Guitar Performance Nov 3, 2008
The 25 Estudes Op. 60 was composed by Matteo Carcassi and is considered by many to be a collection of his most famous works. The purpose of these pieces is to blend the technical aspects of the guitar with lush Romantic Melodies. The first piece preformed, No. 3, has a brilliant, beautiful melody that carries throughout the piece. The tempo is relatively slow but overall it is a brilliant piece. No. 7 is another short piece that contrasts the first. It’s faster and carries the melody primarily through the bass line. The final piece, No. 19, is the shortest piece between the three. It offers a great, slow-moving melody in the high range of the instrument. In these pieces Carcassi was able to demonstrate the full aspect of the guitar’s potential from the fantastic melodies it can create to the expanded harmony.
II
Six Lute Pieces of the Renaissance was originally transcribed from lute tablature for guitar by Oscar Chilesotti and was later edited by Alan Neidle. The first piece entitled Vaghe belleze et bionde treccie d’oro vedi che per ti moro roughly translates to “I wander the world looking for your golden blonde braids in the night.” It is set in a slow Adante making it an emotionally powerful piece that grasps one’s being. The second piece, Bianco fiore translates to “white flower”. It’s a faster and shorter piece that was originally written by Cesare Negri (1535-1605), a Renaissance choreographer. In it contains many of the general style characteristics of renaissance music. The piece itself almost brings one back in time. The Danza is another short piece. The style brings the first two pieces together using many strummed chords injected with a short scale fragments.
III
Estudios Sencillos was composed by Leo Brouwer in 1973 for solo guitar. There are a total of twenty pieces in this work ranging in style and difficultly. Being a 20th Century Composer, Brouwer used all the tools at his disposal in guitar compositions including nontraditional chords and chord progressions. Etude V is a short piece in which the mood is reflected greatly by use of dynamics and accents. The second piece by Brouwer is Etude VI. This is a longer piece with a dream-like feel to it which comes from arpeggiated chords carried throughout the entire piece.
IV
If Heaven Were to Know was composed by Jason Steven Tienes Andrews from 2006-2008. It expresses the loss of a loved one. Each movement adds another instrument to the musical textures. The Prelude is the piece that ties all other movements together by including the first and last instruments together (piano and guitar). This speaks of the time before loss and how simple life can be.
Musical Couch is based on a simple melody that Andrews had written years ago in high school. He then used it as part of a theory project to accompany an instrument with piano. It’s a comical, upbeat piece that ends as abruptly as it starts.
V
Concerto n Ré Majeur was written for mandolin (lute) and orchestra by Antonio Vivaldi. This version is transcribed by Emilio Pujol for guitar and piano. It is one many famous Concertos composed by Vivaldi but the only composed for the lute. The first movement, Allegro, is fast-paced and beautiful. He was really able to bring out the full potential of the guitar’s melodic abilities in this movement as the piano plays a supportive role. Largo is the second movement and much slower than the rest. It is also the longest of the three. Although slower, this piece captures the mind and drives an anticipation for the climax; ending harmoniously at the destination. The last movement is also entitled Allegro. It is the shortest of the three movements. Although the melody stays with the guitar the piano is never far behind with either a similar arpeggio or style. This entire piece is wonderful down to the last note.
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