemplary in every way. The final work is the “Adagio” from the Toccata in C major BWV 564 originally for organ, a work I have not heard before on guitar, but it proves a worthy companion to the rest of the disc. —CD

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Three Guitar Concertos (Brouwer, Villa-Lobos, Koshkin)

Le Baroque Evgeni Finkelstein Acoustic Music

Stein-Erik Olsen SIMAX An exquisite program of Baroque Norwegian guitarist tackles diverse viola-da-gamba pieces concerto program with top orchestra The works of viola-da-gamba luminaries On those all-too-rare occasions when a promoter is willing to risk a guitar concer- such as Marin Marais (1656–1728) and Carl Friedrich Abel (1723–1787) have made octo that isn’t by Rodrigo, Villa-Lobos tends to be one of the first names in the queue, casional appearances on guitar recordings, usually in chamber-music settings. But an the others being Giuliani, Ponce, and entire solo guitar CD comprising arrangeCastelnuovo-Tedesco. I haven’t included ments from the viola-da-gamba legacy is Vivaldi, on the grounds that his frequently heard guitar adaptation of Concerto for Gui- such a rarity that no precedent springs to mind. tar, RV 93 is on a smaller scale than any of Fielding Marais and Abel, in the compathe above, and is rightly seen by many as a modest yet rewarding “starter” concerto. ny of Antoine Forqueray (1672–1745) and In the exalted company of the Acad- “Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe” (1640–1700), Moscow-based Evgeni Finkelstein serves emy of St. Martin in the Fields conducted by Terje Mikkelsen, Stein-Erik Olsen pres- up one of the most exquisite Baroque releases to come my way lately. The delicate ents the Villa-Lobos Concerto for Guitar and lines are free to sing throughout, amid emSmall Orchestra alongside Leo Brouwer’s highly respected, but rarely performed, bellishments that are lavish but never exConcerto Elegiaco, as well as the largely un- cessive. Most striking of all is the rich and known Bergen Concerto, by Nikita Koshkin, vibrant tone that Finkelstein has nurtured over the two decades I have followed his dedicated to the performer. work, both live and on disc. Always a FinThe decision to put the Brouwer, which premiered almost three decades ago by Ju- kelstein stronghold, it has now reached a level that few players in the world could lian Bream, first on the agenda provides a surpass. timely reminder of how this imposing yet (Finally, it’s worth noting that this Geraccessible work is a major jewel of the guiman release is distributed by Rough Trade tar’s late-20th-century repertoire. Here and and shouldn’t be too hard to get a hold of elsewhere, the playing is outstanding, as is —PF the sound quality. Even in the densest pas- wherever you happen to live.) sages, the solo instrument is audible and yet never unduly prominent. Since his first appearances at the C annington Festival in the early ’80s, Stein-Erik Olsen has been a class-act of the highest order, and this triple bill provides further evidence of his world-ranking abilities. —PF

Colors: Flute and Guitar Music from the 20th and 21st Centuries Bas Duo Sabudo Records

Johann Kaspar Mertz: La Romantique

Villa-Lobos: Guitar Manuscripts Vol. 3

Raphaëlla Smits Accent

Andrea Bissoli Naxos

A solid compilation from a Mertz A fine combination of instruments specialist and repertoire Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806–56) has been There is some fine playing here of some a recurring figure in the career of eightfamiliar material, one or two surprisstring advocate Raphaëlla Smits—her first es, and a few pieces not in their original CD-only release from 1988 consisted of a versions. One of the latter is the opening large helping of Mertz alongside a smaller set of Bartok’s For Children pieces, a vast dose of Giuliani. In fact, this 2015 compilaset of nearly 80 small piano pieces based tion appears to contain material from that on folk themes and regarded among his most immediately endearing works. Over 1988 recording, although the small print the years they have been arranged a num- claims the five titles common to both discs were recorded in 2001. However, the slight ber of ways, but here 16 of them make for a “plink” heard in measure 6 of “Le Carnaval delightful opener. de Venise” in 1988 and still here today is José Luis Merlin’s Suite del Recuerdo is originally for solo guitar, but here the “Evo- surely an indication of the true year of origin, as is what sounds like an editing cut at cation” and “Joropo” are re-arranged for the start of measure 54 in the same piece. flute and guitar to great effect—the music But even if the information is suspect, is both melodic and emotional. Villa-Lobos’ the playing is terrific. Fielding nine notefamous “Aria” from his Bachianas Brasiliefilled Mertz workouts in the company of iras No. 5 is next, and the flute replaces his six arrangements of Schubert’s Lieder the voice. It is always a moving piece and that emerged as a surprise hit from the works very well here. 1985 Wynberg editions, Smits is in comBulgarian Atanas Ourzoukounov’s 4 mand throughout. Legendes is a more modern work incorpoEqually impressive is the music itself. rating extended techniques for both instruMertz came from an era when guitar writments, while Ravel’s “Piece en Forme de Habanera” is an old friend of this combi- ing was in danger of becoming bloated and over-extended, so a penchant for the relanation, with a melody and harmonies that slink their way around in an evocative way. tively concise is much to his credit. Nothing here runs for more than ten minutes The CD ends with a stellar performance and most items are gone in half that time, of Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango in what is ensuring this distinguished guitarist from another exemplary original work for this Belgium never outstays her welcome. —PF combination. —CD

A new ‘old’ look at Villa-Lobos’ Études, and more Does an original manuscript always represent the composer’s true wishes? Or is it sometimes better seen as an uncut early draft, the music in its subsequent printed form (assuming this exists) serving as the final edit? These questions have been asked in relation to the 12 VillaLobos Études, which Italian guitarist Andrea Bissoli performs here from the 1928 manuscript housed in the Max Eschig archive. Given that for at least half a century the Eschig edition published in 1953 was the only version most of us knew, the manuscript provides a welcome opportunity to view these old favorites from a new angle. Familiar fare such as No. 11 now wanders into uncharted territory, while No. 1 and No. 2 become entirely different pieces in the absence of the repeat marks that surrounded each measure by 1953. Apart from some rather uneven scale runs in No. 7, the playing is of a high order, and Bissoli’s use of a 1917 Ramírez-Hernández from the same stable as the instrument Segovia was probably playing when he met Villa-Lobos in 1924 adds a pleasing touch of period authenticity. Bissoli’s inspired revisiting of the Études, together with a charming sequence of sound-bite folk settings from Guia Prático (1932) and a newly minted arrangement of “Tarantella” (1911), which Bissoli persuasively argues was written “guitar in hand,” provides compelling evidence that the Villa-Lobos well is far from dry. —PF

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Plays Villa-Lobos, Guastavino, Piazzolla, and Ginastera Arctic Guitar Trio Arctic Records Scandinavian trio excels on Latin program This Norwegian trio has built quite a reputation since their arrival in the early ’90s. Here, the recital is entirely from Latin America, with an opener of Arne Brattland’s delightful arrangement of Villa-Lobos’ marvelous three-movement work Bachianas Brasileíras No. 1. This version flows beautifully, from its emotive “Introducao,” to the lovely “Preludio,” with its haunting harmonies, to the final “Fuga,” which pays homage to Bach and comes in the form of a musical conversation where one line answers another; a fitting conclusion. Carlos Guastavino’s Tres Romances Argentinos, originally for piano duet, opens with “Las Ninas de Sante Fe,” a lovely melody and warm harmonies with some fine block-chordal work between the three players. “Muchacho Jujeno” begins with a little stop-go idea before turning into a beautiful melody with some expressive passage work. But the fireworks are left to the last movement, “Baile en Cuyo,” where dance rhythms come to the fore together with some very fast runs, interspersed with more sensual ideas. This extended last movement ends surprisingly with some unexpected dissonances and a humorous coda that really works. This is a fine work that was new to me and deserves to be heard more. The disc also includes two diverse but characteristic film score pieces from Astor Piazzolla (Ausencias, 1986 and L’Evasion, 1976), and three of four movements from Alberto Ginastera’s ballet Estancia, the most complex and harmonically modern of the entire set. —CD

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Transfiguratio

Dances Through the Centuries

Kristinn Arnason 12Tonar

Thomas Viloteau thomasviloteau.com

Half a millennia of guitar music Kristinn Arnason studied in Reykjavik, Iceland, and has recorded six previous CDs. This wide-spanning recital manages to cover more than 500 years from start to finish. Sixteenth century vihuela composer Alonso Mudarra’s “Fantasia” still manages to shock with its “wrong” notes and sounds very modern as a result. Silvius Leopold Weiss was the world’s greatest exponent of the Baroque lute and wrote hundreds of works for it. In spite of the fact that I am always of the opinion that the only way to hear Weiss is on his original instrument with its thunderous bass line, so unplayable on our guitar, Arnason brings out all the stunning musicality of several excerpts from his huge oeuvre. Caspar Joseph Mertz was a prolific writer for the guitar and a fine exponent of the Romantic period with all its musical excesses. His “Fantaisie Hongroise” from 1856 was one of his last works—a fiery and virtuosic piece that needs a brilliant technician and musical player to give it its best, which Arnason does here. Albéniz’s “Mallorca” and Granados’ “Danza Espanola No. 4” are extremely wellknown, and though rather overplayed nowadays, receive a fine pair of performances by Arnason. On the other hand, Emilio Pujol, whose name is also known to most classical guitarist, still manages to be underplayed. Here we have two lovely pieces by him—“Cancion Amatoria” and “Tonadilla, one lyrical, the other dance-like, both deserving more frequent outings. The final piece by Icelandic composer Askell Masson, “Haustljod, Poeme d’automne,” is the only new one for me. It was written in 2011 and is pleasingly modern with many moments of lyricism throughout. —CD

A bold Bach interpretation and more on first-class release There are only three works on this 53-minute CD by French guitarist Thomas Viloteau, and he starts with one of the greatest, which, though well-known, is somewhat underplayed as a complete item: the Bach Partita No. 2 in D minor, originally for solo violin. Of course this is the one with the huge “Chaconne” that closes the work, and that more often than not appears as a solo piece rather than as part of the whole work. At more than 30 minutes, it is quite a handful by anyone’s standards, especially as Viloteau includes most (but not all) of the repeats. He chooses to mostly play the actual violin original, adding very few details, which is certainly one way to do it. He does, however, add a number of imaginative and effective ornaments along the way. He double-dots the rhythms in a few places, including the opening phrases of the “Chaconne,” which I wasn’t too sure about (nor about his speed deviation), but it is up to each listener to decide if those are good choices, as the performance itself is exemplary. Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s “Variations Through the Centuries” was the Italian composer’s first guitar piece and the first that Segovia played and edited for publication. It’s not played as often as it used to be, but it still has plenty of magical touches, especially its wonderful sense of harmony and structure. It gets an outstanding performance from Viloteau, again with one or two individual touches not found in the score I possess. The final piece is a premiere, Sérgio Assad’s Suite Brasileira No. 3 in five movements, dedicated to Viloteau. There is a moody opening “Cantoria Nordestina;” a

percussive and edgy “Capoeira;” the bizarre, dance-like “Coco;” the simultaneously dramatic and melodic “Cantiga de Seriao;” and the final “Caboclinhos,” which is full of drama and rhythmic energy. It is a fine piece and it receives a first-class performance from its dedicatee. —PF

Baroque Moments Amadeus Guitar Duo Naxos Imaginative duo arrangements of some classic Baroque works The Amadeus Duo (Dale Kavanagh and Thomas Kirchhoff) have made a number of CDs together, and here tackle pieces by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi—names you might expect—and César Franck, one you perhaps wouldn’t, although the 19th-century Belgian composer’s musical style was inspired by Bach’s works, which makes it fit into the title. Two chaconnes are to be found, one by Handel (in G major) and, more surprisingly, one by Bach—surprising because they have arranged for two guitars the Busoni piano version of the violin original, which in itself added to the original work considerably. Both get exemplary recordings and performances. Another old warhorse, Vivaldi’s Concerto in D major RV 93 makes an appearance together with a wonderfully vibrant Italian Concerto, BWV 971 by Bach, one of the highlights of the CD. The Franck work—Prelude, Fugue and Variation Op. 18, originally for organ, might seem out of place, but it is not, for the reason stated above. And the final piece on the CD is a short (1:36) performance of Bach’s arrangement of Hans-Leo Hanssler’s “Mein Geist ist Mir Verwirret,” which makes for a moving and appropriate close to what is a fine CD of wonderful performances, nicely recorded. —PF

DAVID RUSSELL GUITAR

Grammy Award Winner:

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance “...Mr. Russell possesses a talent of extraordinary dimension.” The New York Times “Russell is perhaps the most gifted guitarist on the international scene.” The Atlanta Constitution

NORTH AMERICAN REPRESENTATION

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Polyphony in Bach’s Fugues for Lute Tilman Hoppstock Prim-Musikverlag, 182 pp.

TILMAN HOPPSTOCK ON BACH Part three of a towering work on the composer’s lute works by Graham Wade

As with all Tilman Hoppstock’s books, the third volume of his J.S. Bach studies is truly remarkable. Nothing quite like it has been available before in terms of guitar and lute studies, though similar analytic texts have been published for keyboard and bowed instruments. Hoppstock takes us in detail through the five fugal structures that guitarists will encounter when performing Bach: Tres Viste (BWV 995), Presto (BWV 996), Fuga (BWV 997), Fuga (BWV 998), and Fuga (BWV 1000). As Hoppstock explains: “Each of the fugal works deploys a different history of origin, stands in its own particular context within a self-contained work group . . . and exhibits a highly individual character in its themes, forms, and movement structure.”

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Discussion of these matters occupies the next 124 (of 182 total) pages, each chapter supplied with copious musical examples, as well as his brilliantly written exegesis from the perspective of a renowned recitalist. Hoppstock moves on to consider fugal elements for plucked instruments from the Renaissance (Milan, Milano, Holborne, Dowland, etc.) and the Baroque (Sanz, Weichenberger, Zamboni, Weiss, Durant). This provides an appropriate further dimension of Hoppstock’s main purpose, occupying over 30 pages packed with quotations from the chosen works, and a veritable mine of information. The last chapter considers “a few thoughts on the idiomatics of Bach’s fugues for lute,” and contains profound in-

sights from Hoppstock and lutenists such as Paul O’Dette, Nigel North, and Andreas Schlegel on numerous problems associated with Bach’s approach to lute music. The book concludes with an excellent bibliography and index. This is not only a first-rate academic text, but also a fascinating book to read, full of wisdom and experience. Along with the two previous volumes (Bach’s Lute Works from the Guitarist’s Perspective, Vol. 1, Suites BWV 995/996 and Vol. II, BWV 998/999/1000), the entire concept represents a monumental scholarly achievement, a tripartite treasure of guitar literature, over 800 pages in total, deserving the wholehearted support of guitarists, conservatoires, and university libraries.

The Techniques of Guitar Playing Seth F. Josel and Ming Tsao Barenreiter, 235 pp.

A smart, comprehensive volume that offers much beyond the basics This hefty tome is an instruction manual for players wanting to improve their knowledge of everything having to do with the guitar in today’s musical environment, with a particular emphasis on contemporary music and on composers wishing to write for the guitar. Over the course of more than 200 pages, dozens of subjects are covered in its four sections, and I can only touch on a few of them in this review—including the guitar’s component parts, how tone is produced, traditional and other tunings, fingers, the basics of notation, tablature, the fretboard, left-hand and right-hand techniques, and key historical works in which guitars were used (Mahler’s Symphony No. 7, Webern’s Five Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 10, and Schoenberg’s Serenade, Op. 24). In fact there are many pages of examples from different scores, but all from the modern era and completely omitting what I would consider to be guitar composers. However, the detail is minute and everything is covered with great care. Section Two has a full 39 pages on “Harmonics,” and again the detail is immense, going into the science as well as the technical aspects. Section Three covers “The Guitar as Percussion,” including left-hand and right-hand tapping, tambour, golpe, brushing, rubbing, and scraping, and the use of foreign objects and various other means of preparing the guitar. The final section, “The Acoustic Guitar’s Relatives,” tells the history of instruments that devi-

ate from the normal six-string models, both historical and contemporary, and also covers the ukulele, EBOW, acoustic-electrics, 12-string, Dobro, and many more. The final appendices cover a number of other areas and include a bibliography, a list of solo guitar works, and works with other instruments. Again, I feel the paucity of significant guitar player/composers in these lists—no Brouwer, Koshkin, Villa-Lobos, and many more besides!—is a serious omission, because surely the guitar composer who knows his instrument better than any other is the one who plays it; and yet in the solo list are works by Appelbaum, Klarenz Barlow, Stefan Beyer, William Bland, James Dillon, and others I imagine would struggle to recognize. That said, this is a book with multiple layers, and much miniscule detail that many will find fascinating and will learn from. Therefore, I have no hesitation in giving it a hearty recommendation. —Chris Dumigan

ficult, they do have plenty of learning possibilities, as they require good reading and rhythm counting, as well as leaving plenty of room for interpretation and general musical ability. There are ten pieces here, the first five rhythmic, the last five more lyrical, but all are wonderful pieces to give your students (if you teach) or to just enjoy yourself. This book is a must for all lovers of good guitar music. —CD

Madrigali dell’ Estate (for Guitar and Voice) Molteplici voci (for Two Guitars) Alfredo Franco Ut Orpheus: 22 pp. (score only) and two scores (9 pp. each)

Unusual idiom offers rewards for patient players

Half Moon and Other Pieces Peter Nuttall peternuttall.co.uk, 12 pages

10 easy pieces for beginners to Grade 3 Peter Nuttall is not well-known in the US, but in the UK he has long been established as a writer of tuneful and accessible pieces, culminating with the very successful series in collaboration with Peter Whitworth called The Guitarist’s Way, which found its way into many a budding player’s repertoire. This latest set is one of many advertised on his website—from which he now produces many of his volumes (11 others at least)—and is aimed at beginners up to Grade 3. They are in a number of styles, including blues, swing, Latin, and many more, but whereas the pieces are not dif-

Born in Turin in 1967, Franco has composed a number of guitar pieces, two of which are here. The work for voice and guitar is based around poetry from turnof-the-20th-century Italian writer Gabriele D’Annunzio’s paean to nature, Alcyone, and is in 11 sections. A soprano would seem to be needed, as high B is required at one point, and the guitarist needs to be able, but not too technically advanced, to cope. The writing itself is in a tonal, but unusual, idiom, which surprises the player at times with its unique use of harmonies, although as Franco is a player, all the writing is perfectly guitaristic. In the guitar-duet piece, the use of unusual rhythms in conjunction with one another is immediately apparent. The time signatures are in constant flux and, as with the previous piece, is rarely where you might expect it to be on the guitars, although with time it is all quite playable. However, the difficulty factor for both guitarists is considerably higher than in the ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 89

PRINT guitar-and-voice piece, with the same uncommon use of harmonies. Though, again, it is essentially a tonal piece throughout its 150 or so bars. Both works are difficult to like at first, as the idiom is hard to come to grips with, but in due time the beauty of the writing emerges, and as such I can recommend them both as works interested players/ singers should get to know. —CD

simple to the highly complex—the latter often created by cross-rhythms between the two players—and the end result is an enjoyable excursion into the contemporaryguitar world. For duos of intermediate and above standard, a thoughtful selection from this book could easily be combined together for inclusion in any recital program. The presentation is good, with a clearly readable score. The absence of fingering is, I think, an important omission here, as some of the material (especially the ones in “remote” keys—six sharps, five flats, etc.) is quite difficult to read through, and some fingering suggestions and/or position indications would have been helpful. That aside, I found these Fantasy Sketches a fascinating, out of the ordinary, and most welcome publication—one to stimulate the brain. —Steve Marsh

moving on to more advanced sets, such as the ten pieces that make up Greetings from Russia. Meanwhile, Rock ’n’ Roll is an altogether more difficult volume, having a set of 10 Dedications, English Suite, and 4 Musical Portraits all covering many modern styles, as well as traditional ones. The final book, Flamenco, contains 10 Pieces in Flamenco Style, 10 Melodic Studies for Elisey, and 10 Musical Sketches about Puebla, all of which range from moderately difficult upward. Kiselev has a melodic gift and a penchant for writing in a vast number of differing styles, a rare feat. If there is any downside to the publications, it is that there is little to no English, as these are mainly aimed at the Russian market. That said, they are well worth trying to get, as there is such variety, and consistently high quality. —CD

Samba Under a Snow, Rock ’n’ Roll, Flamenco

La Maja de Goya (for Solo Guitar or Voice with Guitar)

Oleg Kiselev Guitar Print (Samba): 60 pp., and MPI: 47 and 62 pp.: all with CDs

Enrique Granados (Transcribed and arranged by Pepe Romero) Tuscany Publications, 12 pp.

Stylistically diverse volumes for advanced players

Pepe Romero takes on a Granados classic

This prolific Russian composer/performer has produced numerous works over the years, many of which I have seen and appreciated. They are often, as is the case with these three volumes, subtitled Young Guitarists Album, but they are definitely not for beginners—rather for more advanced young players, and usually written in a style that is more immediate and not too difficult to appreciate. So, in Samba Under a Snow, we have whole suites of movements, including a relatively simple set called 4 New Year’s Dances and the Suite of Gallant Dances, before

This has been played as a guitar piece for decades now, thanks to many previously published versions, including Miguel Llobet’s, to name one of the more familiar ones. So, what do you get in this new edition by Pepe Romero? First, you get a full history of the piece and the connection with the great Spanish 18th- and 19th-century Spanish Romantic painter Francisco Goya and the tonadilla (a light-hearted song), which actually takes up six of the 12 pages, and includes the complete words to the piece, both sung and spoken. And, of course, you get

Twenty-Four Fantasy Sketches (for Two Guitars) Chris Dumigan Edition Daminus, 46 pp.

10 easy pieces for beginners to Grade 3 This edition could be thought of as a sequel to a publication that UK guitarist/ composer (and CG contributor) Chris Dumigan published over ten years ago titled Fantasy-Sketches. The earlier one was for solo guitar and comprised 24 “miniatures” in all the major and minor keys. This new edition covers the same ground, but is for two guitars and is made up of completely new material; i.e. the pieces are not duet reworkings of the first book. The pieces are presented in major/ relative minor pairings, but here the relationships end, as no individual work seems connected to any other; these are indeed singular items containing many varied moods and peculiarities. These could be described as self-contained miniature snapshots, with a wealth of emotions running through them. It’s a mixed bag of compositions, ranging from sorrowful, romantic, and euphoric pieces, to lyrical works and menacing, creepy, “There’s a troll around the corner” music. All these compositions employ an abundance of rhythms, from the

90 Winter 2015

the piece itself in a fine version by Romero, with one or two little details you won’t find in Llobet’s, (although it is still in G with the dropped 5th and 6th strings as before), together with the sung vocal line above the refrain, and the recited vocal line over the verses. This fine scholarly edition is well worth your time and money. —CD

parts, the texture is very open and clear, and the arpeggiated nature of the writing causes big chords to appear in the ear of the listener. The two pieces make a pleasing contrast and they interlock well with rhythms that are easily mastered. The “Toccata” requires more technique and stamina, but the suite is manageable by a Grade 7 ensemble. —Derek Hasted

guitaristic piece, and anyone who has the necessary technical arsenal to bring this piece off will be almost guaranteed an ovation, should they program this work in a concert. Highly recommended. —CD

RossiniMania Pippo Molino, Alessandro Spazzoli, Roberto Tagliamacco, Paolo Ugoletti, and Marco Reghezza Ut Orpheus, 27 pp.

Canto and Toccata (for 3 guitars) Jan Bartlema Les Productions d’Oz, 11 pp. plus parts

Pleasant contrasting pieces, one delicate, the other busy Dedicated to the Baldur Guitar Trio (of the Netherlands), the “Canto” opens in G minor, with Guitar Three tuned to six=D. A peal of easy harmonics sits over a gently syncopated, deep bass line in 3/4 time. A weaving and plaintive melody enters, reaching fret 18, though it is not fast. The “Canto” moves into the major key, and Guitar One has to play up the neck with 12th fret harmonics under the melody; there is a need to be tidy and agile. As the music returns to G minor, Guitar One has some arpeggiated three-note chords, some of which are unfamiliar and would welcome some fingering, though it’s easily added in the few places that warrant it. This is a gentle, expressive piece, and the use of staccato and harmonics give it a delicate and charming character. “Toccata” is altogether busier—all three parts have measures of 12/8 filled with eighth notes, usually arpeggios, but sometimes scale runs. The metronome marking equates to seven notes a second, and there is little respite. The parts are spread in pitch, so that Guitar One has half barres up the neck, and Guitar Three is busy down below with 6-string chords. With just three

Sonata György Ligeti (Arr. K. Tosidis) Schott, 12 pp.

A challenging modern piece moves from cello to guitar This began in the early ’50s as a solo cello piece by the famous composer of those atmospheric orchestral and vocal works that no doubt came to many people’s attention when used in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. It’s a work in two movements, beginning with a “Dialogo,” an adagio with much rubato and written in a very cantabile style that works supremely well on the guitar. Chords are often played pizzicato and slid up or down, interspersed with some emotive solo lines and the odd chord in evidence, too. Barring is often not included, and only heightens the slightly free nature of this opening movement. The second movement is a presto con slancio capriccio, written largely in 16th notes and involve immense technical difficulty as a result of the required speed. (There is a fine recording on YouTube of Greek guitarist Kostas Tosidis playing the Sonata, if a reference point is required.) Moreover the length of this final movement makes it only playable at the necessary speed by only the very best players. Nevertheless, this is a fine, extremely

Rossini reimagined for classical guitar The genesis of this book came from the idea to get contemporary composers to write music based on the works of 19th-century giant Gioachino Rossini, to be included in the 34th Rossini Opera Festival in 2013 in Pesaro, Italy. Indeed these were performed by a young local guitarist named Eugenio Della Chiara during that festival. There are six pieces, one each by the first four gentlemen listed above, and two by Marco Reghezza, all in completely different styles, and all quoting in some form or other a motif or theme from one of Rossini’s famous works. The difficulty factor for the player is quite high and these pieces are definitely beyond the realm of the modestly talented. But with that proviso, there is a fascinating range here, from the avant-garde approach of Reghezza’s divertimento “Ai Capricci della Sorte” from the Rossini opera L’Italiana in Algeri, to Tagliamacco’s rousing “Soiree Rossiniane,” based largely on the famous tarantella, and a real crowd-pleaser. Providing you are open to many different styles of modern writing for the guitar, these six large works will provide many players with quite a technical challenge. —CD

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 91

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ENSEMBLES IN BRIEF G and the guitar in E. It’s a delightful piece, There isn’t enough space to review in detail and the guitar part is intermediate—Grade every ensemble that we receive. Some en- 6 or so, and written well. Unlike “classical sembles will only interest a small minority, repertoire,” where the guitar is providing so we will tell you about them in this brief block-chord continuo, in this ensemble the summary. guitar has a much more pleasing line, and “Four Figures Acoustiques” for guitar the rolling arpeggios complement the susquartet by Atanas Ourkouzounov (Les Pro- tain from the woodwinds perfectly. ductions d’Oz) is a complex work that will “Montagne,” also by Seminara, is in only interest players at the professional G, so the clarinet is in B♭. Here, I would level. With constantly changing time signa- have welcomed an alternative part for a B♭ tures and rhythms that are hard to inter- clarinet, in 3♯ and accessible to more clarlock, this is not an easy piece for the audi- inetists. The guitar bottom string is tuned ence either. Although the composer has a down to D, and the arpeggios are rich in terrific eye for detail and employs a broad “ninth chords,” which have a lovely spapalette of textures, I am not sure this is go- cious sound. A key change to one flat ining to prove popular in concert. troduces barre chords and some unfamiliar “La Citta della Gioia,” by Salvatore Sem- chord shapes make the center section just inara (Les Productions d’Oz), is for flute, a little harder. Fingering is provided and is clarinet in A, and guitar. The choice of clari- helpful. The choice of instruments works net could be problematic for a learner with well and the piece would be well-received only a Bb clarinet, but it puts the clarinet in in concert.

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“Six Ricercars on a Theme by FC da Milano,” by Dusan Bogdanovic (Doberman-Yppan), is dedicated to the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, and needs a sevenstring guitar with the bottom string set to A. Without that, a complete rewrite of Guitar 4 is needed. This is original writing, not transcriptions, so the technical level, the rhythm changes, and cross-string trills are not easy. “Sofia, Buenos-Aires,” by Albert Benoît (Les Productions d’Oz), is for guitar and violin, so it’s not of universal appeal. The music is provided as full score for the guitarist, and an additional part score for the violinist. The music is professional-level, and is free-form in rhythm, with an extensive range of effects and harmonics. The writing is confident and rich, but the harmonies might not appeal to everyone. —Derek Hasted

Grosse Sonate Op. 7

Seven Medieval Pieces

Lachrymae (for 4 guitars)

Simon Molitor Ut Orpheus, 32 pp.

Stathis Skandalidis Lathkill Music, 18 pp.

Stephen Goss Doberman-Yppan, 10 pp. plus parts

An early master is getting his due

Medieval-Italian dances offer

A curious but delightful fusion of the modern and medieval

Until recently, works by German composer something different for guitarists and guitar virtuoso Simon Molitor (1766– These pieces all hail from a medieval1848) were performed infrequently. Now, Italian manuscript housed in the British more and more of his pieces are being Library in London, and are part of a set of re-introduced, and here is an Urtext edition 119, of which 15 are monophonic instruof one of his largest. mental dances. What Skandalidis has done It was composed in 1806 in what the is arranged them for guitar, so that the texpreface refers to as the classic Viennese tures remain quite thin, with the result that style. Moreover, he was one of the first players can either choose to take them at a guitar composers to separate the music modest pace if they so wish, or at a faster into its various voices, unlike many writers speed should they feel able to do so. up until this time who preferred the more“Trotto” is a 6/8 dropped-D piece full of single-note style adopted by writers of the bare fifths and mostly in two voices, but violin. Set in four movements, it begins getting as high as top A (fret 17), while with a long, grand Agitato ma non troppo al- “Lamento di Tristano” is contrastingly slowlegro, with a dramatic adagio introduction er and more melodic, but still with many extending to eight pages. That is followed bare fifth harmonies underneath. There by an andante in two, and sometimes three is the rousing “Rotta,” plus the triplevoices, a minuetto and trio, and finally a ron- metered “La Manfredina,” and “La Rotta do in 6/8 time that has lively themes and della Manfredina,” in which the two piecwhich comes to a satisfyingly energetic es are thematically and stylistically comconclusion. bined. Finally there are two “Saltarellos” This is a work of considerable length, that finish the book in suitably exciting and every bit as good as many of that cen- fashion. The music here is compelling, tury’s extended woks by the more familiar with surprisingly unexpected harmonies composers. It is on the difficult side, so and distinctive medieval touches throughplayers have to be aware that it will take out. I can see some or all of this set provsome finger work to do it full justice, but ing very popular with guitarists, especially I think many will have a great deal of fun those who want to program something a trying. —CD little different for an audience. —CD

This is a challenging work, written almost 15 years ago for Goss’ quartet, Tetra, and although it will require a fine group to reproduce it, it’s a particularly interesting venture. Taking as its inspiration Dowland’s “I Saw My Lady Weep,” “In Darkness Let Me Dwell,” “Flow My Tears” “Come Heavy Sleep,” and “Lachrimae Pavan,” you may already be feeling depressed at the thought of blending such sad pieces together. But stay with it. A substantial part of the piece is in artificial harmonics, imparting an almost ghostly quality to the counterpoint. Elsewhere, shimmering rubbed chords, marked with a quadruple p, give a further dimension to the ethereal quality. The notation is careful to show how many notes ring on inside arpeggios, and there is almost no fingering to show the correct position for these, so some planning is called for. There are patches of awkward rhythm—septuplets for example—but there is space around these, so a small deviation from perfection will not be noticed, as there is nothing to clash against. There are single measures that are to be improvised on a family of harmonics and sometimes the palette includes multiphonic harmonics. This is a curious fusion between modern and medieval, delightfully understated in its final form. Though not for many mortals in the world of guitar, it stands almost alone in carving a unique furrow in the field of music, and that alone makes it noteworthy, pardon the pun. —DH

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com 93

FESTIVALS & COMPETITIONS JANUARY 14–17 2016 Biasini International Guitar Competition & Festival. San Francisco, California Under the artistic direction of David Tanenbaum, the third annual competition will have finalists performing an original piece composed by Sergio Assad Performances by Marc Teicholz, Cristobal Selame, San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Guitar Ensemble, and Emanuele Buono. The final evening includes a performance from members of the jury: Gérard Abiton, Marco Vinicio Carnicelli, Stephan Schmidt, and Walter Zanetti. omniconcerts.com

Emanuele Buono

FEBRUARY 11–14 2016 Guitar Alla Grande Ottawa, Canada This four-day fest at the University of Ottawa includes concerts and master classes by Pavel Steidel and the Sudbury Guitar Trio; students performing new music published by Les Productions d’Oz and Doberman-Yppan, a lecture/concert

by Michel Beauchamp, and concerts by Adam Cicchillitti, David Gaudreau and Denis Poliquin, and junior and senior guitar orchestras; a luthier fair; and more. guitarallagrande.org FEBRUARY 24-28 2016 Miami International GuitART Festival and Composition Competition Miami, Florida The MIGF, at Florida International University’s School of Music, features performances, master classes, lectures, a luthier’s expo, composers panel, and, most intriguing, a composers competition. Concert participants include Benjamin Verdery, Robert Trent, Stephen Aron, John Schneider, Turkey’s Trio Anka, the Cuban Duo Con-Trastes, Miami Guitar Trio, festival founder and artistic director Mesut Ozgen, and others. There will also be a student showcase concert. The composition competition will solicit entries for solo, duo, or trio pieces, in two different age categories. migf.org

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‘TYPICALLY, THE COMPETITION WINNER IS THE ONE WHO MANAGES TO OFFEND THE FEWEST PEOPLE ON THE JURY. Young people are typically afraid to show individuality, to present daring new ideas, even to display exciting new repertoire in a competition. Essentially, they feel they will lose points . . . for showing new ideas. What a regressive system!’

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INSIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

LIVE LIVING ROOM FROM THE

BY JEFFREY PEPPER RODGERS

In lean times, playing in people’s houses (and crashing in their guest rooms) has become a crucial way to keep touring and stay solvent

3

GREG HORNAK

Ukulele sensation Danielle Ate the Sandwich with Carey Baer at a house show in Madison, Wisconsin

ne night in August 2014, singersongwriter Sean Rowe walked onto a stage in Massachusetts—but the stage was just a platform in the woods, next to a small hunting cabin, a supermoon shining above. Rowe and the audience of around 30 people had to hike across a bridge to reach the cabin, and everyone pitched in to carry his gear. As Rowe dug into his intense blend of folk, blues, and soul, playing his Takamine through a Princeton Reverb amp for a bit of ratty dist o r t i o n , s o m e b a c k g ro u n d n o i s e c u t through—not the usual loud conversations, sports on TV, or hiss of an espresso machine, but rather the trickling of a stream. “It was really nice to hear that at the same time as the songs,” says Rowe. “The trees were super tall, and you couldn’t see any other houses. There’s a sonic beauty when the music goes through the trees in a forest. It sort of creates an additional sound. It’s like having somebody else in the band.” This woodsy stage was just one of the unusual settings where Rowe has been performing. He still plays plenty of clubs, but a few years ago he fell in love with house concerts—small, private shows in homes, where hosts invite friends and neighbors for an

O

4 Winter 2015

evening of live music and accept donations for the performer. Rowe’s run of house concerts began when he found himself with an open window of time after finishing his album Madman (ANTI- Records). Awaiting the release, he decided to ask his Facebook fans if anyone wanted to host a show at their home. The response was tremendous, and he wound up booking six months of house concerts around the country, playing living rooms, basements, garages, decks, barns, a horse ranch, and even a mountaintop. “Every possible scenario you can think of,” says Rowe, “I pretty much did it.” House concerts are a longstanding tradition, especially in the folk world. But over the last few decades, house concerts of all kinds have proliferated around North America, from one-time gatherings hosted by fans to larger, established series that present shows throughout the year. In these lean times for professional musicians, playing in people’s living rooms (and crashing in their guest rooms) has become a crucial way to keep touring and stay solvent. Working musicians “have to figure out how to live with a third of the radio income,” says singer-songwriter Fran Snyder, creator of the house-concert booking network Concerts in Your Home.

“They have to play festivals that pay a lot less than they used to. Everything is getting smaller, because the audiences are so fragmented, and there are so many other things to do besides going to listen to music.” While house concerts are fundamentally a volunteer-driven, grassroots phenomenon, in recent years some enterprising musicians have been working to bring a new level of organization to booking and producing these shows. Concerts in Your Home, which connects performers and hosts, is one prominent example, and now Snyder also runs the annual Listening Room Festival, bringing a select group of artists to Florida for a week of house concerts—as well as office concerts, charity events, and a showcase. Another mover and shaker of the current house-concert scene is the young songwriter/ promoter KC Turner, who presents upward of 30 house concerts a year in homes around the San Francisco Bay Area. For Turner, these private venues create special bonds between the performers and the audience. “House concerts are growing rapidly because of this connection,” he says. “Once a fan and artist experience these magical moments in an intimate, listening-room environment, why would they want to try to force that in a bar setting?”

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

people over. You’re playing for an audience House concerts are different in many ways that’s already won over because of the from shows in clubs, coffeehouses, theaters, environment.” or other traditional venues. First of all, they House concerts also offer a chance for are private, invitation-only events. If the show less experienced musicians to learn and grow. is publicized outside the host’s own network “There’s an opportunity that’s lost when (via the performer’s website, social media, or you’re playing for an inattentive crowd: You e-mail list, for instance), attendees need to don’t really learn if your material is good or contact the host to reserve a spot and to get not,” Snyder says. “You can’t get the sort of the street address of the performance. While detailed feedback that you get when you’re commercial venues mostly sell tickets to fans playing up close and personal in a room of the artist, house-concert audiences are where the audience is not in darkness. As a often there because they are friends with the developing artist, I think that’s critical, espehost, and they may not be familiar with the cially if you’re doing understated material.” performer at all. “These are all people who Audiences who attend house concerts know each other, but most of them don’t generally have the opportunity to meet and know me, which is exciting,” Rowe says. “It’s chat with the performers, making them much pretty special if the first time you hear me is more likely to buy CDs and other keepsakes. in that setting. I really dig that aspect of it.” Snyder says he often hears from artists that Another difference is the acoustic environthey sell two or three times the number of ment. House concerts tend to be pin-drop CDs at a house concert than they do at a club, quiet and provide an ideal atmosphere for even if the crowd is smaller. many acoustic musicians and songwriters— At house concerts, the artist usually or anyone whose show hinges on the subtlereceives all of the suggested donations (typities of words and music rather than onstage cally $10 to $20), as well as a room for the theatrics and visuals. “You sing one of your night and a home-cooked meal. Factoring in funny lines in your song, and everyone laughs these extra benefits, the income from even a because everyone heard it,” says KC Turner. small house concert can compare favorably “You get to be in your element and deliver it to a club date, especially for performers who how you intended it 1 without trying11:28 to win don’t1 have a big draw. They get a break from ad_AER_trio*_Layout 2015-08-20 AM Page

motels and fast food, and get back on the road the next day with some money in their pocket and the satisfaction of having played for people who actually paid attention.

HANG TIME Not every musician is cut out for the houseconcert environment. It can be unnerving to have people listening so intently, and at such close range, if you’re not used to it. And banter with the audience is essential; just playing your songs without saying anything would be awkward, or even a little rude. Patti Dalton, who runs a series called Patti’s Place in her basement in Massachusetts, says, “As important as the music is, so is the ability to connect with the audience in such a small and cozy place. It’s nice if members of the audience have a question or two to give the artist something to talk about. [The artists] get the chance to tell stories they might not tell in a bigger room.” Performers who like to sequester themselves in the green room right up until the show starts, and then disappear right after, would be better off sticking to clubs, because at a house concert, the artist is expected to interact with the audience throughout the evening. According to Rowe, “It does take a lot out of you, as far as the intensity level, and just that you’re on the whole time. You have

5

to be prepared to use your voice that much if you’re a singer. I’m real conscious about not overdoing it.” These informal interactions are part of what motivate hosts to work so hard to promote the event, manage RSVPs, move furniture, prepare food, and open their home to dozens of people. House-concert hosts, says Snyder, “don’t just love music—they love artists. And one of the big reasons they put in the effort to host shows is not just for the music but for the hang. It’s for spending some time with these troubadours, who have great stories and great experiences to share and sort of a unique view on life. All of that is lost if you have a performer who is not comfortable or gregarious or happy to be around people.”

Performers who embrace the social aspect of house concerts can be rewarded with some great experiences. Snyder fondly recalls a day after playing a house concert in western Nebraska, when the host invited him to try the favorite local pastime of tanking: floating down the river in a big tank normally used for feeding livestock, but outfitted for the occasion with lawn chairs and a cooler full of beer. On his annual cross-country house-concert tours, Turner says he loves learning about different towns and communities during the post-show social time. “I learned more about St. Louis the other night than I’ve ever even thought about—and I’m from Missouri originally—because I hung out with Clarence, a 98-year-old baker.”

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6 Winter 2015

BUILDING A NETWORK Most house concerts are set up directly between host and artist, but today booking services can help facilitate the process, both in terms of organizing and making connections. In the case of Concerts in Your Home, artists apply online and go through a detailed audition process that assesses the quality of the music and its suitability for a house-concert setting. The performers’ websites and promo materials are checked out as well. Those who are accepted—two-thirds of applicants are turned away, and there are currently about 300 active members—pay $300 per year for access to the site’s network of about 600 hosts. One problem that touring artists face is that most house-concert hosts naturally want to host shows on weekends—but too many empty weeknights in between weekend gigs quickly turn a tour into a money loser. Snyder is trying to address this situation by encouraging music fans to host small weeknight shows. He promotes Dinner and Song events (dinnerandsong.com), in which the audience breaks bread with the artist and then hears a 35-minute concert, and TenTen Concerts (tentenconcerts.com), which are ten guests, ten songs, for ten bucks. A string of tiny gatherings like this, which would bring an artist $100, plus CD sales, and include a meal and a place to stay, could mean the difference between a successful tour and a bust. In the San Francisco area, KC Turner takes a more hands-on approach. He presents his house concerts through a network of musicloving hosts who have spacious homes and backyards, and he takes care of the booking, promotion, and RSVPs, and supplies sound equipment, folding chairs, and whatever else is needed. While there are plenty of venues for 200 or 300 people or more in San Francisco, Turner provides intimate listening experiences where artists as well known as Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, G. Love, Chuck Prophet, Peter Case, and Glen Phillips can appreciate the chance to perform for an audience of 50 to 100 people. Texas singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo often plays rocking shows with his band at clubs, but at a recent house concert, Turner says, “He had no curfew, he could do whatever he wanted, and he did a two-hour set of storytelling and songs with no microphones, just right there in the living room. And for the fans, the back row was only 20 feet away from him. You’ve got this insanely great seat with a legendary songwriter-performer.” Because his house concerts are relatively small and have no overhead, Turner can take more of a chance in helping up-and-comers break into the competitive San Francisco market. They don’t have to book a low-paying gig with a bunch of other bands, as would typically happen in a club. Turner recently

SAINT JAMES

Top Sean Rowe Middle KC Turner introduces an open mic performer at Second Act in San Francisco, California. Bottom A string quartet plays Beethoven, Dvorak, and Dohnanyi at a Groupmuse house concert in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

JILL WHEELER

BRIAN CHURCHWELL

presented the fast-rising, young songwriter Parker Millsap and his band for his first San Francisco appearance at a house concert with 90 people. “They killed it and had the night all to themselves,” Turner says. “Every single person in the room got to hear every single note, and there was no competition with a bar or TV or whatever. So their first gig in San Francisco was pristine as far as connecting with the audience.”

COMING HOME What’s so striking about the house-concert scene, whether you are participating as a performer, a host, or an audience member, is its generous spirit. The love of music shines through, as does respect for those who dedicate their lives to it. Artist Glenn Elvig, who hosts the Creek House Concert series in St. Paul, Minnesota, in a space that doubles as an art gallery and listening room, typifies this spirit. He takes his series very seriously, employing a pro sound system and sound man, and has presented more than 70 shows with top talent such as Laurence Juber, Jonathan Byrd, Roy Book Binder, and Karen Savoca. Elvig got started as a house-concert presenter after being reminded about the travails of making a living as a musician. “I had a good friend who played a wonderful set at a local club and went home with maybe $40,” he says. “I decided that I would create a venue that made money for the musicians. My goal is to treat the guest artists like royalty. I think they are national treasures.” Aside from helping to sustain grassroots music, Rowe explains how house concerts can create personal connections that are surprisingly deep and transforming. “You never know quite what to expect when you’re going into somebody’s house, a space that’s usually reserved for family and friends. I think I had a lot of prejudice against people from a certain demographic and with a certain lifestyle, and [house concerts] broke down a lot of walls for me. I realized, wow, these are just people, and everybody has a story. There were a lot of surprises that I wasn’t expecting—really humbling. It’s changed my outlook on people in general.” • 7

NOW HEAR THIS! BY DAVID KNOWLES

Mabel

8 Winter 2015

The full line of handmade condenser mics from Ear Trumpet Labs

Ear Trumpet Labs, the mic company of choice for a new generation of acoustic players, unveils a new studio model. Meet Mabel . . .

ver the last three years, Ear Trumpet Labs’ distinctive microphones have become the new gold standard among Americana and bluegrass guitarists for live performances. With throwback female names like Edwina, Doreen, and Myrtle, the retro-styled live mics are used onstage by such noted acts as the Milk Carton Kids, Tom Brosseau, and Della Mae. Now, the Portland, Oregon, company has unveiled Mabel, a studio version of the line, designed for recording acoustic instruments and priced at a respectable $1,000. “The biggest difference is the multi-pattern capability,” Ear Trumpet Labs founder Philip Graham says. “There’s also higher output.” Almost immediately after releasing his first microphone in 2011, Graham started being asked whether he could come up with a high-quality studio version. “It was requested from musicians and engineers,” he says. “People were asking for a multi-patterned mic to do figure-eight recording. It was something I’d considered myself, so I started looking into it.” With the addition of Mabel, the company has 16 different microphones that it makes by hand out of copper plumbing supplies and vintage bicycle parts, including reclaimed bicycle chains. To be sure, Ear Trumpet Labs is a boutique operation, selling just over 200 microphones in 2013; double that figure in 2014. “The biggest way people find out about them is they see someone using one of the mics somewhere and usually ask them, ‘What the hell was that? It sounds great!’” Graham says. “I hear from a lot of the musicians that have my mics who say that it’s pretty regular for three or four people per gig to come up to them and ask about them.”

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Graham says that he began building mics in part to try to optimize the guitar and vocal sounds for his daughter, singer-songwriter Malachi Graham. “My impetus for getting into this was home recording,” Graham says. “I was doing different kinds of DIY electronics, building guitar amps and circuitry, building a compressor. When I started researching microphones I realized how expensive they were and wondered, since I was in a DIY frame of mind, whether it was possible to build your own.” By 2011, he had refined his design, and opened Ear Trumpet Labs. “Many of our customers come from the bluegrass and Americana genres,” Graham explains. “In some cases, the mics are specifically designed for the kind of bluegrass and full-band single miking—the Louise and the Josephine, for instance, that’s specifically what their strength is.” One happy customer is Della Mae flatpicker Courtney Hartman. “I was on the

lookout for the perfect large-diaphragm mic to use live with Della Mae when a friend told me about Ear Trumpet Labs,” she says. “We loved the Edwina from the first show and now tour with five of their microphones. They’ve given us the freedom of large-diaphragm microphones while maintaining tone clarity and a high-feedback resistance.” With Mabel, Graham hopes to go toe to toe with microphones that cost more than five times what Ear Trumpet Labs is charging. Still, he’s content to grow his business slowly. “I don’t ever want to take the company to a point where I would have to consider the margins and cost cutting to mass-produce these mics,” Graham says. “My whole intention is to have it be a workshop. I do want to get bigger, and I’ve got a couple of guys helping me out now, but the idea is to keep it a craft workshop, and to get people in who are interested in working like I am, and do it all by hand with that attention to detail.” • 9

Zoom H4n

FLASH FORWARD BY FRAN GUIDRY

Tascam DR-44WL

10 Winter 2015

10 Ways a Flash Recorder Can Aid Students & Teachers

Handheld flash recorders are still state-of-the-art ne of the best ways to improve as a musician is to record your own playing. Sure, it can be frustrating and disappointing when you hear that you’re out of tempo, out of key, or out of tune. But knowing your weaknesses is the first step to improvement, and hearing a well-played number is its own reward. I can remember when decent-quality recording was complicated and expensive, but today inexpensive flash-memory recorders—at most every price point and with any feature set—are capable of remarkable fidelity. Every music recorder I’ve researched can capture in so-called high-resolution formats, using sample rates and bit depth greater than the CD standard of 44.1 kHz and 16-bit depth, although it’s hotly debated whether these formats offer any improvement in audio quality. All of these recorders can record compressed audio using the MP3 format and uncompressed audio in WAV format. Compressed formats take up less room and are handy for passing around on the internet, while uncompressed formats provide higher quality and are preferred if you plan to process your recordings to create audio CDs or add such effects as equalization, reverb, and compression. In addition to sound quality, you’ll also want to consider ease of use (the navigation of settings can vary considerably), storage capacity, and battery life.

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THE MEMORY GAME The devices discussed here all use solid-state memory in the form of standardized flash cards. Flash cards come in three sizes: CF (compact flash), SD (secure digital), and micro SD. The capacity of these cards has increased over the years, along with improvements in read and write speed. The original SD card had a maximum capacity of only 2 GB (gigabytes). The SDHC (secure digital high capacity) standard increased the maximum size to 32 GB, and the newer SDXC (secure digital extended capacity) can reach a maximum of 2 terabytes, or 2,000 GB. Some recorders are limited in the class of SD card they can use, so check carefully when purchasing a recorder and flash card. (Manufacturers generally provide a list of confirmed compatible cards with the documentation for their recorders.)

BY ERIN SHRADER Large capacity cards are great for video and even high-end photography, but for audio recording, even the smaller flash cards store a lot of music. CD-standard WAV files take up about 10 MB per minute, so a 2 GB card will hold more than three hours of music in uncompressed WAV format. Compressed MP3 formats are even smaller, and the size can be adjusted by selecting different compression levels, specified as bit rate in kilobits per second (kbps). For instance, five minutes of music would create a 50 MB WAV file, while a 128-kbps MP3 file would be only 5 MB; at the highest bit rate of 320 kbps, the compressed file will be about 10 MB. There’s a quality tradeoff for smaller file sizes, of course. In general, the 320-kbps MP3 is audibly the same as a WAV file, while the 128-kbps file may have audible artifacts.

BUDGET CONSTRAINTS With so many recorders and a wide array of features available, finding the right tool for your job can be a challenge. Your first step in filtering the choices is to determine your budget, then evaluate the features you need for your recording goals. Most of the recorders have built-in mics, but most also allow you to attach external microphones. Most portable recorders have a stereo 1/8-inch jack that uses a microphone powering system called plug-in power, and there are a wide variety of mics that can be connected in this way; however, the usual stage and studio mics will not work with this connection because they require an XLR input, and condenser microphones additionally need phantom power to operate. The least expensive recorders designed for music have a street price of less than $100. Both Tascam and Zoom make highquality, affordable flash recorders in this segment that record in stereo using built-in mics or external mics through the 1/8-inch stereo jacks. The Tascam DR-05 offers features including a limiter and clip editing, while the Zoom H1 is equipped with directional mics for an improved stereo image. If your budget extends to $200, the choices really expand. In this range, you can find recorders like the Zoom H4n and Tascam DR-40 that support condenser mics requiring XLR connections and 48-volt phantom power.

1. RECORD YOUR LESSONS When the lesson is over, it’s gone—unless you record it. Today’s recorders make it easier than ever to capture and save that gem of an insight or to play along later with your teacher’s wonderful interpretation of that new passage. Parents can use the recording to help youngsters practice the exercises taught in the lesson.

2. RECORD YOURSELF The best way to get better is to listen to yourself. What you hear in your mind’s ear and what’s actually coming out of your instrument can be just a little bit different—or worlds apart! Recordings hold up an honest mirror to your ear. But a bad recording can be more discouraging than necessary, especially if you’re working on beautiful tone. Today’s digital recorders create clear, accurate recordings of your playing.

3. PLAY ALONG You can learn a lot by playing along with your favorite artist. Recordings contain information about style, feel, timing, and interpretation that no sheet music or verbal description can ever provide. Stop thinking so hard and try playing along.

4. COLLECT NEW REPERTOIRE Guitarists and fiddlers were early adopters of mobile technology, lugging heavy cassette recorders to festivals and jam sessions in the 1970s. The skeleton of a tune can be reduced to notes on a staff, but the essence of style is learned by listening, playing along, and trying to match what you hear. CONTINUES ON PG. 12

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YOU CAN BE A BETTER MUSICIAN.

5. TRANSCRIBE JAZZ SOLOS Some of today’s flash recorders have features that could almost be considered cheating: variable speed playback at pitch, and A-B repeat functions that allow you to select and replay a segment endlessly.

WE CAN HELP. B E A B E T T E R S T R I N G P L AY E R

BE A BETTER ACOUSTIC GUITARIST

6. MUSICAL SKETCH PAD Don’t you hate it when a musical idea pops into your head and then pops right out before you can write it down? The smallest flash recorders, the size of a disappointingly small candy bar, fit in your pocket.

5 Ways to Avoid Wrist Injuries

FOR PLAYERS OF VIOLIN, VIOLA, CELLO, BASS, AND FIDDLE

Improve Your SightReading Skills BE A BETTER ACOUSTIC GUITARIST

B E A B E T T E R S T R I N G P L AY E R

How to Find the Right Guitar Teacher

Roland R-26

Tips to Stay in Tune art that always requires an interpreter. Paintings and sculpture you can look at, theater you can read (better with actors interpreting for you, but you can still know what it’s about), poetry sounds pretty good if you read it to yourself, and architecture is eventually a material reality. There are very few people who can look at a piece of music and know what it sounds like, and those folks don’t do it for fun. So unlike a painter, who just does whatever he or she wants on a canvas, we have a responsibility to the composers to not only respect their wishes, but to bring their art to life in a manner that reflects us as well. If composers (lately) didn’t want individual interpretations of their work, they would all just write for computers. Most, even now, don’t. And none of us should sound like a machine, which is all repetition and rote without thought is ever going to achieve.

PLAYER TIP: WATCH THE ACCIDENTAL MARCATO ON DOWN BOWS This can work in occasional circumstances as a way of marking a note in a place where you really need that extra clarity and oomph. However, I have heard folks play entire concertos as though every down bow is marked with a marcato carrot—they take the bow off the string at the frog of the up bow and start the down bow with a bite all the time. Please be careful that you don’t do this very often! Constant use of what should be an occasional technique invariably makes the player sound desperate, repetitive and, frankly, kind of like an angry troll.

you can do it as instructed and it still doesn’t feel right to you, then it’s fine to ask what the reason is behind it. Likely as not, your teacher will have a good explanation, which will probably make it clear to you and easier to perform with integrity. If it so happens that your teacher cannot answer you—or says something like, “That’s just the way it’s done,” well, then, I think you have the right to do what you want. As the author T.S. Eliot once said: “Tradition without intelligence is not worth having,” and BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TEACHERS’ VIEW? Some folks wonder about their teachers. this certainly applies to musical traditions Should everything be taken at face value? that are so ingrained no one has actually Or should one question their teacher about stopped to think about them for decades, if things they either don’t understand or don’t not centuries. However, I think you’ll find that most agree with? Well, I tend to be of the “yes” and “yes” camp. Keep in mind though, ques- teachers will be overjoyed to discuss this tioning does not mean challenging. For hypothetical diminuendo with you, hear example, if a teacher tells you to do a dimin- your thoughts, and come to a mutually agreeuendo someplace not marked that way by able solution. The teacher might even disthe composer, you can certainly try it out. If cover something for her or himself. The more

questions I get asked in master classes, the happier I am. And the same goes for any answers I get to, “Well, what do you think?” The only wrong answer to that question is “nothing.” And now, just imagine how convincing you’re going to be on that phrase, with diminuendo or not. You’ve thought about it, experimented and come to a decision based on instinct and critical thinking. That’s what music is all about. The New York Times has praised Canadian violinist and recording artist Lara St. John as “a high-powered soloist.” She has made solo appearances with numerous major symphonies and performed in recitals around the world. Her Mozart recording with her brother, Scott St. John, and the New York–based string orchestra the Knights, won the 2011 Juno Classical Album of the Year for Soloist with Large Ensemble Accompaniment.

Lara’s Pet Peeve That Almost Everyone Does Because They Aren’t Listening Let’s begin and end with portato. This is fine where it’s marked (dashes under slurs), and can work on rare occasions if used sparingly. However, watch that right hand—make sure, in slurred melodic phrases, that it’s moving at a constant speed, and not changing speed and weight in tandem with your left hand. If you portato everything all the time, which many people do, even entire orchestral string sections (!), you end up with hesitant, heaving, timid sounding melodies that are disturbing to listeners, especially wind players. For them, it’s all about the connection of notes. Joaquin Valdepeñas, the principal clarinet of the Toronto Symphony, once asked me after hearing violin auditions why it was that all the players put an ‘h’ in front of every note. And that’s exactly what portato is. Sing a scale like this:

& 44

œ

Ah

œ

œ

œ

˙

Ó

Now, do it like this:

& 44

œ

Ha

œ

ha

œ

ha

œ

˙

ha

ha

Ó

That’s what you’re doing when you portato constantly. A whole phrase like that is really, for lack of a better word, just icky. Here’s a way to prove to yourself that you’re not doing it. Say, for example, if your melody is on the A string, think and play the melody with your left hand only, but bow the G string so only the open G sounds. If you can think and finger your way through your melody and have that G string sound constant, with no letup in sound when your left hand changes, then you’re sitting pretty! However, I have never met an unintentionally portato-ing string player who can pass this test. So try this whenever you’re portato-suspicious. Be vigilant! It’s a terrible habit.

The Learning Game 4 tips on finding the right teacher

BY OCTOBER CRIFASI

ooking for a good guitar instructor can seem like searching for a needle in a haystack when first starting out. While the Internet is chock full of good (and not so good) video tutorials, nothing can quite take the place of a good ol’ fashioned live, private, or group lesson. Working face to face with a teacher provides the proper technique and form instruction sometimes lost when watching a two-minute tutorial where no one can see what your fretting or rhythm hand is up to. If you have decided the time is right to start taking lessons, the following tips can help you find the best instructor for your needs.

L

DO YOUR RESEARCH Start by asking friends and relatives for a good referral. Also check with local music stores, community colleges, and libraries. Oftentimes community colleges will have an extension or adult-learning program that offers series of group guitar classes for nominal cost. Know your budget before making inquiries so you know how long of a lesson you can afford (if private) and how often. Most music stores and private studios require payment by month, series, or semester, so make sure to find out about cancellation and refund policies before you commit, as they vary from studio to studio.

DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN If you are interested in learning a specific style, technique or genre, find out if the instructor has experience playing and teaching it. While most instructors have experience with a variety of styles, many have a specific genre which he or she is best and most comfortable teaching. Be clear with prospective teachers about what you’d like to learn and have a few short-term goals in mind when you do. This helps both of you decide if the match makes sense. Short-term goals also provide a great way to assess if you are making progress with an instructor once lessons commence.

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1

KNOW YOUR LEARNING STYLE Teaching styles and methods vary widely among instructors, so think about what approach would work best for you. If you prefer a more structured approach with weekly assignments in different areas, private lessons are the way to go. Group lessons are great for strengthening listening skills, strumming and singing simultaneously, and keeping time with other players. They can also provide support and feedback when learning something particularly challenging. Private lessons, on the other hand, provide an opportunity for focused one-on-one attention, which might not always be possible in a larger group class situation.

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SCHEDULE AN INTRODUCTORY LESSON The only way to know if a teacher is right for you is to take a lesson with him or her. To get the best use of the lesson time, talk through your interests on the phone or via email in advance of actual lesson time. This allows your lesson time to be spent actually playing guitar and getting a good sense of the instructor’s teaching style, versus talking through the entire time. A few things to consider after the first lesson: Did you feel comfortable asking questions in the lesson? Did you leave the lesson with an assignment that challenged you and inspired to practice? Did you learn something new? Did you like the teacher’s approach? If you left the lesson feeling less than inspired or that your lesson was spent watching your teacher play or noodle around on the fretboard for 25 of the 30 minutes, you might want to consider taking lessons with someone else. The one thing to keep in mind as you go through the search process is you are always free to switch to another teacher if you find things not working out with your instructor. There is usually more than one guitar teacher in any given area, so take an introductory lesson when possible with as many instructors as you need to find the right one for you. AG

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12 Winter 2015

7. AUDITION & RECITAL RECORDINGS

FOR PLAYERS OF VIOLIN, VIOLA, CELLO, BASS, AND FIDDLE

Only a short time ago, these features were limited to professional studios, but today they’re in the palm of your hand. Other features in this segment include overdubbing and multitrack recording, although the user interface for such features in a compact recorder can be a bit challenging. Zoom offers surround recording in their H2n with a combination of XY and mid-side mic arrays, while Tascam has recently released the DR-22WL with Wi-Fi control and file transfer using your smartphone. When you look at the next segment, up to $300, there are some very interesting tools. The Zoom H5 lets you swap attached mics among XY, mid-side, and shotgun modules, along with two XLR inputs and four-channel recording. The Tascam DR44-WL adds Wi-Fi control along with four-channel recording using attached stereo mics and dual XLR inputs. The Sony PCM-M10 is known for its amazing battery life and low self-noise. Above $300, you get to some real powerhouse recorders. The Zoom H6 and Roland R-26 are six-track handheld recorders, great for capturing small groups. The Marantz PMD661 MKII, Fostex FR-2LE, and Sony PCMD100 capture two channels of pristine audio. Only the Sony includes built-in mics in this group, but the other two are worthy of the finest external condenser mics and offer XLR inputs and phantom power to operate them. In this golden age of compact recorders, you can buy an impressive device for the price of a nice instrument case—one that fits in your hand and captures every nuance of your playing. •

The prescreening recording is often the first step toward acceptance at the music school or festival of your choice. For the price of a few hours of studio time, you can get a recorder that will make a high-quality demo without the pressure of the clock ticking. The more robust flash recorders can make broadcast-quality recital recordings with the addition of a couple of good microphones.

8. RECORD YOUR GIGS Think the band sounds great? Find out for real by recording your gigs. If you managed to capture some of those magic moments, pop it up on your website or fan page.

9. SHARE YOUR MUSIC Unless you were lucky enough to land a tenured position in a major orchestra or university, a musician is always looking for a job. Self-promotion is key, and having sound samples on your website is crucial. With the internet’s global reach, you never know who’s listening.

10. CHOOSE YOUR NEXT INSTRUMENT OR BOW A professional musician from California looking for a new instrument took a digital recorder along on a shopping trip back east. After trying several fine instruments, he recorded himself playing his favorites. Listening to the recordings later confirmed his opinions, and he made a purchase based purely on sound.

Making Your World

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MUST-HAVE BOOKS FOR THE ACOUSTIC MUSICIAN

THE HOME RECORDING HANDBOOK by Dave Hunter

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THE ULTIMATE LIVE SOUND OPERATOR’S HANDBOOK – 2nd EDITION by Bill Gibson

This second edition is updated with new text, photos, illustrations, and video examples.

MUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIY MUSICIAN by Bobby Borg

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13

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14 Winter 2015

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9/8/15 10:58 AM

WELCOME TO

STAGE&STUDIO THE ACOUSTIC MUSICIAN’S GUIDE TO CREATING, PERFORMING & RECORDING

WINTER 2015

LET US KNOW HOW YOU LIKE STAGE & STUDIO. Drop us a line at stageandstudio@ stringletter.com. And look for the next edition in any of these upcoming issues of Stringletter magazines:

EAR TRUMPET LABS BUILDS HIGH-QUALITY MICS FROM RECYCLED PARTS

HEAR

NOW

FEBRUARY 2016

THIS!

FEBRUARY 2016

SPRING 2016

SPRING 2016 PLUS HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON THE HOUSE CONCERT CIRCUIT

WHY HANDHELD FLASH RECORDERS ARE STILL A GREAT TOOL FOR MUSICIANS

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9/8/15 4:52 PM

YOU LOVE PLAYING YOUR INSTRUMENT. THAT’S WHY YOU’RE READING THIS MAGAZINE. TALLEST MAN ON EARTH | SARAH MCQUAID | JD SOUTHER | ED HELMS

And because there’s a lot more to your music than your instrument alone—now you’re reading this special supplement called STAGE & STUDIO.

JAMES TAYLOR BACK IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT AFTER 13 YEARS

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OCTOBER 2015 | ACOUSTICGUITAR.COM

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THE HAWAII ISSUE

SPECIAL FOCUS: GUITAR EDUCATION

CLASSICAL GUITAR 3 SONGS MARRY ME TRAIN

REMEMBERING MANUEL MOLINA

GEAR REVIEW Mérida Extrema Trajan T25-CES

DESTINATION HAWAII Exploring the Uke’s Spiritual Home

DALLAS RAG DALLAS STRING BAND NA PANA `ELUA DANIEL HO

ADVENTURES IN ‘PREPARED GUITAR’

THE BOLD COMPOSER/GUITARIST DEFIES CONVENTIONS

ROLAND DYENS

Maccaferri’s Fantastic Plastic Ukes

GEAR REVIEWS KoAloha Naupaka Goodtime Banjo Uke Ohana OBU-22 Bass

ClassicalGuitarMagazine.com

B R A D L E Y C O LT E N • C H R I S T I N A S A N D S E N G E N • B E N W O O D S

FALL 2015

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West Coast Ukulele Retreat

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