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 GUITAR
CLASSICAL
Editorial Consultant:
2009 Colin Cooper
Features Editor:
Guy Traviss

PHOTO: COURTESY CHANDOS RECORDS

Reviews Editor:
Tim Panting
OCTOBER

Music Editor:
Neil Smith
Managing Editor:
Maurice J. Summerfield
News Editor:
VOLUME 28, No.2 Thérèse Wassily Saba
4 Editorial
5 Classical Guitar News – Compiled by Thérèse Wassily Saba
8 Events, Festivals and Competitions
10 Concert Diary Aquarelle Guitar Quartet –
11 Aquarelle Guitar Quartet – Interviewed by Guy Traviss page 11.
18 8th Veria Guitar Festival – by Paul Fowles
23 2009 Parkening International Guitar Festival
26 Music Supplement – Edited by Neil Smith
30 Making a Living as a Classical Guitarist, No.8 –
by Lawrence del Casale
32 Views from Everywhere
34 West Sussex Guitar Club – Interviewed by Guy Traviss
39 Music Reviews
45 CD Reviews
49 Personal CD releases
50 Book Reviews
51 Concert Reviews
52 Gruppetto
53 Letter from New York – by Julia Crowe
55 Letters to the Editor
56 Classical Guitar Teachers
57 Classical Guitar Societies
COVER PHOTO: COURTESY CHANDOS RECORDS

Contributors:
Julia Crowe, Lawrence Del Casale, Zbigniew Dubiella, Paul Fowles, 2009 Parkening Festival –
Allan Clive Jones, Paul Magnussen, Oliver McGhie, Jorge Morel, page 23.
Danielle Ribouillault, David Russell, Maria Isabel Siewers,
Rico Stover, Maurice J. Summerfield, Graham Wade,
William Yeoman, Luis Zea.
Reviewers:
John Arran, Jane Bentley, Vladislav Blaha, Colin Cooper,
Julia Crowe, Chris Dumigan, Lorraine Eastwood, Paul Fowles,
Sandra Hambleton-Smith, Derek Hasted, Harvey Hope, Allan Clive Jones,
Linda Kelsall-Barnett, Stephen Kenyon, Steve Marsh, Emma Martinez,
Oliver McGhie, Tim Panting, Danielle Ribouillault, Neil Smith,
Thérèse Wassily Saba, William Yeoman, Fabio Zanon.
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Classical Guitar Magazine 3

 Editorial
certo for Guitar and Orchestra’ on a CD or in a concert
programme generally produce feelings of apprehension
in at least one pair of ears. with a concerto by Mozart or
Beethoven)? An over-familiar Vivaldi? An edited version
MY colleague Tim Panting puts his finger on an
argument that has been - well, perhaps not exactly
raging, but certainly ongoing and occasionally a lit-
tle on the fierce side: whether to amplify your gui-
tar or not. Because the instrument is basically
somewhat quiet, luthiers have for generations
sought ways of increasing the volume without - and
this is the crucial point - affecting the unique
sound of the guitar.
The purists among us insist that the guitar is not
an instrument to be heard, it is an instrument to be
listened to. The difference in meaning may seem
subtle but is blindingly obvious when you think
about it. The evidence suggests that today’s young
people want to hear; they want the music to come
to them, and are not so willing to meet the music
half way, because that entails effort, and making
an effort does not seem to them to be part of the lis-
tening process. Amplification is for them, one hun-
dred per cent. Other, usually older, ears sense that
the act of listening demands concentration, and
concentration needs effort. An effort worth making,
though, because of the occasions when the soloist
‘gets to the pitch of the hall’, and to 400 absolutely
silent listeners the guitar suddenly sounds twice as
loud. It doesn’t happen often; a cough or a shuffle
or a dropped programme is enough to spoil the
effect. But when it does, wow! Or maybe pow! A fine
player, Pablo Márquez (when will someone invite
him to play in Britain?), managed it in Poland once,
filling a 600-seat hall with Mertz’s Schubert
arrangements, imparting an orchestral quality of
superb tone and sensibility.
A counsel of perfection, maybe. But don’t we all
want perfection? And isn’t it wonderful when we
get it once in a while?
COLIN COOPER
the sound. It was arguably at the end of the ‘60s,
when rock music was at its zenith and musicians
wanted a more kaleidoscopic blend of textures, that
this technology was more relentlessly pursued.
Over 40 years on, the inclusion of a pick-up in a
commercially-produced acoustic guitar is ubiqui-
tous. You almost have to specify not to have an elec-
tro-acoustic rather than an instrument that relies
on its struts, braces and soundboard for volume.
The classical guitar, or perhaps in this sense, the
nylon-string guitar, has been lifted from the con-
fines of the coffee-house and can hack it with a Les
Paul or Fender on almost equal terms. I have to
confess (the guilt comes from the purist-at-heart in
me) that my current guitar has such an acoustic
transducer embedded under the bridge, and indeed
a pre-amplifier, which requires a 9-volt battery to
give it a little more authority. It was the need to
replace said power source that has inspired this
latest train of thought. I have not needed to use the
guitar in an amplified situation for some time. Even
now the use is purely for convenience and record-
ing onto the computer. I have two rather splendid
condenser microphones that can pick up the
rhythm of a butterfly’s wings but are fiddly and
exacting to set up. There is something to be said for
‘plug-and-go’ technology, where perfect balance
between disparate voices can be obtained with the
click of a mouse.
TIM PANTING

AMPLIFICATION, the process of making louder, as

one of many definitions goes, has probably been
part of music making since we first growled and
shrieked our way through prehistory. It is this need
to be heard above the herd or above the clamour of
the crowd that has driven humankind in a won-
derful succession of attempts to increase the vol-
ume, or, to use the vernacular, ‘pump it up’. A cou-
ple of centuries after the discovery of electricity it
was the guitar that indeed got ‘pumped up’, most
famously circa 1939, when jazz guitarist Charlie
Christian joined Benny Goodman’s Sextet and
Orchestra to become a high-profile exponent of the
early electric guitar, changing the way the instru-
ment could be played and heard. Because the tech-
nology involved was electromagnetic, guitars with
steel strings were the beneficiaries of this aural
superiority. Acoustic musicians had to wait for the
arrival of high-output piezoelectric pick-ups, which
enabled the electric response to vibration to convey
4 Classical Guitar Magazine
 C lassical G uitar N ews
Compiled by THÉRÈSE WASSILY SABA

Rodrigo and Bonell tour

This month October 2009 Cecilia

Rodrigo, the daughter of composer
Joaquín Rodrigo (1901–1999), will be
in Britain to give a lecture/concert tour
with guitarist Carlos Bonell, entitled
Aranjuez mon amour – The life and
music of Joaquín Rodrigo in his own
words. Cecilia Rodrigo’s readings will
be drawn from a fascinating collection
of letters – written to Segovia, Mompou,
and Manuel de Falla, and his future
wife Victoria. – and essays written by
her father. Carlos Bonell will be playing
music by Manuel de Falla, Gaspar
Sanz, Regino Sainz de la Maza and
Joaquín Rodrigo.
This event is part of the commemora-
tion activities marking the 10th
anniversary of Rodrigo’s death and also
part of the 2009 Rodrigo Festival. The
tour begins on Wednesday 7 October
2009 at Canning House, London. They
will also be in Jersey on Thursday 8
October, in Cambridge on Friday 9
October, at Taverham Hall, Norwich on Cecilia Rodrigo.
Saturday 10 October and at
Bartonmere Hall in Bury St Edmunds on the Iberian and Latin American Music Society
Sunday 11 October 2009. Please see Concert and also includes Cecilia Rodrigo, Carlos
Diary for full details. Bonell, Fabio Zanon, Morgan Szymanski,
pianist Helen Glaisher-Hernández, the
Les Paul (1915–2009) Moreno Gistaín Piano Duo, and International
Joaquín Rodrigo Competition winners: pianist
On 13 August 2009 the guitarist Les Paul Edward Neeman and violinist Lena
died at the age of 94 in New York. Les Paul Semenova.
was still performing up until his final years, www.ilams.org.uk/concerts.htm
having started performing in public at the age
of 13. He had an impressive career, con- Romanillos museum
tributing not only to contemporary guitar
playing styles but also to the construction of José Romanillos and his wife Marian Harris
the electric guitar and the concept of the gui- have been working for a long time to establish
tar sound in the 20th century. a guitar museum in Spain. Now in its final
stages, the planned opening date for the
2009 Rodrigo Festival Centro/Museo de Violería ‘Romanillos –
Harris’ in Sigüenza is 1 November 2009. The
Graham Wade, biographer and expert on the workshop of the Spanish guitar maker Santos
life and works of Joaquín Rodrigo, will be in Hernández (1873–1943) will be displayed
London on Thursday 1 October 2009 to deliv- there, as well as some of their collection of
er a lecture on Joaquín Rodrigo at Canning vihuelas and guitars. The Sociedad de la
House. This talk on the composer and his Vihuela, el Laúd y la Guitarra de España are
legacy, ‘Perspectives on Joaquín Rodrigo, Ten going to hold their AGM at the same time and
Years after his Death’ opens the 2009 Rodrigo over that weekend will be organising concerts
Festival. and lectures in Sigüenza. The Centro have
Graham Wade lecture opens the 2009 already had a donation of three instruments
Rodrigo Festival in London from 1–30 October from the USA – a generous gesture by a stu-
2009, which has been organised by ILAMS, dent from one of José Romanillos’s courses.

Classical Guitar Magazine 5


Javier Castillo.
Mexican radio programme
Javier Castillo, a radio presenter in
Monterrey, Mexico and a classical guitarist,
has been presenting two weekly radio pro-
grammes of classical guitar for 15 years on
Radio Nuevo Leon. The one-hour programmes
are broadcast on Tuesdays and Thursdays at
3.30pm and for those living outside of Mexico,
they can be listened to via the Internet.
In Britain we were fortunate for many years
to have Gareth Walters at the BBC producing
classical guitar programmes, however, since
he left the BBC, there has been not anyone
with that level of commitment to the guitar to
replace him. We are fortunate, however, with
the Internet that we can listen to other week-
ly classical guitar radio from overseas. I list
some here but would welcome any informa-
tion from readers of other programmes,
which I might not know about. There is the
Classical Guitar Alive! programme, which is
broadcast by Tony Morris from Austin, Texas
to over 200 radio stations throughout the
USA and Canada, Sebastián Domínguez’s
programme called De Segovia a Yupanqui,
which is broadcast on Radio Nacional in
Argentina, and Fábio Zanon’s programme
called A Arte do Violã, which is broadcast on
Rádio Cultura FM in São Paulo, Brazil.
Homage to Ramón de Algeciras
A double compilation CD has been released in
homage to the Flamenco guitarist Ramón de
Algeciras, the older brother of Paco and Pepe
de Lucía, who died on 20 January, earlier this
year. The 24 tracks of Homenaje a Ramón de
6 Classical Guitar Magazine
Algeciras include a selection of recordings
that he made from the 1970s with artists
such as La Susi, Chocolate de Granada,
Gabriel Moreno y Niño Ricardo, Paco Toronjo,
Curro de Utrera, Agustín el Gitano, Camarón
and Paco de Lucía.
Thacker’s Indian project
The Scottish guitarist Simon Thacker’s latest
project involves classical western and Indian
musicians performing together in the Nava
Rasa Ensemble and commissioning two gui-
tar concertos for the ensemble, which will
receive their premières during the October-
November tour of the Nava Rasa Ensemble.
The members of the ensemble are: Jyotsna
Srikanth – a Carnatic (South Indian) violin-
ist, the tabla player Sarvar Sabri, the
Edinburgh Quartet, the Brazilian jazz and
world music bassist Mario Lima Caribé da
Rocha and the multi-instrument percussion-
ist Iain Sandilands, with Simon Thacker as
leader and guitarist. The US-based Indian
composer Shirish Korde and British compos-
er Nigel Osborne have each written guitar
concertos for the Ensemble. After the tour,
the Nava Rasa Ensemble will be recording
the concerti. Please see Concert Diary for
tour details.
Augustine harp story
In August 2009 Colin Moynihan writing in
the New York Times, reported an exciting find
of an old harp in a skip (‘Dumpster’) in New
York. Julie Finch was looking in the
Dumpster outside of her building when she
came across a blue wooden harp, which was
covered in thick dirt and dust. After retrieving
the instrument and cleaning it, she found
hand-painted gold shamrocks on it and a
brass plaque with the instrument maker’s
name: John Egan, of Dawson Street, Dublin.
After further investigation it was found that
this harp, made in the early 1800s, was
among other items, which had been cleared
from the old Augustine guitar string factory
on West 26th Street – it was moving to Long
Island City. The harp had belonged to Rose
Augustine.
Yang & RLPO première Goss
The Chinese guitarist Xuefei Yang will give the
UK première of Stephen Goss’s Albéniz
Concerto for guitar and orchestra on 24
October 2009 at the Liverpool Philharmonic
Hall. Xuefei Yang will perform the work with
the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by Shi-Yeon Sung. The programme
also includes Bernstein’s Suite, Fancy Free
and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. Goss’s
concerto was commissioned by EMI for Xuefei
Yang and the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra
to mark the 150th anniversary of Albéniz’s
birth. The CD, which will also include
Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, will be
released next year by EMI Classics.
www.liverpoolphil.com
The first performance of Stephen Goss’s
new duo for cellist Natalie Clein and guitarist
Xuefei Yang will be given as part of the Macau
Festival in China on 13 October 2009. The
work will receive its UK première on 3
February 2010 at the Wigmore Hall in
London.
www.stephengoss.net

Yupanqui book

Last Month on Saturday 26 September 2009

the book launch of the first volume Obra
Integral para Guitarra de Atahualpa Yupanqui
by the Argentinian guitarist Arturo Zeballos
was held in the Centro Cultural Argentino.
This is the first time that the complete works
of Atahualpa Yupanqui will be available and
there will be a total of 3 volumes in the series,
which is being produced with the support of
the Fondo de Promoción Cultural y
Preservación del Patrimonio de la
Municipalidad de Pergamino. Atahualpa
Yupanqui recorded his first compositions in
1934 and continued to perform and compose
until his death in 1992. The book is in
Spanish, French and English. The Prologue of
the book has been written by Sebastián peace ranging half a century through music’.
Domínguez, who has also written an article of www.niibori.com
analysis on the use of guitar in Yupanqui’s
compositions. Jaume Torrent premières

Niibori decorated by the Queen On 7 October 2009 two of Jaume Torrent’s

Dr Hiroki Niibori, President of the Japanese
Niibori Guitar Music Academy, which was
established in 1957, was decorated with the
Global Cultural Prize on 20 January 2009 by
H.M. Queen Elizabeth II. The Niibori Guitar
Orchestra is a professional guitar orchestra,
which has been performing for over 50 years.
The 80 guitarists use a variety of guitars,
including alto, bass and standard guitars and
the players have all followed the N-Method in
their training. The orchestra is conducted by
Dr Hiroki Niibori.
Dr Hiroki Niibori has received many award-
ed over the years for his work, particularly for
his work in promoting peace and the support
of organisations such as UNICEF, the
Japanese Red Cross. In 2001, Dr Hiroki
Niibori was honoured by the International
Parliament for Peace Settlement, approved by
the International Member Committee on
Armament Reduction, NGO based at the
United Nations, in relation to ‘the activity for
Classical Guitar Magazine
chamber works will be premièred at the
CAMAS Festival of Music in Oregon, USA:
Cuatro piezas para oboe y guitarra, op. 65
and his Sexteto para oboe, guitarra y cuarte-
to de cuerda, op. 66. The year has been full
of performances and premières of his works
for solo guitar and many chamber works
including the guitar. On 19 July 2009 this
Spanish guitarist and composer’s Suite
Burlesca para guitarra, op. 60 was premièred
at the Festival de Musique de Bollore, in
Clermont Ferrant, France. Performing for
the Concert Artists of Baltimore series on 3
May 2009, Jaume Torrent performed the
première of his Souvenir of Piedmont, cuatro
piezas para viola y guitarra, op. 64, as well
as his Cuatro piezas breves para violín y gui-
tarra, op. 56 and Four Golden Pieces para
violín, viola y guitarra, op. 58.
Jaume Torrent has made an arrange-
ment of Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin for
voice and guitar, which he performed with
the tenor Ole Hass in Washington during
7

April and May. His arrangement has been
published by Editorial Boileau of
Barcelona.
Katonas at The Proms
A new CD by the guitar duo the Katona Twins
featuring the works of Manuel de Falla has
been released on the Channel Classics label.
Many of the arrangements have been made by
the Katonas and their version comes with
some added spice in the form of a collabora-
tion with two other outstanding musicians:
the Spanish percussionist David García Mir
and the Colombian singer Juanita Lascarro.
The Katonas’ arrangements of Spanish Dance
from La Vida Breve, a full twelve-movement
version of El Amor Brujo, excerpts from El
Sombrero de Tres Picos and Seis Canciones
Populares Españolas by Manuel de Falla
have often used Flamenco techniques and
added percussion to enhance the rhythmic
elements of this music. Manuel de Falla –
Channel Classics CCS SA 28809.
From October to December 2009 the
Katona Twins will be appearing in the 40-
concert series called ‘Night at the Proms’,
touring through The Netherlands,
Belgium and Germany. They will play
their own arrangement of Toccata by
Scarlatti and then arrangements of
Stairway to Heaven for two guitars,
orchestra and pop choir, and some other
surprise pieces.
PRS and YouTube
In Britain the Performing Rights Society
has just signed an agreement with
8 Classical Guitar Magazine
YouTube for the payment of Performing
Rights for videos under copyright, which
are posted on YouTube. Earlier in the year
the Performing Rights Society forced
YouTube to remove thousands of videos
and clips, which included copyright mater-
ial from their site. With this new agree-
ment, those videos can now be uploaded
onto YouTube again, and the Performing
Rights payments for the artists and com-
posers will be backdated to January 2009
and continue to be paid until 2012.
Worcester Guitar Society
The Worcester Classical Guitar Society
(WCGS), which was established in Britain
in 1984, organises five concerts each year.
Two of these are for members and include
the Worcester Classical Guitar Orchestra
(WCGO) and the Worcester Youth Guitar
Orchestra (WYGO). The other three con-
certs are by professional guitarists under
their New Artist’s Scheme, which was
developed by their patron, Hayley Savage.
Maud Laforest and Benjamin Beirs of the
Duo Transatlantique are scheduled to
appear in a New Artist’s Scheme concert as
part of their UK tour in autumn 2010.
WCGS welcomes other young artists inter-
ested in participating in their New Artist’s
Scheme.
WCGS is also trying to establish better
links with other classical guitar societies,
particularly with the New Artist’s Scheme
in mind. Contact: Stephen Begley, Music
Director, Worcester Classical Guitar
Society, tel. 01562 823 748.
www.worcesterguitar.co.uk
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 E vents, F estivals & C ompetitions
EVENTS
2–4 October 2009: Buckden (nr Huntingdon), UK.
The 2nd Cambridge Guitar Weekend of ensemble
playing for classical guitarists of all ages and abili-
ties. (not suitable for complete beginners) including
a guitar orchestra and workshops run by Peter
Rueffer and Peter Nuttall. Contact course adminis-
trator Tony Ainsworth,
email: tony.ainsworth1@btopenworld.com
www.cgo.org.uk
25 October–2 November 2009: Bogotá, Colombia.
Carlos Bonell concert and masterclasses.
email: pedroangelguitarra@yahoo.es
FESTIVALS & COMPETITIONS
16 September–7 October 2009: London. The
London Classical Guitar Festival with Walter
Aaron Clark, Fernando Espí, Saggese, Amanda
Cook, Daniela Rossi, Farsa Monea, Ahmed
Dickinson, Morgan Szymanski and Guillaume
Lacoste, at Bolívar Hall, 54 & 58 Grafton
Way, London W1T 5DL.
www.ilams.org.uk/concerts.htm
1–30 October 2009: London. The 2009 Rodrigo
Festival with Cecilia Rodrigo, Carlos Bonell,
Graham Wade, Fabio Zanon, Morgan Szymanski,
pianist Helen Glaisher-Hernández, the Moreno
Gistaín Piano Duo, and International Joaquín
Rodrigo Competition winners: pianist Edward
Neeman and violinist Lena Semenova. The Rodrigo
Festival has been organised by ILAMS, the Iberian
and Latin American Music Society.
www.ilams.org.uk/concerts.htm
14–17 October 2009: Newcastle, Britain. The 5th
International Guitar Festival North East at the
Sage Gateshead, Customs House and the Cluny
with Gerardo Núñez & Carmen Cortés Quintet, Tom
Kerstens’ G Plus Ensemble and the Tippett Quartet,
Martin Taylor, Martin Simpson, Clive Carroll,
Gordon Giltrap, Alex de Grassi, José Luis de la
Puerta, Ahmed Dickinson Cardenas and the Vida
Guitar Quartet. Tel. 0870 240 6783.
www.igf.org.uk
28–31 October 2009: London. London Guitar
Festival at Kings Place with Xuefei Yang, Vida
Guitar Quartet, Juan Carlos Romero and Tom
Kerstens.
www.kingsplace.co.uk
6–8 November 2009: Brussels, Belgium. The
Brussels Barrios Festival 2009 with Antigoni Goni,
Raphaëlla Smits, Luz María Bobadilla with Manuel
Obregón, Berta Rojas, Eliot Fisk, Rene Izquierdo,
Elina Chekan, Jerome Mouffe, Enno Voorhorst, Dr
Jorge Sanabria and Felipe Sosa. There will be an
exhibition of manuscripts and instruments from the
Barrios Museum in Asunción, Paraguay and a two-
hour documentary film about Barrios will be shown.
Contact: Jan de Kloe, Kroendaalplein 7a, “Villa-
Lobos”, B-3090 Overijse, Belgium.
email: jan.de.kloe@telenet.be
www.Barrios2009.com
12–14 November 2009: Barbezieux, Charente,
France. The competition of Concours International
de la Guitare Classique Robert J. Vidal is open to
solo guitarists of all nationalities under the age of 32
on 12 November 2009. The competition is in three
rounds. Variations sur un thème de Django
Reinhardt by Léo Brouwer is the set piece in the
Preliminary round. First Prize is €10,000. Entry
deadline: 15 September 2009. Contact: Concours
Classical Guitar Magazine
Compiled by THÉRÈSE WASSILY SABA
International de Guitare Robert-Jean Vidal, ODECA
/ Régine-Claire Boissard, 27 rue Louis Desbrandes,
16000 Angoulême, France. Tel. +33 (0)6 16 86 59
08.
email: regine-cb@orange.fr
www.concours-robert-j-vidal.com
20–22 November 2009: Tokyo, Japan. 52nd Tokyo
International Guitar Competition 2009 organised
by the Japan Federation of Guitarists for guitarists
born after 1974. Preliminary round on 17 August
2009; applicants must send their recordings by 31
July 2009. Contact: Japan Federation of Guitarists,
Wada-bldg. 5F, 6–14–4, Shimbashi, Minato-ku,
Tokyo 105–0004, Japan. Tel. 81 3 3438 1819. Fax.
81 3 3438 1899.
email: jfg@guitarists.or.jp
www.guitarists.or.jp
23–28 November 2009: La Herradura, Granada,
Spain. The XXV Certamen Internacioal de
Guitarra Clásica ‘Andrés Segovia’ is in homage to
Francisco Tárrega and Isaac Albéniz, who are cele-
brating their centenaries, and also in homage to Leo
Brouwer, who is 70 this year. The guitar competition
has a First Prize of €9,000, a guitar by Paco
Santiago Marín and two recitals in Madrid and
Granada and there is also the composition competi-
tion XXII Concurso de Composición ‘Andrés
Segovia’.
email: info@certamenandressegovia.es
www.certamenandressegovia.es
26 November 2009: London, UK. The 12th Ivor
Mairants Guitar Award is a competition open to
guitarists of any nationality born after 1 January
1982. Entry deadline: 31 October 2009. Contact:
The Worshipful Company of Musicians, The Clerk’s
Office, 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Buildings, London,
EC2M 5PP.
March 2010: St Petersburg, Russia: I International
Terem Crossover Competition is a musical forum
intended for professional and young talented instru-
mental ensembles comprising any acoustic musical
instruments, from any country and with no age
limit. The prizes include over 1,000,000 Roubles, a
concert tour in Russia’s best concert venues and a
package of additional prizes. Contact: Alexander
Shirunov, Executive Director, I International Terem
Crossover Competition. 31, ul. Kirochnaya, St.
Petersburg 191123, Tel. +7(812) 400 2259. Fax
+7(812) 400 2258.
email: terem.competition@gmail.com
www.terem-competition.ru
7–10 April 2010: Veria, Greece. The 9th
International Veria Guitar Festival and the 2nd
Veria International Guitar Competition is in two
age categories: Category A with no age limit catego-
ry – First Prize is €2,500; Category B for guitarists
born after 1 April 1989 – First Prize is €500.
Contact: Mrs Olga Milona, tel. +30 23 3107 8100,
fax +30 23 3102 7914.
email: info@veriaguitarfestival.gr
veriaguitarfestival.gr
22–27 June 2010: Austin, TX, USA. The Guitar
Foundation of America International Convention
& Competition including the International
Concert Artist Competition and the International
Youth Competition with guests: Pepe Romero, LA
Guitar Quartet, Berta Rojas, Katona Twins, Adam
Holzman, Ana Vidovic, Marcus Tardelli, Ronn
McFarlane, Atanas Ourkouzounov & Mie Ogura,
Miró String Quartet and the Austin Symphony
Orchestra.
www.guitarfoundation.org
9
C oncert D iary
OCTOBER
1 Thursday
Leicester: JONATHAN RICHARDS & ANDREA
EDMONDSON (flute). Church of St James the Greater. Tel.
0116 254 2111.
Manchester: BLEASDALE-HEYWOOD DUO. Flixton House,
8pm. Tel. 07831 416 358.
Wrexham, Wales: GERARD COUSINS. Catrin Finch Centre,
Glyndr University, Mold Road, LL11, 7.30pm.
Salzburg: AGNEW MCALLISTER DUO. Barockmuseum,
6.30pm.
2 Friday
Cremona, Italy: LORENZO MICHELI & NINO TAGLIARENI.
(Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Platero y Yo).
Elgin, IL: LOS ROMEROS & Elgin Symphony Orchestra,
conducted by Roberet Hanson. Hemmens Theatre, 45
Symphony Way, 1.30pm & 8pm (Rodrigo’s Concierto
Andaluz).
Truro: Cornwall: XUEFEI YANG. The Chapel, Truro School,
7.30pm.
3 Saturday
Four Marks, near Alton: HAMPSHIRE GUITAR
ORCHESTRA. Church of the Good Shepherd, 7.30pm.
Lanarkshire: SIMON THACKER & CAMERATA RITMATA.
Biggar.
Elgin, IL: LOS ROMEROS & Elgin Symphony Orchestra,
conducted by Roberet Hanson. Hemmens Theatre, 45
Symphony Way, 8pm (Rodrigo’s Concierto Andaluz).
Liskeard: Cornwall: XUEFEI YANG. Carnglaze Caverns, St
Neot, 8pm. Tel. 01579
320 251.
4 Sunday
London: BEN KEARSLEY. Ealing Guitar Society, St
Matthew’s Church Hall, North Common Lane, 7.30pm.
London: End of Summer Concert, Lauderdale Guitar
Society, Lauderdale House, Highgate Hill, N6, 7.30pm.
Portsmouth: HAMPSHIRE GUITAR ORCHESTRA & guests.
Portsmouth Guild Hall. 3pm.
Elgin, IL: LOS ROMEROS & Elgin Symphony Orchestra,
conducted by Roberet Hanson. Hemmens Theatre, 45
Symphony Way, 8pm (Rodrigo’s Concierto Andaluz).
6 Tuesday
Boat of Garten, Scotland: FREVO QUARTET. Boat of Garten
Town Hall, Osprey Music Society, 7pm.
7 Wednesday
London: CECILIA RODRIGO & CARLOS BONELL
(lecture/concert). Canning House, 2 Belgrave Square,
SW1X, 7.30pm. Tel 020 7235 2303, ext. 222.
8 Thursday
St. Helier, Jersey: CECILIA RODRIGO & CARLOS BONELL
(lecture/concert). St. James, Jersey Arts Centre, Phillips
Street, JE2 4SW, 8pm. Tel. 01534 700 444.
9 Friday
Cambridge: CECILIA RODRIGO & CARLOS BONELL (lec-
ture/concert). The Consevatory, 7 Grange Road, CB3, 7pm.
Tel. 01223 420 033.
New York: CARLOS BARBOSA-LIMA. Baruch Performing
Arts Center, 8pm. Tel. 646 312 4085.
Tampa, FL: MANUEL BARRUECO & FLORIDA ORCHES-
TRA, conducted by Stefan Sanderling with DANIEL BINELLI
(bandoneón). 8pm (Astor Piazzolla’s Double Concerto for
Guitar and Bandoneón).
10 Saturday
Norwich: CECILIA RODRIGO & CARLOS BONELL (lec-
ture/concert). Taverham Hall, NR8 6HU, 7.30pm. Tel. 01603
666 332.
Worcester: MONIKA TÝMLOVÁ. Worcester Arts Workshop,
21 Sansome Street, WR1 1UH, 7.30pm. Tel. 01886 832 715.
St. Petersburg, FL: MANUEL BARRUECO & FLORIDA
ORCHESTRA, conducted by Stefan Sanderling with DANIEL
BINELLI (bandoneón). 8pm (Astor Piazzolla’s Double
Concerto for Guitar and Bandoneón).
11 Sunday
Bury St Edmunds: CECILIA RODRIGO & CARLOS BONELL
(lecture/concert). Bartonmere Hall, Great Barton, 4.30pm.
Tel. 07805 347 744.
Clearwater, FL: MANUEL BARRUECO & FLORIDA
ORCHESTRA, conducted by Stefan Sanderling with DANIEL
BINELLI (bandoneón). 8pm (Astor Piazzolla’s Double
Concerto for Guitar and Bandoneón).
New York: MAX ZUCKERMAN. Roger Smith Hotel, 501
Lexington Ave, at East 47th St, 4pm.
14 Wednesday
Milwaukee, WI: LORENZO MICHELI.
15 Thursday
Chicago, IL: LORENZO MICHELI. Columbia College.
Nashville, TN: SHARON ISBIN & Nashville Symphony.
10
Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 7pm. (Rouse’s Concert de
Gaudi).
16 Friday
Guangzhou, China: PEPE ROMERO. Xinghai Concert Hall,
No. 33, Qing Bo Lu, 8pm. Tel. 020 8735 2222 312.
Nashville, TN: SHARON ISBIN & Nashville Symphony.
Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 8pm. (Rouse’s Concert de
Gaudi).
17 Saturday
Bracknell: Raymond Burley. South Hill Park Arts Centre,
7.30pm. Tel. 01344 484 123.
Portchester: HAMPSHIRE GUITAR ORCHESTRA. St Mary’s,
Portchester Castle, 7.30pm.
Brussels: FELIPE SOSA. Royal Musical Instrument
Museum.
Enkhuizen, Holland: AGNEW MCALLISTER DUO.
Gitaarsalon, 7pm.
Nashville, TN: SHARON ISBIN & Nashville Symphony.
Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 8pm. (Rouse’s Concert de
Gaudi).
18 Sunday
Chicago, IL: LORENZO MICHELI & Bach Chamber
Orchesrta. (Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Concerto in D).
20 Tuesday
Cardiff: RAYMOND BURLEY. Royal Welsh College of Music &
Drama, 7.30pm.
22 Thursday
Bury, Lancs: EL MORENO. The Met, Market St, 8pm. Tel.
0161 761 221.
Fort Worth, TX: GRIGORYAN BROTHERS DUO. The Modern
Art Museum of Fort Worth 3200 Darnell Street, 7.30pm.
23 Friday
Atlanta, GA: SHARON ISBIN with PAUL WINTER (soprano
sax) and THIAGO DE MELLO (organic percussion). Emerson
Concert Hall, Emory University.
Dallas, TX: GRIGORYAN BROTHERS DUO. Caruth
Auditorium, SMU 6101 Bishop Boulevard, 7.30pm.
24 Saturday
Liverpool: XUEFEI YANG & Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Orchestra, conducted by Shi-Yeon Sung. Liverpool
Philharmonic Hall, 7.30pm (UK première of Stephen Goss’s
Albéniz Concerto for guitar and orchestra). Tel. 0151 709
3789.
Bethesda, MD: PEPE ROMERO. Westmoreland
Congregational Church, 1 Westmoreland Circle, 8pm. Tel.
301 654 6403.
25 Sunday
Dunfermline: SIMON THACKER & NAVA RASA ENSEMBLE.
Carnegie Hall. Tel. 01383 602 302 (new concerti by Osborne
and Korde).
Bari, Italy: LORENZO MICHELI. Auditorium Vallisa, 9pm.
28 Wednesday
Glasgow: SIMON THACKER & NAVA RASA ENSEMBLE. Old
Fruitmarket. Tel. 0141 353 8000 (new concerti by Osborne
and Korde).
London: GALINA VERNIGORA VALE. Purcell Room, 7.45pm.
Classical Guitar Magazine
 AQUARELLE GUITAR QUARTET
Interviewed By GUY TRAVISS
Aquarelle Guitar Quartet.
SINCE FORMING at the Royal Northern College of
Music AGQ has emerged as one of Britain’s lead-
ing chamber ensembles, with performances tak-
ing them throughout Europe and most recently
Denmark, Greece and Ireland. In March of this
year the quartet released their latest CD Spirit of
Brazil with Chandos Records, giving memorable
launch concerts at both the 20th Century
Theatre in London’s Notting Hill and at the Royal
Northern College of Music in Manchester. The
CD has received critical acclaim from the wider
music-community and has prompted
Gramophone, Classic FM, Classical Music & BBC
Music magazines to run features on the group.
Recently AGQ gave an interview on Classic FM
and plan on giving their second live performance
for radio 3 in the near future.
Being taken on by a major label clearly represents
a significant development for the quartet...
Mike Baker: Yes. We are thrilled to be represent-
ed by such a well respected and prestigious label.
It has been a huge profile boost, and this now
means that we can be exposed to a much wider
audience than before. Hopefully it will help raise
awareness of the guitar quartet medium, especial-
ly in this country. Also, it’s their 30th year as a
classical label, so it’s a great time to get on board.
Classical Guitar Magazine
PHOTO: COURTESY CHANDOS RECORDS
Having come through the same academic institu-
tion, do you feel that the similarities you share in
past study have some bearing on the quartet at
present?
James Jervis: Definitely. Craig (Ogden) and
Gordon (Crosskey), who between them taught all
of us, have very different approaches to teaching.
On the one hand you have the active performer
Craig, who really has a way with an audience; his
students come away with a lot of the performance
qualities he promotes. Gordon is such an experi-
enced teacher and his knowledge of the core
repertoire is second to none. He has been respon-
sible for starting so many successful guitarists’
careers.
Rory Russell: From day one Craig always
encouraged me to perform chamber music at col-
lege. Consequently, a great deal of my time was
spent as a chamber musician. When I look back
at the amount of solo repertoire I covered it
appears really quite minimal; but Craig, seeing
how interested I was in performing chamber
music, really encouraged that. If ever there was
an opportunity to play with other musicians, he
would point me in that direction. I think he has
that attitude towards many of his students. Craig
has been hugely influential in the development of
11
the group and has offered a lot of practical advice
on working within the music industry as a whole.
Vasilis Bessas: Also, after our years at the
RNCM, we have had the opportunity to work as a
quartet with great guitarists and educators such
as Oscar Ghiglia and Sergio Assad. They have
been very influential on our playing and the way
we work as a group.
Although the Quartet predominately occupies your
professional lives, is there room on the continuum
between your solo and your ensemble careers for
other work?
MB: There are some occasional solo projects, but
the main focus for all of us is on making the
quartet a success. The decision was made many
years ago to take the ensemble as seriously as
possible, and up to now this has unfortunately
meant sacrificing solo play-
ing to some degree.
“Our aim is not to
VB: I may speak for myself, compare ourselves
but I’m sure most of us
would agree that we don’t with other guitar
see ourselves as four ensembles, but with
soloists who come together
and play a few times a week. chamber musicians in
If anything, it works the whatever medium.”
other way around. We
rehearse regularly; we
spend a lot of time working on very specific details.
We probably spend too much time doing this!
RR: We have recently been working towards the
launch concerts for our latest CD - Spirit of Brazil
-, and during this time we actually ended up can-
celling a couple of rehearsals because we were
sick of each others’ company! Rehearsals were so
frequent that eventually it became ridiculous. We
knew we could play what we needed to; we just
needed a day off.
The specialisation you have taken by placing an
emphasis on ensemble playing is seen by many as
an important step in advancing the medium for
guitarists...
RR: Generally speaking, I think there is a differ-
ence when you measure guitar ensembles, and
guitarists as chamber musicians in general,
against other instrumentalists who have been
playing in ensembles from the very beginning. As
guitarists, we do have a slight disadvantage in
that we often don’t have that full ensemble expe-
rience. But we have to say, ‘OK, we should be as
good as any other group in the profession’. Our
aim is not to compare ourselves with other guitar
ensembles, but with chamber musicians in what-
ever medium. I suppose our focus is on compet-
ing in that sort of world, especially as the guitar
quartet - at least in Britain - is a fairly new genre.
In a sense we are working to promote and create
a valid medium.
12
MB: It would be a huge upheaval to attempt to get
another player in if something were to happen to
one of us at short notice. It’s not the same as a
string quartet where I imagine someone familiar
with the right repertoire can just enter into dif-
ferent ensembles as a deputy. We have spent so
long making sure things work for the individual
players, and most probably no one will have
played the repertoire we are playing. Even with
published works, the chances of someone know-
ing the same pieces, let alone the required parts,
are slim. Players are not as interchangeable in
guitar ensembles as they are within other medi-
ums. A large focus of ours is on having a freedom
in performance which allows for a sound almost
like a solo instrument. As a soloist, you have an
immense amount of freedom to pull around
phrases in different ways as the mood takes you.
We strive for that in our performances; it may
seem obvious, but this
comes through spending a
lot of time playing together.
How does an ensemble
develop a ‘solo’ aesthetic,
and how does this affect
your approach to the guitar
quartet medium?
JJ: To an extent you have to
put aside your own musical
personality and concentrate
on producing a single musical statement.
Sometimes we will have discussions about the
kind of feeling or picture there may be for a cer-
tain passage of music, so that we can all head in
the same direction. You need that unified vision
or picture to begin with, otherwise you are trying
to communicate without conviction and that real-
ly doesn’t work. On occasions we spend a lot of
time working on an individual phrase; there will
be arguments, a bit of back and forth, but even-
tually we have to come up with something that we
are all happy with. If after this process one per-
son is really not convinced, then they have to try
and move past that part of their ego and think
‘OK, this is what we are deciding as a group’. It’s
this kind of work in rehearsals that takes so
much time.
VB: You could say that we are much closer to
what you would call a ‘band’ in this sense. The
quartet comes together and develops as a group;
we don’t really split in four different ways. At
least we draw on that kind of band logic I sup-
pose.
The quartet has developed strong characterisation
in programming...
RR: Our programmes are incredibly varied. It’s
not the same as watching a string quartet where
you often hear just a selection of works from the
core body of that genre; with us you will experi-
ence a rollercoaster ride of different styles. It’s
Classical Guitar Magazine
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not necessarily as academic as
playing some of the great works
of the 18th and 19th centuries,
but it really is entertaining. In
terms of the aesthetic of a guitar
quartet, people may not know
what to expect. They might be
slightly dubious of four guitars
playing together, but when they
come to hear us it’s an enter-
taining evening. I think this is
how we like to see ourselves: as
first-rate entertainment.
Does the possibility remain open
for exploring the type of program-
ming we associate with the par-
ticular musical epochs just men-
tioned?
RR: We can certainly go back
and look at some of the more
substantial works from that era and give them a
go on the guitar, but there are some things we
would never touch simply because you can never
do justice to some music in this way. There are,
however, some slightly larger scale works which
we have played and hugely enjoyed working on,
and some of these have been incredibly success-
ful. If you tackle large scale repertoire like this,
you have to bring something new to it. If we were
to take some orchestral Spanish music, for exam-
ple, where the composer may be implying some-
thing of the gypsy tradition, then we have the per-
fect opportunity to bring to the music elements of
the flamenco guitar the composer was trying to
imitate.
MB: Interestingly, something we have managed
to steer clear of for the last ten years is Spanish
music. Having said that, we have recently been
asked to play at the Spanish institute in
Manchester who, unsurprisingly, would like
some Spanish music! The decision to avoid this
repertoire was a conscious one as we, as classical
guitarists, are forever pigeon-holed in the
‘Spanish’ bracket. We wanted to show that there
is so much more breadth to our repertoire.
Although the comparative size of the catalogue of
works composed for the guitar quartet is a limiting
factor, do you ever consider pursuing a specific
area of repertoire?
VB: We need to play to our strengths, but I think
what we choose to play is simply a matter of
taste. Because the guitar features in so many dif-
ferent styles, countries and forms, we have the
luxury of picking what we think are the best
areas to explore.
MB: We do tend to just play music that we like
and believe in because we feel this is really the
only way in which we can give convincing perfor-
mances. In some ways we are lucky in that we all
14
Aquarelle Guitar Quartet.
have similar musical interests. This is how the
Brazilian CD came about; we just love the style
and energy of this music.
JJ: Perhaps focussing on a specific area of reper-
toire is really only something we would consider
for a recording or a themed concert. Our audi-
ences seem to enjoy the variety within our pro-
grammes so I think we have decided to continue
playing concerts with ‘something for everyone’.
Considering the portion of repertoire that is made
up of your own arrangements, how do you arrive
at a decision to select a piece for reworking?
MB: It’s all about finding a piece that lends itself
to the sound of the instrument(s). Albeniz is a
great example for guitar; I think he has been
quoted as saying something along the lines of
imagining a guitar-like sound when writing for
the piano. This repertoire is now probably better
known and heard more regularly on the guitar
than its intended instrument, through the efforts
of people such as Segovia and subsequent
arrangers. If you choose a piece well, things tend
to just slot into place.
VB: You almost spend more time in the process of
selecting a piece than you do working on that
piece after you have chosen it. In the past we
have spent a lot of time on arrangements we
think are going to work and have ended up dis-
carding them because they don’t quite sound the
way we imagined. With arrangements, it’s impor-
tant to have something new to offer a piece. If you
essentially say the same thing as the original
then there isn’t much point in doing it. You need
to have your own voice in there to make it worth-
while.
JJ: I think a really good arrangement is one that
you can already hear for the instrumentation you
are arranging for. It may have originally been, for
Classical Guitar Magazine
instance, for piano or piano duet, but you can
still envisage how that sound would translate to
your medium. Then perhaps you can introduce
some other elements and develop the piece fur-
ther in this respect.
RR: I think you need to listen to the original
material a lot anyway to get an idea of what the
piece is really about. You need to have a very good
understanding of a work before you can start to
convey it on four guitars. I sometimes wonder
whether those listeners who are familiar with the
pieces we play as arrangements will be disap-
pointed by what they have heard. However, you
have to banish those thoughts
because an arrangement needs
to be treated as a new piece “To an extent you
which is based upon something have to put aside
else. There is a difficult relation-
ship here. your own musical
personality and
Do you feel that comparative lis-
tening is an important issue in concentrate on
this situation? producing a
JJ: Yes. I think it will always be
more of a test to win over an single musical
audience member who knows statement.”
the original version of a work, so
we have to be very careful in our
choices. This situation also allows the listener to
pass a judgement on us as musicians when they
listen to a familiar piece.
When a piece’s identity is affected in the way that
is inherent when reworking material for a new
medium, where is the line drawn between re-com-
position, transcription and arrangement?
MB: This issue actually came up recently for the
Brazilian disc. There are a couple of pieces on the
CD by Egberto Gismonti which we reworked for
ourselves. We wrote to him asking if it was OK to
include these works, and this subsequently led to
a lengthy discussion about what qualifies as an
arrangement and what qualifies as a transcrip-
tion. Even now we don’t entirely know where we
stand on this issue, but we ended up labelling
these pieces as transcriptions. Composition is a
completely different animal and something that I
personally have never really studied. There is a
big difference between working with the dots that
already exist, and setting out to write something
completely new without using any pre-existing
material. I have nothing but admiration for peo-
ple who can do that, and I wish it were something
I was able to do.
VB: There is a good example in James’ transcrip-
tion of Palhaco. Most of the piece is a note-for-
note transcription from Gismonti’s original for
piano, and it works beautifully. However, there is
a section with some fast passage work which is
written very idiomatically for the piano. A note-
for-note transcription would have made the
16
music unplayable on the guitar and would have
spoiled the desired effect. For situations like
these, one has to arrange. In order to do that you
need to have a deeper understanding of the har-
monic language, the structure and the mood of
the piece. Then you have to create the same ges-
tures using ideas that work best with the instru-
mentation available to you.
For the ‘Spirit of Brazil’ disc you commissioned a
piece by Clarice Assad...
RR: Yes, Danças Nativas. With this commission
we managed to specify exactly the kind of piece
we wanted. The collaboration was a fantastic
opportunity for us to tailor a
piece of music for ourselves. She
was great, so communicative
with her ideas, we really felt it
worked and we thoroughly enjoy
performing the piece. It was a
hugely positive experience, one
which has encouraged us to
seek out more commissions. We
have an idea of what we would
like to do for our next recording
project and there has to be a
commission in there somewhere.
We have a composer lined up
already; we just need to find the
funds. Now it’s a question of approaching festi-
vals and other organisations in order to find
someone to help us take the next step.
Would you look to develop this aspect of the quar-
tet’s work in the future?
MB: It’s something we definitely would like to
become more involved with, and we feel this is
really important. For us it would be a way of
placing our stamp on and contributing to the
guitar quartet library of works. But, as is
always the case, money plays a huge role in
what you are able to do. If you want a quality
piece, the composer commands and deserves a
quality fee! We have had a lot of interest from
composers wanting to write for us, and some are
ready to start writing if we are able to come up
with the funds.
Beyond a measured input into a piece during a
commission, how do you feel about the decision
to work with a certain composer in the first
place?
MB: It’s always a bit of a gamble. I don’t think
it’s right to approach a composer and say ‘I want
it done like this’; If you have that much of a
strong idea about what you want then perhaps
you should write the piece yourself. So as I said,
it can be a bit of a gamble as to what you are
going to receive, but if you don’t take that
chance and trust in them then there is never
going to be a piece. I guess the best thing you
can do is approach a composer whose work you
admire.
Classical Guitar Magazine
Returning to current issues, do you have a tour
schedule in place for you latest work?
MB: This year, there are quite a few concerts
lined up to promote the new disc. We manage
ourselves, so we are going about things in much
the same way we normally would. Although now
we are able to say to promoters that we have a
Chandos record deal; this carries a little more Discover the debut album of
weight. We will also be integrating into these con-
certs other pieces we have in mind for a different the dynamic and innovative
project. As with the Brazilian disc, it’s a good way
to test out pieces before committing them to a
Aquarelle Guitar Quartet
recording. We were recently discussing the best
approach to recording and performing music on A collection of recorded
this subject: Do you record a disc and then tour
that music, or do you try out the music first in
rarities and premieres inspired
performance and then commit it to a recording? by Brazil
It’s a really difficult question.

JJ: I think it is a good idea to let things evolve

first. New ideas often develop as you are working
through a piece, and again after you have per-
formed it for a while.

RR: It’s also frustrating to have recorded some-

thing which you then later change; you wonder
why on earth you played something as you did in
the first place. Then again, there are certain
things you may have adjusted which at some
point end up being changed back to how they
were on the original recording. It’s always an
organic process.
Have you given much thought to publishing edi-
tions of your arrangements?
JJ: A few people have asked us about this, in ref-
erence to one of Mike’s arrangements in particu-
lar - The Swan LK243 by Catrina Mckay, origi-
nally written for Harp. A lot of guitarists and gui-
tar enthusiasts have been in contact wanting to
know where they can get copies.
CHAN 10512
MB: It’s nice to be asked for editions. One pub-
lisher we met said they would be happy to put ‘I’ve had the privilege of watching the Aquarelle
some of our stuff out, but we do enjoy having Guitar Quartet transform over the years from
repertoire that is unique to us and not readily a thrown-together student group at the Royal
available. Danças Nativas is going to be pub- Northern College of Music to a highly polished
lished later this year through Clarice’s publishing chamber ensemble consisting of mature,
company, so that will be available at some point experienced and immensely talented players.
soon. This disc reveals their capacity to feel and shape
music as one and it is a fantastic showcase for
JJ: It’s difficult; part of our ambition is to their incredible virtuosity.’
increase the repertoire for the medium and not Craig Ogden
just for ourselves. With Mike’s arrangement, it’s
not one that we have recorded yet and it is quite
special to us. The feeling is that we would like to Audio samples of the complete Chandos catalogue
available at www.chandos.net
record pieces first and then consider releasing
editions later.

Discography
Promenade - 2005 (Self Release) www.theclassicalshop.net

Watersmeet - 2006 (Cadenza Music - CACD 0603)

Spirit of Brazil - 2009 (Chandos Records - CHAN
10512)

Classical Guitar Magazine 17


A FICIONADOS of the orig-
inal Roobarb cartoon ani-
mations will doubtless recall
the classic cringemaker, deliv-
ered to perfection by the incompa-
rable Richard Briers, that ‘sound
travels more at night...because it’s cheaper’. With this
thought in mind, I was more than happy to save my hosts
a couple of bob by agreeing to land in Thessalonica at
around 2.00am. The taxi driver’s offer of a nocturnal tour
of the city was eagerly accepted, the eclectic urban mix of
late night bars, Greek Orthodox churches and the White
Tower soon banishing any thoughts of sleep and a shower.
(Left): Lampros Bekios.
18
22nd – 25th April, 2009
By PAUL FOWLES
So it was fortunate that the first item to require my
presence was not until the following evening, when
Margarita Escarpa served up a typically stylish innings
amid the elegant surroundings of the Theatre Hall that
formed the centrepiece of the municipal building in
which festival proceedings took place. Starting with
Fantasia sobre “La Traviata” de Verdi, which remains
one of the more palatable Tarrega/Arcas extravaganzas,
Escarpa went on to unveil a pair of inspired Tchaikovsky
arrangements by José Luis Fernández before ending the
evening with a spectacular account of the famously fin-
ger-crunching Appassionata by Ronaldo Miranda. Now I
know I’m on shaky ground in suggesting that such an
Classical Guitar Magazine
overtly macho creation was perhaps not the most obvious
choice for the neat and petite Escarpa, although her
capacity to rattle off the notes could never be in dispute.
But is Appassionata really her kind of thing? It would
seem that it is, this dazzling finale prompting an enthusi-
astic reception from an appreciative crowd.
Sharing the programme with Escarpa was the young
Swedish guitarist Johannes Möller, whose set consisted
entirely of original compositions, often preceded by
lengthy spoken introductions. Tonal/modal and impro-
visatory in style, Möller’s writing provided a vehicle for
some strong and confident playing. But I seriously ques-
tion whether the same degree of
confidence should be placed in
Möller’s abilities as a composer. “This kind of
By the following morning, the pro-
gramme of workshops and master- spontaneous human
classes was underway. Senior Czech interaction is surely
guitarist Jozef Zsapka, who was on
a non-performing visit, took the one of the factors
lion’s share of the workload, includ- that separate a mere
ing a 9.00am start on the last morn-
ing. But the genial Zsapka clearly ‘good player’ from
enjoyed his task and seemed under- the kind of
standably impressed by the quality
of the students. Also on the agenda performer you’d pay
was a lecture on neglected reper- good money to see
toire by Stelios Moustos, presenter
of the highly respected classical gui- again.”
tar slot on Greek national radio. In
the meantime, Helmut Oesterreich,
who had been booked on the strength of his outstanding
work at last year’s Nürtingen International Guitar
Festival (CG Nov 08), was busy preparing the ensemble
items that were to feature in the final student presenta-
tion.
Guitar and piano recitals are hardly a common sight-
ing, so I was particularly looking forward to the evening
programme by guitarist Korina Vougiouka and pianist
Theodoris Tzovanakis. Sadly, the duo was just getting
into the swing of Brouwer’s Tres Danzas
Concertantes when one of the organisers
arrived to say I was needed elsewhere. So
I can’t reveal how the Brouwer finished
and had to miss the Castelnuovo-Tedesco
Fantasia altogether, more’s the pity.
Fortunately, I was back in my seat in
time to witness a closing set from the
young and hugely talented Miscelanea
Guitar Quartet. An all-contemporary
programme in which Dusan
Bogdanovich was arguably the
least challenging name repre-
sents a risk in any man’s lan-
guage. But these guys won
the audience within the
first few minutes, with
even the precision-
engineered madness of
Staubzucker by Marios
Joannou Elias going
down a storm as the
encore.
20
There was good reason for my earlier removal from the
auditorium, for a meeting was about to take place of the
jury for the 1st Veria International Competition, chaired
by Jozef Zsapka. Since its launch in 2002, the Veria
Guitar Festival has always included a national competi-
tion for young guitarists up to the age of 16. This still
happens and is judged by a panel of teachers and players
from various parts of the country. But the International
Competition, in which the upper category has no age
limit, was new this year and the smoothness of its opera-
tion was a credit to the quiet authority of festival direc-
tor Lampros Bekios.
The selection of six finalists was
completed after a short jury discus-
sion, with Magdalena Kaltcheva from
Bulgaria seen by many members of
the public as odds-on favourite.
Coincidentally, I’d already had the
opportunity to hear Kaltcheva in
action during Jozef Zsapka’s master-
class. Having visibly startled Zsapka
with the first Bartok pizzicato in the
final movement of the Brouwer
Sonata, Kaltcheva naturally attacked
the next one with even greater feroc-
ity, the moment of musical mischief
being preceded by a winningly
wicked half-smile. This kind of spon-
taneous human interaction is surely
one of the factors that separate a
mere ‘good player’ from the kind of
performer you’d pay good money to see again.
This said, it would be inaccurate to suggest that the final
was a one-horse race. No-one could have failed to notice
the extraordinary scale facility of Eren Sualp in the previ-
ous round, and it was undoubtedly his enviable skill in this
department that led Sualp to choose Rodrigo’s dreadful Un
Tiempo fue Italica famosa for the final. Comprising lots of
scales, a handful of rudimentary chord strums and virtual-
ly nothing else, this dismal creation could have precipitat-
ed Sualp’s downfall had it not been for his ability to meet
its technical requirements with such raw brilliance.
But Kaltcheva won the day and deservedly so, her
dynamic reading of the Brouwer now being teamed with
the Prelude from BWV 1006a and a scorching account of
Etude No.2 by Villa-Lobos. Every competition organiser
dreams of picking a future star and let it be said here and
now that Magdalena Kaltcheva, at the age of 22, has all
the qualities it takes. If luck smiles on her too, then it
really could happen. With Andreas Sourgounis taking
first prize in the under-21 section, the 1st Veria
International Competition was concluded with outstand-
ing efficiency, the behind-the-scenes efforts of Lampros
and his team being much appreciated by all.
Back at the Theatre Hall, Allan Neave, who is himself no
stranger to festival organisation, was opening the evening
with the magnificent Prelude and Presto from BWV 995.
An established champion of the contemporary repertoire of
his native Scotland, Neave delighted his audience with the
story behind The Lavender Truck, a modern ‘slip jig’ by Don
Paterson. It seems the title refers not to the colour of the
vehicle but to the consignment of plants it was transporting
when it came into contact with the composer, following a
Classical Guitar Magazine
 Allan Neave Masterclass. Lampros Bekios.

Stelios Moustos. Carlo Marchione-Korina Vougiouka.

Jozef Zsapka. Margarita Escarpa.

Classical Guitar Magazine 21

long and thirsty evening at the Montreux Jazz
Festival. I promise I’m not making this up,
and I sincerely hope the good Mr. Neave
wasn’t either.
And so to the last professional offering,
in which Carlo Marchione presented his own
captivating arrangement of Mozart’s Adagio KV
540 before announcing that, since Giuliani was
one of the set composers in the competition and
that he’d heard several Rossiniane over the last
few days, he couldn’t resist playing one now. As
CG regulars will know, Marchione’s uncom-
promising take on these extended virtuoso
middleweights has achieved something
approaching legendary status. It hasn’t quite
reached the point where the first few bars
prompt a ripple of applause, but Marchione
would be wise to prepare himself for
such an eventuality. As far as I’m aware,
there’s no guitarist currently active
who handles these works with greater
brilliance and conviction.
The final student concert went on rather
a long time, simply because there was so much
good stuff to hear. The highlight for me had to be
Oesterriech’s ensemble performing the hippie campfire
classic California Dreamin’. When I asked who the
ROLAND DYENS
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22
arranger was, Oesterriech revealed that he’d just stum-
bled across a copy without any credits somewhere on the
internet. So hey man, let’s send out the warmest of vibes
to whoever was responsible.
With proceedings at a close, it just remained for me to
await the arrival of Athina Christoforidou, who was to be
my chauffeuse to the airport. But after the original Veria
programme was finalised, an important post-festival item
had been added in the form of the world premiere of the
Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra by Nikos Astrinidis,
to be performed by guitarist Marco Socias with the
Symphony Orchestra of Thessalonica three days
later. Although it was by now impossible to be
present in person, I was naturally keen to report
the event in absentia and asked Lampros if
there was any chance that a recording
could come my way. A live mp3 duly
landed on the hard disk shortly after
my return to base, the noble quasi
baroque theme of the second move-
ment soon emerging as a potential hit in
its own right. This, together with ample
evidence Socias’ proven track record as a
soloist, made it all the more regrettable that I
wasn’t there on the night.
So having missed the premiere, I’ll just have to make
every effort to be around for the deuxième...
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Classical Guitar Magazine
 2009 PARKENING INTERNATIONAL
GUITAR COMPETITION

All Competitors at Opening Reception with Christopher Parkening.

CHRISTOPHER PARKENING and Pepperdine

University announced on May 31 that the winner of the
second triennial Parkening International Guitar
Competition was Emanuele Buono, 21, from Italy.
Buono won the prestigious competition with his stirring
performance of Concerto no. 1 in D Major by Mario
Castelnuovo-Tedesco with the Los Angeles Chamber
Orchestra at Pepperdine’s Smothers Theatre on May 30.
He received the $30,000 Stotsenberg Prize and Gold
Medal from benefactor Dorothy Stotsenberg of Malibu,
Calif.
The Parkening International Guitar Competition, the
world’s preeminent guitar competition with the largest
prize purse of any classical guitar competition, took
place from May 28 through May 30.
After winning the Gold Medal, Buono said, ‘It feels
like a dream. I can’t believe it.’ Talking about the
pressure he felt during the final round he commented, ‘I
was less tense after the performance because I felt I
played very well.’
The Silver Medalist, Ian Watt, 18, of Scotland,
received $12,500 in addition to his medal; the Bronze
Medalist, Juuso Nieminen, 29, of Finland, was awarded
$7,500.
The three finalists, Buono, Watt, and Nieminen, were
selected from a pool of 15 competitors, and each
performed a concerto with the Los Angeles Chamber
Emanuele Buono. Orchestra under the baton of celebrated conductor

Classical Guitar Magazine 23

 (Left to right) Bronze Medalist, Ian Watt, Gold Medalist, Emanuele Bono,
Christopher Parkening and Silver Medalist, Juuso Nieminen.

Ian Watt.

24 Classical Guitar Magazine

Alondra de la Parra. The winner was announced after a
short deliberation by the judging panel.
The three, along with Rafael Aguirre Miñarro, 24, of
Spain and Silviu Ciulei, 23, of Romania, competed in the
semi-final round on May 29.
Other competitors included Yuri Aleshnikov, 24, of
Russia; Michael Bautista, 30, of the United States;
Carlo Corrieri, 20, of Italy; Colin Davin, 21, of the
United States; Alexei Khorev, 30, of France; Laura
Klemke, 28, of Germany; Marco Sartor, 30, of the
United States; Andrew Stroud, 28, of the United States;
Edward Trybek, 27, of the United States; and Aleksandr
Tsiboulski, 29, of Australia.
All of the competitors performed on the first full day
of the competition (May 28); five semi-finalists were
then selected to proceed to the second day. The
competitors performed required and free-choice
repertoire and were judged on musicianship, tone,
technique, and stage presence.
The distinguished panel of five judges, representing
different areas of the classical music world, were Nancy
Allen, principal harpist with the New York Philharmonic;
Manuel Barrueco, world-famous guitar virtuoso;
Stephanie L. Challener, publisher of Musical America
Worldwide; Thomas Frost, Grammy Award-winning
record producer; and Costa Pilavachi, former president
of EMI Classics.
The 15 competitors vied for cash awards that totaled
$57,000. The fourth and fifth prizewinners each
received $1,000. Awards of $500 were given to each of
the remaining 10 competitors.
Emanuele Buono was born in Turin, Italy, in 1987. He
graduated in 2005 with full marks from the Giuseppe
Verdi Conservatory in Milan, where he is currently
pursuing a music diploma. He also received a three-year
diploma from the Francisco Tarrega Academy and has
attended the International Master Classes of Accademia
Musicale Chigiana di Siena every year since 2007.
Buono was awarded first prize at the XXXIII
International Guitar Competition in Gargnano, Italy. He
was the first Italian winner of the Ruggero Chiesa
International Competition in Camogli, Italy, also winning
the award for best interpretation of a romantic piece as
well as the audience choice award.
The Parkening International Guitar Competition
announced the winners of the 2009 competition as
follows:
The Stotsenberg Prize Gold - Emanuele Buono.
The Silver Medal - Ian Watt.
The Bronze Medal - Juuso Nieminen.
The Fourth Prize - Rafael Aguirre Miñarro.
The Fifth Prize - Silviu Ciulei.
Article courtesy: Molly Drobnick, PR Manager,
Pepperdine University, USA.

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Classical Guitar Magazine 25

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26 Classical Guitar Magazine

 ILUSÃO
by Ulisses Rocha

Classical Guitar Magazine 27

  













 



 
  
 
 
  
 





28 Classical Guitar Magazine

Classical Guitar Magazine 29
 MAKING A LIVING AS A
CLASSICAL GUITARIST
By LAWRENCE DEL CASALE
8. Connie Sheu

GUITARIST CONNIE SHEU epito-

mizes the spirit of this column. She
is an American classical guitarist
fresh out of the Juilliard School’s
Masters programme under the
tutelage of Sharon Isbin, and prior
to that Connie received her BA
from Columbia University where
she studied with Antigoni Goni.
Ms. Sheu’s Doctoral degree will
come from USC under Bill
Kanengiser. Connie received a
Diploma of Study under scholar-
ship at the Accademia Musicale
Chigiana with Oscar Ghiglia in
Siena, Italy, in 2005. She has stud-
ied in masterclasses with gui-
tarists Roland Dyens, Pepe
Romero, Christopher Parkening,
Connie Sheu.
Matteo Mela, and Lorenzo Micheli.
Ms. Sheu is definitely out to
make a living with the classical guitar by secur- me enormously to become a professional
ing a teaching position at college or university musician.
level. Ms. Sheu also has a ‘calling card’ her debut
recording, Waking or Sleeping, which most impor- Did you attend a music college or university for
tantly displays, without a doubt, her talents as a music?
concert artist. At the beginning of what I’m sure
will be a fruitful performing and teaching career I CS: I attended Columbia University because I
caught up with Connie just after a successful wanted a liberal arts education. It was about the
concert in New York City. furthest thing from a music conservatory. The
undergraduate work was very rigorous, and being
Lawrence Del Casale: When did you decide that a history major I spent most of my time reading
the guitar was your calling? books and writing papers rather than practising.
I got my masters degree at Juilliard, a school that
Connie Sheu: I started guitar at the age of five, was the extreme opposite of Columbia even
but never considered it to be my calling until my though it’s just down the street. Juilliard was an
senior year in college. I treated guitar as a serious intense conservatory environment that took some
hobby until then and wanted to go to law school. getting used to for me.
After a series of summer jobs in the law/govern-
ment world, all I wanted to do was be around Who would you consider your mentor along the
music and be a part of anything artistic. It was way?
then that I knew that I had to pursue guitar and
give it everything I could. CS: During my sophomore year at Columbia,
Antigoni Goni started teaching there. I didn’t
What event would you consider a turning point in expect that such an accomplished guitarist would
those early days? be teaching at a university that did not have a
performance-focused music department. My
CS: I went to a conference in Switzerland dur- lessons with her proved to be pivotal in helping
ing my senior year in college run by an organi- me become a better player technically and musi-
zation called Crescendo. It was a conference cally, but they were also lessons in self-discovery.
for Christian classical musicians and it was I asked her lots of questions about what it was
there that I began to understand the immea- like to be a professional guitarist, what her moti-
surable importance of music in our world, and vation was, what inspired her, and through those
that I had a particular, unique voice that could conversations I eventually found myself wanting
be expressed through my playing. It inspired to pursue guitar also. She saw potential in me

30 Classical Guitar Magazine

and told me that with hard work, I could develop
my talent to a much higher level.
Were there times when you wanted to give up the
guitar?
CS: I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to quit playing,
but there have been many times where I have
doubted being able to make a living with it. I’ve
wondered if I’ll ever have a stable job or many of
the other securities that people with 9-5 jobs
have. I think it’s healthy to have doubts, and I try
to just take things one day at a time.
Which project(s) are you currently involved in?
CS: I’m currently trying to put together a pro-
gramme of music written by female composers. It
is actually a pretty difficult task, which says
something about how male-dominated the com-
position world is. There are actually tons of com-
positions written specifically for classical guitar
by women that have not been played much. I’m
really excited to have some new music being writ-
ten for it, and I may do some transcriptions of
Clara Schumann songs as well.
Do you have a specialty that sets you apart?
CS: I wouldn’t say that I have a specific specialty.
I like to do a little bit of every style and period.
Classical Guitar Magazine
But I suppose that I always play music that I feel
is somehow meaningful to me because this is the
only way I think it will connect with the audience.
Do you teach?
CS: Yes, I teach privately and do a few group
classes as well- one for 5th graders at a public
school in Los Angeles, and one for an adult con-
tinuing education school. They are very different
demographics, but I enjoy them both.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever
received?
CS: My biggest problem when I was younger was
that I was interested in too many things. Even in
the realm of music, I played cello and piano for a
number of years and could not even decide which
instrument I would pursue if I was to choose a
career in music. My cello teacher from college
gave me the best advice- to just narrow it down,
pick something, and give it everything I had. To
her disappointment, I ended up choosing guitar,
but I still think about her advice to narrow my
interests and try getting really good at one thing
rather than giving a little bit of effort to a lot of
things.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to
your student(s)?
CS: I would tell them that art will always exist
because it is a necessity for people. No matter
how bad the economy gets or what kind of disas-
ters are happening in the world, the desire to see,
hear, or experience something beautiful is
uniquely human and perpetually relevant. Never
underestimate the importance that musicians
hold in society.
If you had to do it all over again what would you
do differently?
CS: I really believe that everything in life happens
for a reason, and I would not be where I am today
with as much conviction that I am in the right
place if I hadn’t veered off onto other paths. So
when I look back, I don’t think I would change
anything.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
CS: To be honest, I would have to say that my
biggest inspiration is my husband. He appreci-
ates my playing more than anyone, and has a
way of pushing me to remain dedicated to
improvement even when I just don’t feel like
working hard. He also helps me with the busi-
ness side of things and can always provide a lit-
tle bit of perspective if I am thinking about a
career decision or if I just need some encourage-
ment.
31
V iews from E verywhere
BRAZIL, PARAGUAY, FRANCE,
BULGARIA AND ITALY
STARTING in the early spring I had some very excit-
ing times visiting several events and guitar festivals,
first in South America and then in the eastern and
western parts of Europe. Thanks to the Brazilian
artist Acacio Oliveira – a fine individual, founder and
director of Conservatório Musical ‘Villa-Lobos’ in
São José dos Campos, I was happy to make my own
concert contributions to the Villa-Lobos celebrations
in his country.
After visiting São José and São Paulo I continued
my travels with a trip to Paraguay. Public events in
homage to great Paraguayan guitarist and compos-
er Agustín Barrios had been organised by Carlos
Salcedo Centurión, a director of the Centro de
Proyectos Barrios Mangoré in Asunción. In my opin-
ion while the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos
is given a reasonable amount of respect, which can
be seen almost everywhere in his country, the same
cannot be said about Barrios. First of all we can
only regret the tragic historic loss of so many impor-
tant materials related to this great Paraguayan. The
truth is that the local authorities there still place rel-
atively little value on preserving or centralising the
rare historical information on Barrios. Even worse
for Paraguay is that it’s a small country with very
few universal figures, and Agustín Barrios is unde-
niably one of them.
Unfortunately the world is also losing the last con-
temporaries of these magical guitar personalities. So
the greatest experience on this tour was my oppor-
tunity to meet with two of them: Sila Godoy and
Ronoel Sim es. Both are now very old and with lots
of health and economic problems; they are also
tragic figures, overlooked and somehow forgotten.
They have made great and long-standing efforts to
create what are probably among the world’s most
impressive music collections, but all this has never
really been well publicised internationally. So at this
moment their collections have been badly neglected,
or in Ronoel’s case, not properly taken care of and
so they are slowly deteriorating and being lost. Rare
and enthusiastic people such as Carlos Salcedo are
giving their best to try to help conserve these indi-
viduals’ work, and we can only hope that he will
succeed.
After my February travels in Brazil and Paraguay,
I went to witness the success of the third edition of
Philippe Villa’s ‘Rencontres Internationales de
Guitare du Pays né de la Mer’, with solo and cham-
ber guitar music concerts, an international guitar
competition organised for solo guitar players in four
age categories and four different chamber group
categories, and different exhibitions. From 6–8
March in a wonderful place called Saint Michel en
L’Herm in France, we also heard the French String
Quartet ‘Kadenza’, the Italian Maurizio Di Fulvio
Trio with Claudio Marzolo on bass and Walter
32
Jury members of 6th Moisycos International
Guitar Competition, Syracuse: (from left)
Uros Dojcinovic, Akira Ugajin, Woratep
Rattana-umpawan, Giulio Tampalini and
Ermanno Bottiglieri.
Cartelli on percussion, Ensemble from Pays né de la
mer with Isabelle Trouvé on flute and Philippe Villa
on guitar. Besides Philippe, Di Fulvio and myself,
the other jury members were: Clotilde Descamps,
Olivier Fautrin and Hubert Craipeau. We were also
thrilled with the nice guitars made by visiting Italian
luthier Giuseppe Guagliardo.
The 13th International Classical Guitar
Competition and Festival ‘Acad. Marin Goleminov’
took place in the city of Kyustendil in Bulgaria from
8–11 April 2009. After more than a decade of exis-
tence, it has become one of the most important gui-
tar events in Bulgaria. Its founder and artistic direc-
tor Ivan Andonov has maintained the traditional
concept of his festival: with around 100 or so guests
and participants, who are mostly Bulgarians but
with some visiting artists from the Ukraine, Greece,
France and Serbia, he has a competition for solo
and chamber groups and ensembles with guitar,
and concerts and masterclasses. It would be easier
to write a list of who was not there, especially with
regard to the Bulgarian guitarists, pedagogues and
players. Having been there almost every season, I
can confirm what a great pleasure it is to see how
this durable event is growing and developing so pos-
itively. Not to mention that this is one of those
places where almost each time you can meet with
well known and charming people such as Eva
Fampas from Greece, Elena Khoroshavina from the
Ukraine, or the Bulgarians Nelli Nedeva and Stela
Miteva-Dinkova.
The 7th Moisycos International Guitar Festival
was organised for the first time from 8–17 May 2009
in the Sicilian city of Syracuse in Italy. The founder
of this remarkable event is Ermanno Bottiglieri, who
has recently moved back from Japan, where he has
been active in the guitar world for a much longer
period – Bottiglieri was obviously facing problems in
establishing his event in native country. Despite his
Classical Guitar Magazine
tireless publicity and having organised the event in guitar Trio Rhapsody composed of Francesco
a fantastic hall with a list of respectable invited Cipriani, Luca Marrucci and Alessandro Minci, then
guest-artists, there were not very many people pre- solo guitarist Giorgio Mirto, Japanese flute player
sent at the concerts. More importantly, the festival Riyoko Murai in duo with the guitarist Alessandro
ran concurrently with the ‘6th Moisycos Blanco, soloists Woratep Rattana-umpawan from
International Guitar Competition’ in which we had Thailand, Akira Ugajin from Japan, and Giulia
only one candidate participating. Nevertheless the Tapmalini and Ermanno Bottiglieri from Italy.
complete programme schedule, as well as the host- Instead of the planned masterclasses, our free time
ing was more than superb, and all concerts were was spent in visiting the wonderful Sicilian attrac-
professionally recorded. A limited number of listen- tions.
ers had the inspiring opportunity to hear: Italian Uros Dojcinovic

Registered numbers of the

Charitable funds 310040 and 264303

2009 IVOR MAIRANTS GUITAR AWARD

Additional ● The 12th IVOR MAIRANTS GUITAR AWARD, administered by The Worshipful Company of
Financial Musicians, will take place in London on Thursday, 26 November 2009.
support
● The competition will be conducted on ONE day.
from...
● Prizes for the 2009 competition have a value in excess of £5500 and include The
Worshipful Company of Musicians’ award of £1000 to be used by the competition winner
for tuition in the field of playing jazz influenced contemporary music on the classical guitar.
The The winner will also receive an Manuel Rodriguez guitar worth £1500, a £1000 cash prize,
Foundation for the Performing Arts
£200 worth of music of their choice from Chanterelle Publications and the complete
Ediciones Joaquín Rodrigo guitar works. There will also be cash prizes of £500 for Second
M ade possible in part by a grant from The Prize and £300 for Third Prize. Additional prizes have been donated to the 2009 competition
D’Addario Foundation for the Performing Arts by the D’Addario Foundation for the Performing Arts, Mel Bay Publications Inc., Manuel
with support from J. D’Addario & Company, Inc. Rodriguez Guitars, Intellitouch Tuners and Classical Guitar Magazine in recognition of
& D’Addario Strings. Ivor Mairants’s unique contribution to the world of music. The prize winner will be invited
to audition for the Musicians Company Maisie Lewis Young Artists and Concordia
Foundation Artists concerts at the Wigmore Hall, London in 2010.
● The 2009 winner may also be offered concert recitals by some leading UK guitar
societies.
● The non-refundable entrance fee for the competition is £15 to cover office and
administration costs. The order of appearance for the competition will be notified.

TERMS OF THE COMPETITION

* Contestants must have been born on or after 1 January 1982. Any nationality can take
part in the competition. Previous entrants, but not winners of the first prize, may take part.
* Contestants will have to play:

1) Ivor Mairants - 'Slow Blues and Finale from Evocacion for Joe Pass' -
'Jazz Sonatas for Solo Guitar' (Mel Bay Inc.)
2) One only of the following:
i) Heitor Villa-Lobos: Studies 11 & 12 (Eschig)
ii) Lennox Berkeley: Sonatina (movements 2 & 3) (Chester)
iii) Leo Brouwer: Sonata (movements 2 & 3) (Opera Tres)
3) FREE CHOICE - One post 1920 composition, 5-7 minutes duration,
of the contestant's own choice.

GUITAR
CLASSICAL * Contestants who wish to withdraw have to notify the Clerk of The Worshipful
Company of Musicians within time. The entry fee will not be refunded for any reason.
* Contestants bear full responsibility for travelling to, and accommodation in, London.
* The panel of judges will consist of not less than three internationally acknowledged
adjudicators. The judges have the right not to award a prize, should there be no
performance deserving of it. The decision of the judges is final and indisputable.
* Music for the set pieces for the 2009 competition is available from most classical
guitar centres. In case of difficulty it is available from www.FretsOnly.com.

* Application forms for entry to the competition can be obtained from The Worshipful
Company of Musicians, The Clerk’s Office, 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Buildings, London,
EC2M 5PP. Completed application forms, together with the entrance fee, have to be sent
to The Clerk’s Office at the above address. The deadline for the receipt of these is 31
October 2009. Contestants must provide a copy of their birth certificate with their appli-
cation, and a reference from a recognised music college or teacher to confirm their per-
formance ability.

Classical Guitar Magazine 33

WEST SUSSEX
GUITAR CLUB
Artistic Director
Alexander Levtov

Interviewed by
GUY TRAVISS

Workshop with
Gary Ryan.

SOCIETIES THAT exist for any discipline play In 1996 the club moved to its present location
an important role in the lives of those who in Bognor Regis: The Regis Recital Hall - a
form them. They are a means to facilitate the music school and cultural centre where most of
exchange of knowledge and ideas in places the activities take place. Several times a year
where mutual interest brings people together, the club is invited by different organisations,
and a setting for the appreciation of whatever including local music festivals and music soci-
activity those individuals share in. It is with eties, to give public performances.
this idea that it is possible to understand the
significance of these organisations, since they Although what you have set up here may today
supply a body which can offer be formally termed a society,
amenities to those who sup- you continue to identify yourself
port its cause. West Sussex “I hope I will as a ‘club’. Do you have a par-
Guitar Club is an example of never have to say ticular motivation for doing so?
such an establishment, who Yes. Even after our member-
state their aim as being ‘To ‘I’m sorry, but ship grew considerably, we
promote, improve, maintain we’re full’. have chosen to maintain use of
and develop public education the term ‘club’ because it
in the art of the classical guitar, In terms of implies a more personal inter-
by the presentation of public numbers and action between our members.
concerts, recitals and educa- Subconsciously, it’s also possi-
tional workshops and by other activities we are bly a tribute to the fact that the
such ways as the trustees see one of the largest guitar remains a delicate and
fit’. intimate instrument, despite
WSGC now celebrates their societies around. having at last achieved status
16th year. Today it is support- We’re very as a concert instrument.
ed by over 100 members and Moreover, the friendly and
promotes three festivals, half- proud of it.” inviting atmosphere that a
a-dozen professional recitals ‘club’ promotes seems
each season and a series of workshops, lec- more suitable for music made by amateur
tures, club evenings and social events. In 2000 musicians. However, I suppose when we
they staged the first West Sussex Guitar stage professional recitals and welcome all
Festival, and for the last two years it has music lovers we are ‘the society’, if only for that
included a special competition: The West Dean evening!
Bursary Award. This year the programme
included 30 categories for under 18s, 16 cate- The club has its roots in an evening class at an
gories for senior performers and 6 composi- adult education centre where you used to teach,
tion/arrangements classes; all of which attract- how did your activities there extend to form
ed over 170 participants. WSGC?

34 Classical Guitar Magazine

Classical Guitar Magazine 35

Youngsters at one of
the festivals.
Originally I had just one evening class, then I
was asked to teach another, and for a year the
classes grew. I then decided to bring those
people together and introduce my own private
students to them. One of my very first pupils
here was Amanda Cook and she regularly
played for the evening class; it was her first
platform. After this there was consistent inter-
est so I decided to put on a concert. I had
absolutely no experience of organising these
events but somehow people gave me confi-
dence. The society’s very first newsletter was
produced in September ’93, and I regard this
as its official inauguration. By this stage there
was enough happening to pass on information
in this way. We had already had our first pro-
fessional concert, there were club evenings,
even two or three people who agreed to help
with finances.
Professional recital
Who did you invite to provide (Jeremy Jouve).
the society with its first con-
cert?
It was Charles Ramirez, which
happened quite by accident.
My own children were in the
junior department at the Royal
College of Music and I saw
Charles when I was there on
one occasion. I asked if he
would be interested in coming
and giving a recital. He said he
would be delighted to come,
and the reaction generated by
his performance was great.
Fabio Zannon gave one of his
first performances for us in
those early days too, and nat-
urally it was very well
received.
36
Unfortunately these early perfor-
mances didn’t take place at the
recital hall you currently occupy.
No, but there was something
equally special about those per-
formances, despite the fact our
former premises weren’t as nice
as what we have today. The
building we are currently in is
ideally suited to a small arts
society. Although, we cannot
accommodate larger ensembles
such as orchestras. Everything
here is run on a shoestring and
everyone does what they can. In
the beginning, to finance the
project, I had to organise anoth-
er society: Friends of The Regis
School of Music. This society
grew very quickly which was nec-
essary since these people would
attend concerts and help raise
funds. They are completely sepa-
rate from the guitar club, with interests not
based upon personal development, but they are
all music lovers. There is a mutual benefit
between the societies; our guitarists are
exposed to a much wider palette of musical
experiences and everyone else can share in
everything we do here. It’s not just a society
centred on one instrument, the guitar is part of
the whole musical world and all members have
a way of interacting with it.
Many of the performers you are inviting today
are very much up-and-coming talents.
We are getting to the point where we are trying
to invite all winners of the GFA, but we couldn’t
aim to achieve this because of the availability of
players. We had a good start with Fabio
Zannon, although he performed here before he
Classical Guitar Magazine
 concert I am aware of individual opinions which
we always try to reflect in our newsletter. I have
to ensure the balance of the programme offered
is something which the audience can relate to.
Some of our listeners may not be guitarists at
all, we welcome this very much, and therefore
we care for the image of the guitar as an instru-
ment. Having said that there are many artists
who people come to see irrespective of what
they are going to play. Of course this is logical,
since these performers are in a position of trust
in respect to the repertoire they choose to play.

In addition to normal activities, the club is also

involved in a number of other projects including
the running of its own festival and looking after
the guitar section of the Chichester Festival for
Music Dance and Speech.
Yes, plus another at The Regis School of Music!
This is a summer festival which is much broad-
er in its scope. Usually this festival is themed
by adopting the musical culture of a particular
country; one year it may be France, another
Russia or Britain perhaps. When we run out of
ideas, we will have to revisit places I suppose.
Alexander ‘Sasha’Levtov.
We also present two or three professional con-
certs; generally they’re not guitar recitals but
won GFA. After he played for us I received a let- occasionally we do invite a guitarist. One year
ter explaining that he had won three competi- Fabio Zannon came and performed with a
tions in one year. I’d like to think one day we superb flautist. The festival has both competi-
will be in a position to invite all the great per- tive and non-competitive elements. There isn’t a
formers, but of course funding is the key issue class specifically for guitarists but there is a
that needs to be addressed. Nevertheless, it’s string section which encompasses them. So we
good to know the standard we have set here can have three festivals here in total, which give all
provide for high-profile performers. our guitarists the opportunity to perform.
In recent years we
The recital space you “It’s great to know have been sending our
have today provides best students to other
remarkable opportunities that the club has a competitions and festi-
to see renowned musi- future ahead of it and vals. It’s extremely
cians in such an intimate rewarding to know we
setting. that the artists who have can give our youngsters
To us it’s a way of life; performed for opportunities here as
we’re delighted with it. well as showing them
Bognor Regis is a small our audiences here are new horizons elsewhere.
seaside town with mod- always keen to return.” We have the West Dean
est cultural scenery. To Festival taking place
create and run a centre nearby, for instance. It’s
for classical music was for my wife and I a nec- an excellent festival in the most wonderful set-
essary extension of our teaching practice, and a ting. Two years ago we approached the directors
way to follow our calling. We grew up in St. of the festival with the idea of setting up a com-
Petersburg - one of the world’s great music cen- petition for guitarists under 18, with a reward
tres; so to be able to invite excellent musicians for the winner to attend their course. The West
and to share their art with so many people is a Dean Bursary Award Competition became part
wonderful privilege. of our own West Sussex Guitar Festival, and it
was an instant success. Not only does the win-
The members here clearly have a voice of their ner receive a place at West Dean but the club
own which is reflected in the events they choose also offers a bursary to the runner-up as well.
to attend. In particular, what have you learnt Thanks to the generosity of West Dean College
about what have people come to expect from the and the course administrators we now have a
professional recitals? wonderful opportunity to encourage even our
After attending the concerts for years our audi- youngest members to attend this wonderful
ences are quite outspoken, and soon after the event.
Classical Guitar Magazine 37

At the Club
evening.
With WSGC’s ever increasing popularity, do you
feel the club will have to evolve in some way
beyond its current setup in order to accommo-
date larger numbers?
We always welcome new members. So far we
can just about cope and I have never had to
turn anyone away. Although, I wouldn’t like for
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FAIRWEATHER LOW . MICHELLE SHOCKED . ASAF
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JOSEPH . CHRIS SPEDDING . WOODY MANN ft TOM
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38
the club to expand beyond the
point where people no longer
know and recognise one another.
We have a hospitality officer
whose role it is to introduce new
members to rest of the club, and
I would always like to maintain
this close relationship between
members. I hope I will never
have to say ‘I’m sorry, but we’re
full’. In terms of numbers and
activities we are one of the
largest societies around. We’re
very proud of it.
You mentioned the society has
developed without the aid of a
pre-existing model. Does this
mean you will continue to allow it
to develop naturally or do you
have set plans for the future?
We are probably going to have
more regular and interesting
side-events. For example, recently I have been
involved in organising a day-performance at
Arundel Castle. The castle has many rooms
available for visitors to explore, and they have
invited several of our members to perform
within these spaces. I would like to approach
this event from the perspective of historical
performance practice; not only having per-
formers give recitals that are historically
informed, but to do so dressed in the appro-
priate attire (should they wish, of course!). It is
an exciting opportunity for some of our mem-
bers to receive exposure outside the club and
to learn more about authentic stylistic inter-
pretation. One of our members plays the lute
and we are looking to set up a guitar and
recorder ensemble. Perhaps some of the
younger members will set up a trio and quar-
tet as well. I think events like this will be hap-
pening more and more now.
There is much to be said for the spirit and enthu-
siasm of all those involved in your work here.
We have a most dedicated and enthusiastic
committee in which everyone has a particular
role, and we all share the responsibility of run-
ning the club. We have the support of many
families and our evenings and parties are full of
music, applause and children’s laughter. Yet at
the recitals it is wonderful to see those same
children attentive, serious and absorbing the
music. It’s great to know that the club has a
future ahead of it and that the artists who have
performed for our audiences here are always
keen to return.
For more information on WSGC visit:
www.westsussexguitar.com
Classical Guitar Magazine
GYPSY JAZZ WORKSHOP
by Manfred Fuchs
Doblinger 35930
Towards the end of the 20th century, there came
about a clear and robust revival of Gypsy-swing gui-
tar style with some remarkable up-tempo playing
coming from Europe. One problem with this ‘flashy’
style is that though the great Django Reinhardt had
created a niche (and a unique one at that) there was
no real written out method for those who wanted to
explore and develop the style themselves; it was as
if the art had become a secret amongst those in the
know.
Recently, I have seen a number of books dedicat-
ed to this area of guitar playing and, by and large,
they do work well. Manfred Fuchs opens his lessons
with split-arpeggios; that is to say building up by
adding on slowly the next highest sound and so
on. I must admit, I never did this myself but it
seems a positive way forward and Fuchs repeats
this idea with scales, rather like using ‘building
blocks’ in sound. All of the main book is in both tab
and notation.
There are pieces at the end of the book, ‘Dark
Eyes’ being the big favourite. The basic melodies
and the chords are given but the missing bit in this
book is that there is no info/notation on the
extremely good improvisations on the disc; these are
top class and ‘flashy’.
If you have interest in Gypsy swing/jazz then this
book/CD set would be a good starter pack.
Neil Smith
2 SONATAS FOR GUITAR
by Giovanni Zamboni
Edited and adapted by Stefan Hackl
Doblinger. 12pp.
Although these pieces were written in the early 18th
century, they originated in Italy on a lute that
remained in renaissance tuning but with extra bass-
es as in its baroque lute counterpart. So, unlike
music written for the baroque lute, such as by
Weiss, which cannot be reproduced in the same way
on the guitar, given that the tuning relationship is
so different to the guitar, these two sonatas can be
faithfully arranged without too many problems,
(notwithstanding the extra basses of course).
The two sonatas concerned, No6 in E minor and
No9 in A minor, are both in four movements and are
to be played with the 3rd string to F#, a necessity for
this music and one which is not too difficult to get
used to. Whereas they are not very easy, a moder-
ately advanced player will get a great deal out of
them as they are reasonably tuneful and repay any-
one who likes their music elegant and tuneful.
Chris Dumigan
THE CHINESE GARDEN
by Stephen Goss
Cadenza Music. 16pp.
The second work in this composer’s trilogy of sonor-
ity-exploring pieces (the last is The Weeping of
Dreams reviewed elsewhere), this item was commis-
sioned by Xuefei Yang and is based on Chinese folk-
songs.
I have the impression that the composer has in
this work set out to use sonority to create what
might be termed an aural equivalent of fragrance, as
much as the colours that often might be thought to
come from the use of harmony. Certainly, each of
the four pieces uses resonance to varying degrees
and in varying ways. Perhaps the clearest example
of this is the first movement, Jasmine Flower, in
which the melodic strands are woven about with
Classical Guitar Magazine
rapid sustaining effects. In the third movement,
M usic R eviews
Blue Orchid, small note heads are used to indicate a
bisbigliando (whispering) quality. The last move-
ment, Waterfall Music is perhaps distantly related to
that kind of Scarlatti toccata-quality that rushes
rippling along; the player is instructed to hold all
note as long as possible (while rushing along) and
the theme from the first movement tries to be heard
above the texture.
Only the second movement, Red flowers blooming
all over the mountain is in a relatively conventional
texture, albeit still with much employment of reso-
nant fingerboard resources.
Goss is far too wise to fall into the trap of relying
on quaint pentatonic clichés, and the exoticism is
knowing and developed. There is always a danger
that such writing then actually gets too far away
from a sense of authenticity (there’s nothing quite so
authentic as a cliché) and in the main this work
stays close enough to the common-understanding of
Chinese music to be believable.
As with the other works in this ‘trilogy’ (and many
others by Goss come to think of it) the hardest part
both for player and listener lies in getting to grips
with the richly resonant effects and putting them
into some clear linear context. Sometimes one
might crave a few measures of simple, direct state-
ment; the composer asks for more from us.
Stephen Kenyon
EL LLANTO DE LAS SUEÑOS
(The Weeping of Dreams)
by Stephen Goss
Cadenza Music. 10pp.
Commissioned by David Russell, this is a work in
three movements drawing references from the work
of Lorca. The edition describes this as the last of
three works concerned particularly with the cre-
ation of idiomatic, overlapping textures, the others
being the earlier Sonata and The Chinese Garden
(which is reviewed elsewhere). It does seem to me to
be also the most direct of the three, in terms of com-
positional technique, instrumental approach, and
musical idea. The latter is assisted by some quite
close association with Lorca’s imagery, especially in
the lively and entertaining final movement,
Alborada, in which a rather mad Carmen dances
about at dawn. Goss has been over Carmen before,
not least in his Carmen Fantasy for guitar quartet,
and here the fragments of her familiar dances float
in and out of consciousness using techniques Goss
has used in more abstract ways elsewhere.
The second movement, Madrugada is of a noctur-
nal and pre-dawn mood preparatory to the third, and
the first movement, Cantiga is the shortest and most
direct in effect. However, throughout the work the
greatest impression is of allusiveness and intention-
al, almost teasing refusal to allow the obvious. This
largely is what makes it a work of art, using har-
monic materials that had their day a long time ago
but which find renewal in this kind of approach, in
which this composer specialises. The point, at least
in part, is to engage with the roots of some of those
stems that offer themselves to consideration – here,
Carmen and aspects of her world as found in Lorca.
The player and listener have then various hand-
holds as the work progresses, even if they tend to
move as soon as weight is put upon them. The piece
is very attractive, luxuriant at times and full of
colour; the movements work together like a tone-
poem. It is very difficult to play, but even harder to
interpret convincingly. The dedicatee makes light of
both kinds of undertaking and one can imagine
some players struggling to make it ‘work’, which you
can take as a challenge.
39
M usic R eviews And with the composer telling us this work is the
end of one process of exploration, one wonders what
is coming next ...
Stephen Kenyon
J. S. BACH CELLO SUITES 1–4
Arranged by Richard Wright
Cadenza Music. 45pp.
Having recently covered a series of Bach editions in
which the issue of arrangement practice was a key
question, how apt to receive this new edition of the
Cello Suites. The standard approach since the 19th
century has been to raise the melodic line and sup-
port it with added basses and chords, and to pull
apart and specify durations for the various implied
counterpoints in what is a largely single-line tex-
ture.
This edition takes the opposite approach, in what
as far as I am aware, is quietly the most radical and
bold take on this repertoire ever taken. It is impor-
tant to appreciate that this book arises partly from
a desire to create a volume of ‘first Bach’ to fit the
ethos of the new Associated Board guitar syllabus.
There has also always been a feeling in some quar-
ters that there are problems with the traditional
approach – however fine sounding the result – and
that allowing Bach to speak more for himself in
these suites was waiting to happen. The problem
really has been that ‘just playing the notes’ in this
repertoire has been supposed to leave the sound too
bare and thin, after all a single note on a cello takes
up much more space in the ear than it does on a
guitar.
The solution proposed in this edition is largely
that while not adding more than a tiny smattering of
supportive matter (and that given in cue-size to
identify it), it is not in fact just a matter of playing
Bach’s notes. Rather it is of finding ways to allow the
guitar to speak with its authentic voice and at the
same time bring out the textures and counterpoints
implied.
As discussed in the fulsome and informative
Introduction, the aim is to use fingering – including
particular combinations with the thumb – and left
hand position, to project the substance, and ‘Most of
all, these arrangements encourage – and indeed are
dependent upon – the development of a strong,
expressive sound that will allow the guitarist to do as
the cellist does and project the musical narrative with
confidence in the absence of extra chords and bass
notes’.
So the obvious question remains as to the effec-
tiveness of this approach. Certainly, it succeeds on
its own terms, and delivers Bach that works, can be
approached at an earlier stage than other editions –
or can be simply played better, with the added qual-
ity, for those to whom it matters, of playing Bach,
not a composite composer of Bach and editor. Next
time I learn a Bach suite it will be from this book,
and I was already using it with students, towards
exams and otherwise, having already purchased
copies on its release.
I am also sure that there are people who will still
find the sound too thin, or who can’t see the point
in the technical approach the book takes. They
have plenty of other choices!
The one point I would raise is purely practical.
Having used the book for a while I do find that
the print is slightly small, that the finger num-
bers could be a fraction larger, and that while the
fingering always shows where to go, it leaves
much to logical following-on rather than spelling
out, and I have had to do quite a lot of pencilling
in.
Stephen Kenyon
40
LA CIUDAD DE LAS COLUMNAS
by Leo Brouwer
Ediciones Espiral Eterna. 17pp.
This work dates from 2004 and is subtitled as vari-
ations on Brouwer’s earlier Pieza sin titulo no. 1.
After a short introduction the complete original
piece is given in all its 7/4 energy, a literally one-line
Paseo gives way to La Ceiba y el Colibri which is a
thing of rapidly repeated cross-string textures.
Convento de San Francisco is a quiet and gentle
variation and a second Paseo is longer than the first
but remains gentle. Por la Calle del Obispo is a long,
vigorous and motivic section with many readily
identifiable Brouwer trademark ideas. Amanecer en
el Morro is perhaps the most openly accessible and
relaxed moment but while the concluding Toque en
la Plaza de Armas looks and feels very like another
rhythmic up-tempo variation there is no actual
tempo instruction at its head. The piece ends
strongly and without fuss.
Obviously this item will be widely read and played,
though it is not in the accessible vein of some recent
works from this composer. The score is mostly very
clear if quaintly retro in appearance, and there are
some places where the player has to work a little to
figure out what to do. Nonetheless expect to hear
this on a concert platform near you before long.
Stephen Kenyon
SELECTED WORKS VOLUME II
by J. N. de Bobrowicz
DGA Editions, 73 pages music. 45pp.
I have listed the two page counts separately because
this edition presents its introductory matter both at
great length and in both English and Polish,
Bobrowicz’s native tongue. I hope this high propor-
tion of text does not inflate the cover price too much,
given the ease with which such material could be
presented online.
Jan Nepomucen Bobrowicz, (1805-1881) styled
himself a pupil of Giuliani, and spent much of his
life in Leipzig. He was evidently a highly accom-
plished player and much of his output is technical-
ly fairly extreme.
The works in the present volume cover a wide vari-
ety. At the easy end we have the 6 Valses et
Polonaise Op 11. The editors go to great lengths to
show that this kind of work has many subtle layers.
I’m almost persuaded, though persuading an audi-
ence that this is more than pleasant social dance-
type music might be something of a challenge.
There is also a version of Op 11 for flute and terz
guitar.
There follows the large technical leap to
Distraction Rondeau Op 17. Subtitled Brillant et
Facile this work, previously known from Editions
Orphée, is a fast and flashy rondo which again the
editors do much to build up, wisely suggesting that
Facile should be understood to apply to mood or
style rather than meaning ‘easy’.
The four Marches of Op 19 have a similar air to Op
11 and are similarly much of a period piece, no
doubt very comfortable to their original audience.
Similarly of its time comes the inevitable operatic
potpourri, here one on Zampa by Ferdinand Hérold.
At 597 bars this piece is enormous, and while prob-
ably easier than most of the Mertz works of this
kind, would need an extremely fine interpretation to
keep it afloat.
Perhaps Bobrowicz’s finest work comes in the
shape of his Premiere Grande Polonaise, Op 24. This
is the largest through-composed 19th century guitar
solo I can think of. In the mid 90s Matanya Ophee
was kind enough to supply me with a copy for a
recording and some performances. I have the
Classical Guitar Magazine
impression he then considered it too specialised to
be worth publishing. The editors again pull out all
the stops in their advocacy of this piece, supporting
their thesis by reference to Polish literature in a very
wide-ranging analysis.
Also present, and also courtesy of Mr Ophee (who
published them), I have known for years Bobrowicz’s
transcriptions of the first two sets of Chopin’s
Mazurkas, Op 6 and 7. Here the editors take a less
positive view, suspecting them of ill-fitting the mod-
ern stage, and I must disagree because I found them
very effective and both better art and more manage-
able than the staggering challenges of the Op 24
Polonaise.
The volume concludes with Bobrowicz’s only
known work for piano, Hochzeit-Walzer, apparently
meant for dancing. I would concur with the editors
that this set ‘will hardly find its niche in today’s’
repertoire’, so perhaps this part of the publication is
for historical interest only.
Certainly I would hope that the rest of this reper-
toire would not be considered as only of historical
interest. The edition goes to great lengths to inform
and persuade; it does not go to great lengths to help,
as the guitar works are unfingered save for occa-
sional positions, and the book, like others of this
publisher, are sometimes reluctant to stay open on
the music stand. So it is not always its own best
advocate, but I recommend this edition to those with
an open mind in this area of repertoire, and serious
technical resources.
Stephen Kenyon
GRAND SONATA
by William Foden
DGA Editions. 23pp.
Here is a remarkable and interesting thing. William
Foden (1860-1947), the leading American guitarist-
composer of the early 20th century, was best known
for light-weight commercial pieces and show-off
concert works. In 1905 he wrote the first movement
of this sonata, and some of the second; he came
back to it and finished the others in 1941, in his
81st year.
As the edition frankly notes, it was rather
anachronistic even in 1905, let alone the very differ-
ent world of 1941. Foden as composer was a crea-
ture of the 19th century and his sonata in its man-
ner of composition belongs somewhere in his youth
if not before. It is however distinct from that time in
being an attempt, as it were, at the kind of guitar
sonata never written at that time. It is formally
highly ambitious (in other words, very long) and har-
monically quite keen on flat keys (at which points,
very tiring!).
Despite the sense of private project, aside from the
public face, Foden’s melodic ideas come over with a
clear, populist directness, the only quality present
one imagines having an American character. In the
outer movements this shows as distinctly march-
like in the first themes. Unifying the first theme of
each movement is a simple arch-like shape, perhaps
too basic an element to make much of, but present
nonetheless. Another, perhaps over-unifying ele-
ment is that of key; the work is in G – in itself high-
ly unusual for a large-scale piece – but the slow sec-
ond movement is in G minor, whereas really it might
be better somewhere else.
The fondness for flat keys in fact comes down
largely to some obsession with B flat. Think though
of all those occasions when Giuliani, writing in A
major, finds an excuse to run around in C major for
a while, but we don’t think of him as being a heavy
user of remote keys. Foden’s flat thing is present in
the first movement, throughout the second of
Classical Guitar Magazine
course, and briefly remembered in the fourth. This
M usic R eviews
is the only movement in which the composer goes
some way to balancing the flat tendency of the work
as a whole, with some – probably not really enough
– sharp keys. The third movement Minuet stays in
G and is the closest to what one would guess as
Foden’s usual published manner.
If performed supremely well this could be a real
eye-opener. Keeping its sometimes very generous
proportions together and sounding like they are
going somewhere would be a major part of that.
There are a couple of occasions when little moments
don’t quite work and there are a handful of glitches
in an otherwise attractive publication, including
‘Foreward’ for ‘Foreword’, and a mistake in the 3rd
bar, among a couple of others, all obvious.
Approach with caution and respect, and warm up
first!
Stephen Kenyon
OPERN-REVUE, OP 8 VOLUMES 1 and 2
by J. K. Mertz
DGA Editions. 76 and 82pp.
According to the Introduction Mertz produced 33 of
these operatic potpourris as his Opus 8 – though the
In Preparation list at the back of each of these vol-
umes gives 38, divided differently in each. The con-
siderations surrounding both these first volumes in
the series are similar and so will be examined in one
review.
As with other DGA editions seen, these have
extensive and thorough written introductions. The
composer’s biography, his output, the particular
works presented, and various other aspects are
helpfully covered, though the odd question jumps
out. Why for instance does it allow Foden to quote
the tremolo in Op 8 no. 14, Ernani, as being an
example of two-finger tremolo, when it is clearly for
three fingers?
Broadly speaking though, the ground is covered
and the player put in a good position to appreciate
these works. In each case they are drawn from an
individual opera, each piece beginning and ending
with freer material, usually Mertz’s own, the inter-
nal business consisting of linked settings and elab-
orations of arias from the opera. Unfashionable as
such fantasias became in later times, it is worth
remembering that audience familiarity with such
melodies in the composer’s day would easily keep up
with that today shown for tunes from musicals or
pop songs. Equally, many people would have
known them largely from instrumental or solo voice
and accompaniment arrangements rather than fully
staged operas.
Volume 1 presents Lucrezia Borgia, Lucia di
Lammermoor, I Puritani, La Sonnambula,
Belisario, Anna Bolena, Marie die Tochter des
Regiments and Elisir d’Amore. Volume 2, Die vier
Haimonskinder, Stramoera, Marino Faliero,
Alessamdro Stradella, Der Postitllon, Ernani, Die
Zigeunerin, and La Favorita. There is some
increase in complexity in the second volume, but
not much. All the music is printed in perfectly
clear facsimile, with corrections listed in the
introduction. Players up to the technical task
should be OK with the few strange features found
concerning fingering instructions.
These works probably average about ten minutes
in length. As Vahdah Olcott-Bickford clearly implies,
quoted in the introduction, their length is a prob-
lem. Her solution was to cut sections out, which
raises all sorts of issues if applied nowadays.
Certainly, to read through this material poses a
challenge, and after the second piece one starts to
get a little weak at the knees. Rather than submit
41
M usic R eviews myself to repeated playings of each piece, I concen-
trated largely on the one the editor seems to imply is
the star of the set, that on Verdi’s Ernani. from Vol.
2, and for one whose tunes might prove familiar,
that on Donizettis’s Lucia did Lammermoor, fortu-
itously present on Fabio Zanon’s 1997 Naxos CD.
In the end I had much more fun with Elisir d’ Amore,
(complete with two-finger tremolo) which only goes
to show that tastes vary, though I did find parts of
Ernani a little strained. One cannot help wonder-
ing quite how pieces end up being the pick of a
bunch, whether for instance players deeply exam-
ined all these works or picked the ones whose
operas they thought popular; or the ones the local
music shop happened to stock.
Clearly an important contribution these editions
make, over the five projected volumes, is the oppor-
tunity for them to be widely explored and re-evalu-
ated. Especially for today’s audience, they need
absolutely persuasive and impressive performances
to stand a chance, so while very good amateurs may
have fun with them, I hope only very strong players
take them out in public.
Stephen Kenyon
SONATA IN E MINOR HOB. XIV
by Franz Joseph Haydn
Arranged for two guitars
by Scott Wolf
Clear Note Publications.
12pp score, 8pp each parts.
This workmanlike arrangement should appeal
greatly to advanced amateur duos and professionals
happy to use other people’s work rather than trou-
ble to make their own. Guitar 1 is in general faster
and higher, but the piano’s right hand is shared fair-
ly equally between the two players. The range has
probably been compressed slightly but not obtru-
sively, and while some parts will sound a little too
bass-heavy, the piece works fine as a whole.
With the outer movements marked Presto and
Molto vivace we are invited to get a move on but I
doubt anybody will attempt truly piano-like speeds.
The inner movement is Adagio but made up of large-
ly demisemiquaver lines so lightness and fluidity of
touch much needed here, the fast movements want-
ing a very incisive and clean articulation. All very
good technical work quite apart from the attraction
of playing a good work from a great composer.
Parts are properly produced and lightly fingered.
Page turns are theoretically allowed for but given
the tempi a copied fold-out might help in places.
Stephen Kenyon
MELODIES OF THE FAR EAST FOR GUITAR
by Phung Tuan Vu
Mel Bay Publications.
23pp (includes CD of contents
played by composer)
These six pieces are, in the words of this
Vietnamese composer, inspired by the folk music of
his homeland. The Sound of an Infant begins the
set. Immediately one realises that his guitar writing
employs stylistic traits that are initially hard to take
in. He moves swiftly around, sliding here and there,
making much use of hammer-ons and pull-offs,
and employing tonal ideas that are quite different
from what you might be lead to expect. There is lit-
tle actual folk music here but rather he has
reshaped them to fit his compositional style, which
is rather strange. In this first piece therefore one
finds a piece that is constantly finding new things
to say, and which places your fingers in vastly
unfamiliar territory from the outset. To try to clari-
fy what I was struggling to achieve, I turned to the
42
CD. Big mistake! The performances are very scrap-
py, full of inconsistencies and untidy playing that in
no way helps you to clarify what you are reading.
So I ignored the CD and carried on. Nostalgia is a
rather lengthy tremolo piece, which is pleasant but
does wander around aimlessly for much of the time.
At seven pages it is at least three or four too long.
Caprice is again reliant on a rather obtuse harmon-
ic structure that looks awkward to play (it sounds it
on the composer’s recording too). Moreover, at bar
25 where the note values change from quavers to
semiquavers, our composer firmly puts the brakes
on and slows right down, proving he had taken the
opening section far too fast. At any rate the piece is
rather loveless and requires a lot of work to get it to
sound reasonable and I am not sure the music is
worth the effort.
The other pieces in this little book did little to
change my mind. The music is advanced, difficult to
play and to get your brain around and harmonical-
ly elusive to an extent that left me puzzled. Add to
that an enclosed CD that really shouldn’t have been
part of the package at all and you end up with a
publication that leaves a lot to be desired
Chris Dumigan
MIRESESESFERES
by Miroslaw Drozdzowski
AB Sonic. 54pp (includes CD
of entire contents)
By the way, does anyone have any idea to what the
title refers? Answers on a postcard please to…. Oh
well maybe not. This collection of 14 pieces are all
firmly placed at the advanced players among you
and are an excellent companion volume to the 40
pieces that made up Painted with the Sound which
was aimed at the less advanced players.
The musical styles are many and varied and range
from contemporary (friendly yet modern harmonies)
as evidenced by the title piece, to popular (the Clever
Man, and The Last Dance Like That, to Latin-styled
works such as Bossa for My Friends, Waltz No5, and
Choro to ancient music, e.g. Fantasia in the Old
Style, to purely classical, most notably in Theme
with Variations and Coda in the Classical Style. All of
these pieces have a certain polish about them that
sets them apart many other publications I have
come across and many of them would work really
well in recitals.
If this composer’s two books I have come across
are typical of his output (and having seen 54 pieces,
I have no doubt that they are) then he is a real find.
His works are intelligently written, often surprising
in their details and subtleties, and never less than
really good, indeed with some of them simply out-
standing.
Search them both out and do yourself a favour.
You won’t regret it.
Chris Dumigan
SOLEILS LEVANT for 4 guitars
by Roland Dyens
Les Productions d’OZ.
32pp plus parts
This substantial work is very modestly priced, but
let me say right away that this is far above Grade 8
in standard and I suspect will have a very limited
market, whatever the price. It was commissioned by
and dedicated to the Guitar Ensemble Association of
Japan, and premiered at the end of last year in cel-
ebration of the association’s 20th year.
The edition begins with a biography taken from
Dyens’s website and is followed by two pages
explaining the conventions and effects used in the
piece, which consists of just two movements, the
Classical Guitar Magazine
relaxed ‘Rising’, which lasts for about three min-
utes, and the energetic ‘Suns’, which proceeds with-
out a break and is a fiery mix of rhythms and
speeds.
Rising begins with lush major 9th tambor chords
in irregular time. Soon another part joins with the
same rhythm with a high position chord that adds
combines with it in a big breathy expansive sound
on top of which darting melody arrives. Although
this texture permeates the whole movement there
are intriguing changes where guitars are retuned
while playing harmonics to give easier access to the
next sequence of chords, a device used more than
once. Harmonics dart about like shafts of sunlight
in a forest before the movement dies away, having
migrated from E to Eb to D, and the tambor seam-
lessly passed from one guitar to another. Although
black on the page, this is not too overpowering on
the eye, and there is a sensible amount of fingering.
Suns proceeds at the same measured pace, but
the music is energetic… the notes are fast notes and
the writing is technically challenging. Having said
that, this is not as inaccessible as some of Dyens’s
other works, though a commanding and confident
sense of rhythm is needed since many of the parts
enter after rests and the beat is mobile, since the
time signature changes virtually at every bar. The
writing is rich and punctuated with glorious rhyth-
mical motifs immersed in harmonics and major
sixth chords. There are even claps and rolling rum-
bles on the soundboard, and several changes of
mood and tempo.
Too complex for the average ensemble, but a rich
and varied work with a warm and rhythmical feel to
it. Really rather special…
Derek Hasted
SEUL À SEULS for 4 guitars
by Roland Dyens
Les Productions d’OZ.
12pp plus parts
Increasingly in this modern world, TV, Radio, DVDs
and cinema are referred to as ‘entertainment’ and
concerts as ‘recitals’. So I beamed from ear to ear
when the Foreword began ‘In the course of this short
work the 4 guitarists will be asked to also act a lit-
tle bit like comedians’. A man after my own heart –
a concert should have an entertainment aspect or it
is just a musical display of showmanship.
So how has Mr Dyens turned ‘Alone’ into a come-
dy?
It’s all done with a slow turn of the head. At the
start of the piece guitar two plays a plaintive little
ditty in 7/8 while the other players slowly turn their
heads to look at him, and then as they play a few
machine-gun notes at top volume they are to ‘stare
at him lethally…then come back suddenly…motion-
less as if nothing happened’. As that oppressive
stare begins, guitar two is to ‘be indifferent toward
ambient adversity and show it; if needed with a
smile of satisfaction, almost arrogant’.
At the end of the piece, players are picked on in
turn for this act of open hostility.
Between the two world wars there is some com-
plex writing in 4/4 time which sees pairs of guitars
playing an octave part to give that wonderful bright
sound and accompanied by some rather glorious
chords scrolling through countless keys in very
pleasing way. Quite beautiful to listen to and satis-
fying under the fingers too.
Much of the music could be attacked convincing-
ly by a grade eight player and it is extensively fin-
gered. The hardest part is definitely at the end,
where the hostile parties have much more to do
while turning their heads. It’s hard enough to stare
Classical Guitar Magazine
at another player, but to do so with one eye still on
M usic R eviews
the music is a physical impossibility. A photograph-
ic memory to go along with an overblown sense of
superiority and self-importance will ensure a mas-
terful performance of this very entertaining and yet
musically satisfying piece, written for the Eos Guitar
Quartet.
Derek Hasted
10 COMPOSIZIONI INEDITE PER CHITARRA
by Franco Margola
Armelin Musica Padova. 40pp.
It is always fabulous to get to review music which
has genuinely been overlooked. Perhaps this time,
one thinks, it will be marvellous music which pure-
ly through accident or just plain bad luck has never
been played for a long time. It was with a certain
frisson that I opened up this latest volume compris-
ing ten previously unseen works by a composer
whose name I had not come across before and yet
who appears to have written hundreds of works;
apparently my loss then.
All the ten works here are light but not too much
so, in a modern but friendly harmonic style and in
spite of the heading ‘inedite’ have been carefully fin-
gered and revised by Raffaele Carpino. As such they
are eminently playable, although you do have some
original manuscripts as well to look over if you want
to see the composer’s original ideas. The titles
include two Homages to Bach, a Noveletta, a
Canzona and an Improvviso.
Delightful to play and always admirably suited to
the guitar they are a nice find and one hopes that
this fine volume will find favour with the guitarist
playing public as it fully deserves to
Chris Dumigan
LIFE AND WORKS OF A. T. HUERTA
DGA Editions. 182pp.
Known as Trinidad Huerta but born with an aston-
ishing ten Christian names in Orihuelo in 1800, this
guitarist composer/performer was justifiably
famous in his day. The fact that nowadays the
majority of players might have never come across
any of his music is a sad fact that the publishers
here are hoping to rectify.
To start off there is a huge amount of literary work
of 82 pages in English and Spanish at the front,
comprising of an introduction, a chronology, a bibli-
ography, a works list and a few other things includ-
ing some photos and sketches of the man himself. It
makes for fascinating reading.
The music itself is extensive. There is a helpful list
of known works in the beginning, and a large major-
ity of it is included in this book. The editors admit
that a number of works known to have existed have
so far eluded them. What you do get here is 24
works (some multiple pieces) along with some works
by Madame Huerta, Pratten, Verini and even a work
apparently dedicated to him by Sor, Meditacion,
which take up the remaining 19 pages or so of the
book.
Huerta particularly favoured the waltz and indeed
there are numerous examples here, and immediate-
ly one can see that these works have a certain flour-
ish about them. There are many examples of light-
ning fast runs often in thirds, extensive use of ham-
mer-ons and pull-offs and a general air of almost
constant virtuosity that take these pieces firmly out
of the reach of any players without the necessary
technical equipment. They are always light musical-
ly speaking and to my mind don’t betray the depth
of feeling that Sor or some of his contemporaries
have but that doesn’t stop them from being fun
pieces to play if a little lacking in the emotional
43
M usic R eviews stakes, other than an almost constant bubbly air
and good humour.
I’m not sure how many of these pieces, if indeed
any, are ever going to see the light of day in the mod-
ern concert programmes but I would not have
missed the opportunity to get to know these enter-
taining works better. I am sure that such a well-pro-
duced volume as this is going to do admirably well.
Chris Dumigan
THE GOTHIC SUITE for guitar ensemble
by Steve Marsh
Lathkill Music. 40pp plus parts
‘Substantial’ is not a grandiose enough word for a
pile of paper almost 1.5 cm tall. Much of this is the
part scores – the music is in seven parts. The
instructions say that if a bass guitar is available it
should take the Guitar 7 part, though there are six-
note chords and notes too high for a four-string
bass; most, but not all, are covered by the other
parts.
This work is also available for solo guitar and gar-
nered a very favourable review in these very pages.
Each movement is prefixed by a narrator’s sen-
tence describing the next room in the bowels of the
castle, and the unseen beast stalking us.
Diabolo, the opening movement is all the more
powerful on massed guitars, with the percussion
mimicking footfalls and the sinister screaming of
high notes over booming chords wonderfully power-
ful. Stacking up three parallel octaves of motif
engenders the movement with an almost ghostly
wailing – it’s real edge-of-the-seat music.
Lair includes some vocalisation that adds still
more to the atmosphere of the piece. Percussion
effects and the same formless movement of the
melody keep the listener on the edge of their seat.
Quite how they will react to the two-beat blood-cur-
dling scream I can only guess…
Demon Dance has some lovely and not too scary
rhythms and many of the chords have open strings
inside so that they’re easy to finger and nicely pun-
gent.
In The Round Tower Of Echoes is a wonderful con-
trast, though the narrator has cautioned us that all
is not going to be as calm as it first begins. The
relaxed and measured pace becomes filled with
more notes and a waltz form begins to materialise.
The narrator warned of a trapdoor, and the scraping
of the thumb along the bottom string can mean only
one thing…
Diabolo – Final Confrontation concludes the work
with aggressive writing and a suitably horrid ending.
Great stuff, and not as hard as it sounds – within
the grasp of a Grade 6 player, though the varying
time signatures will need a lot of rehearsal or a very
competent conductor.
I hope whatever it was that made Steve Marsh
unburden himself has been exorcised from his life,
and in the words of Nick Ross, of BBC’s
Crimewatch, “Don’t Have Nightmares”.
A fantastic suite…
Derek Hasted
GREEK FIESTA for three guitars
by Dimitris Fampas
BalkaNota. 8pp plus parts
This little trio is part of the Eva Fampas Collection,
and is subtitled ‘A Fair of Pilion’. It’s a lovely little
piece in 7/8 which has only one or two unfamiliar
shapes, and these are exactly that – unfamiliar, not
alien.
This is set in the key of D and each line is poly-
phonic, though Guitar Two is mainly single notes.
The chord-work is not hard, however, mainly two
44
notes per part, but more when the bass note is an
open string.
For players familiar with Sor and Carulli, there is
nothing untoward in either the left or the right hand
– the piece is full of nicely crafted shapes and phras-
es. But the counting will confuse many. Each bar of
7/8 is grouped 3+2+2, and when the piece is in full
flow, it’s not at all difficult for a player of modest
ability to keep the beats nice and tight. But at the
end of phrases, where there are longer notes, it’s
very easy to be sloppy with the counting and cause
a bit of a hiccup.
The harmonies frequently move between D and C,
giving a modal feel to go with the unusual rhythm,
and it’s definitely very different from the bulk of the
ensemble music appearing in the market at the
moment – atmospheric and unusual.
Players of Grade 5-6 standard would not find
anything too demanding in this piece, except the
need to really ‘feel’ the rhythm and play it tightly
and accurately. There is no fingering on the full
score, but the parts are sensitively fingered – just
the right amount to be helpful without being intru-
sive.
With the repeats it’s about a hundred bars long
and marked moderato, so it will last about three
minutes – perfect for a contrasting item in a con-
cert.
Derek Hasted
CANCION DEL NINO for solo guitar
by David Gaudreau
Les Productions d’OZ DZ1173. 4pp.
Having just eagerly enthused in a separate review
over a substantial collection of this composer’s
pieces I was slightly disappointed with David
Gaudreau’s Cancion del Nino. Musically it is not in
the same league as the aforementioned material,
this one being a trifle ‘cheesy’ in the melody depart-
ment and really nothing to get too excited about
harmonically.
It is a pleasant, tuneful little ditty however; just a
little run-of-the-mill really and admirers of this com-
poser would probably want to add it to their collec-
tion.
The standard is of around the grade 4 level and
apart from an incorrect fingering in bar 16, it is well
presented.
Steve Marsh
HIER, AUJOURD’HUI PLUS JAMAIS
for two guitars
by Patrick Roux
Les Productions d’OZ DZ1154.
12pp + separate parts.
Hier, Aujourd’Hui Plus Jamais by the French com-
poser Patrick Roux is a full-blown concert piece last-
ing around seven minutes and suitable for the high-
er grade duo. This contemporary work, in one single
movement is a decidedly melodramatic composition
with many contrasting moods, most of them veering
more towards mysterious and ominous overtones
rather than optimism although there are episodes of
a slightly lighter nature.
In parts the piece is very demanding, technically,
but quite exhilarating to play through and definitely
worth all the effort. The overall feeling is that of lis-
tening to impressionistic, thrilling ‘film music’.
For any advanced duos seeking new and interest-
ing material to add to their repertoire this is defi-
nitely well worth seeking out.
The edition is neatly presented with full score and
separate parts for both players.
Recommended.
Steve Marsh
Classical Guitar Magazine
FRANCESCO MOLINO -
TRII PER FLAUTO, VIOLA E CHITARRA
MOLINO: Grand Trio Concertant Op.30; Three Trios
Op.4; Second Grand Trio Concertant Op.45.
Carlo Tamponi (flute) Raffaele Mallozzi (viola)
Gianluigi Giglio (guitar)
Tactus TC 763801 CD
Like most guitar buffs of a certain age, my first
encounter with the works of Francesco Molino (1768-
1847) was that oddball D minor prelude in the Vinson
album. Although not the most sophisticated of compo-
sitions, it covered a remarkable amount of ground in
the space of just one page, the dramatic chordal intro-
duction unfolding into a flashy arpeggio passage on
open string pedals that in turn culminates in a mini-
cadenza shown in little notes and marked ad lib. The
appeal of the work undoubtedly lay in the fact that it
gave the outward impression of being a considerably
more advanced creation than was actually the case,
thus making the Carulli/Carcassi diet we were quite
rightly being fed by our respective teachers seem staid
by comparison.
Now it would take a far greater Molino scholar than
I to establish whether or not that inspired and reward-
ing didactic miniature was merely a one-off, but it has
to be said that the chamber works on this disc make
even Carulli and Carcassi seem thrusting and uncom-
promising. In short, we’re dealing with music that,
even by the safety-first standards of most early 19th
century guitarist/composers, was clearly the work of
an arch-conservative. Simple diatonic melodies twitter
along over three-chord accompaniments, anything
with the capacity to surprise the listener having been
carefully removed in the planning stages.
But I have to confess I enjoyed the whole experience
immensely. The ensemble is tight, the sound capture
warm yet focused and the music never less than agree-
able. In a world where almost everyone you meet seems
determined to show how amazing they are, perfor-
mances such as this provide a vital oasis in life’s end-
less struggle for supremacy.
I therefore nominate this 2009 release as my CD of
the year.
Paul Fowles
SPIRIT OF BRAZIL
CLARICE ASSAD: Bluezilian. VILLA-LOBOS (ARR
RICHARD SAFTHILL): Ária from Bachianas Brasileiras
No.5; (ARR JAMES JERVIS): Brincadeira from String
Quartet No.1. CLARICE ASSAD: Danças Nativas. GIS-
MONTI (TRANS JAMES JERVIS): Palhaço. SÉRGIO
ASSAD: Uarekena. ROLAND DYENS: Brésils. BELLI-
NATI: A Furiosa. GISMONTI (TRANS MICHAEL BAKER
& VASILIS BESSAS): Memória e Fado.
Aquarelle Guitar Quartet (Michael Baker, Vasilis
Bessas, James Jervis, Rory Russell)
Chandos Records CHAN 10512
I’ve elsewhere written of my undoubtedly irrational
aversion to any classical guitar combination exceeding
two – but with Spirit of Brazil, its first disc for the UK
independent label Chandos, the Aquarelle Guitar
Quartet has got me thinking differently. This is a very
fine album indeed, with an attractive programme of
music of genuine artistic merit (all too uncommon)
played with flair, intelligence and an overall ensemble
that both unifies and differentiates just where and
when you want it to.
In addition to commentaries on each work, the book-
let contains a well-deserved endorsement written by
Craig Odgen, from whom the quartet received instruc-
tion along with Gordon Crosskey at the Royal Northern
College of Music. The quartet has also benefited from
the wisdom of Sérgio Assad, Oscar Ghiglia and the LA
Guitar Quartet’s Scott Tennant; indeed the latter quar-
tet’s LAGQ Brazil, released last year, may well have
Classical Guitar Magazine
inspired AGQ’s foray into this exciting and colourful
CD R eviews
territory (there are only two overlaps: Clarice Assad’s
Bluezilian and Bellinati’s well-known A Furiosa).
Bluezilain opens Spirit of Brazil in fine style, with
Assad’s skilful blend of jazz, blues and Latin styles giv-
ing the boys of AGQ an opportunity to show they can
swing with the best of them while showing off a beau-
tiful corporate tone – which quality becomes even more
apparent in Richard Safhill’s fine arrangement of the
aria from Villa Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras No.5.
Former AGQ member James Jervis’ arrangement of
the composer’s ‘Brincadeira’ from the String Quartet
No.1 is equally happy, the AGQ bring a crisp, tense
energy to this quirky little piece.
A more extended work then follows with Clarice
Assad’s three-movement Danças Nativas, written for
the AGQ and here receiving its premiere recording.
From the jazzy samba of the Jobim-inspired ‘Twisted
Samba’ through the tender simplicity of the ‘Reflective
Canção’ to the busy flamboyance of ‘Mad Baião’, the
AGQ relishes every vibrant, pulsating detail of this fine-
ly-crafted suite. Not even Egberto Gismonti’s beautiful
Palhaço as transcribed by James Jervis can upstage it.
Assad père’s superb Uarekena provides an ideal pre-
lude to Roland Dyens’ sprawling, colourful evocation of
Brazil, Brésils. This six-movement work is a real tour-
de-force, with dances such as the modinha, the bossa
nova and the xaxádo as beautifully utilized as the full
resources of the guitar in movements like ‘Da
Natureza’, in which the sounds of the Amazonian jun-
gle are imitated, and ‘Marchinha do ceù’, in which a
marching band in the Carnival de Rio is likewise imi-
tated. The AGQ has a lot of fun with this nevertheless
seizing on the underlying melancholy in ‘Chôro
Legal’and ‘Modinhazùl’.
The infectious maxixe of Bellinati’s A Furiosa pro-
vides a final explosion of energy before Michael Baker
and Vasilis Bessas, the two remaining members of the
original AGQ, bring this supremely enjoyable disc to a
wistful close with a duet arrangement of another
Gismonti piece, Memória e Fado.
William Yeoman
IL MIO OTTOCENTO
SOR: Fantasia Elégiaque Op.59. AGUADO: Menuet
Affandangado Op.15. COSTE: Souvenirs de Flandres
Op.5. BAYER: Rondò Brillant Op.40.
Carlo Ambrosio
MIA MMJ 1008 CD
In the Mirrors double CD from 2006 (reviewed else-
where in CG), Carlo Ambrosio marked his return from
a long period of inactivity with a highly impressive
agenda from the baroque and romantic eras. For this
2008 release, he presents three hefty offerings from the
early-to-mid 19th century, plus the relatively brief
Rondò Brillant by the largely forgotten J.G. Eduard
Bayer (1822-1908), a noted exponent of those wonder-
fully whacky Victorian pedal guitars.
It’s been said with some justification that Fantasia
Elégiaque was the closest the Sor generation of gui-
tarists came to exploring the newly-emerging language
of the romantic. It could equally be argued that, bear-
ing in mind the dynamic and harmonic limitations of
their instrument, they were wise not to take the con-
cept any further. This view can be easily illustrated
with hindsight by the many excesses and embarrass-
ments from the ensuing era of Coste and Mertz. But
Fantasia Elégiaque remains a powerful yet manageable
creation from the latter part of Sor’s creative life,
Ambrosio’s dramatic yet tasteful account allowing the
work an especially engaging innings.
There’s little that’s overtly romantic in the clean
classical lines of Aguado’s rarely-revived Menuet
Affandangando, a longish but by no means over-
extended work whose unpretentious objective is
45
CD R eviews clearly to please rather than persuade. Ambrosio
brings the score alive with neat use of étouffé in the
opening passages and some superbly articulated glis-
sandi in the central bass string solo. He even manages
to repeat this success in Souvenirs de Flandres, whose
creator has, for many of us, come to represent all that’s
bloated and pretentious in the 19th century repertoire.
But it has to be conceded that not all Coste is like the
interminable La Chasse des Sylphes Op.29, in which
maybe thirty seconds of usable material is dragged out
over an eye-watering quarter of an hour. In complete
contrast to this, Souvenirs de Flandres emerges as a
charming and even rather concise cycle, in which the
central sequence of four Valses proves most memo-
rable of all. A few more Coste releases of this calibre
might finally sell his music to the hard core of long-
term sceptics, of whom I freely admit to being one.
And at this point, I cannot postpone any longer the
latest chapter in Ambrosio’s inimitable approach to
programme notes. To accompany the often quite out-
standing performances on Mirrors, he treated us to a
madcap mix of lifestyle philosophy and performance
psychology that just occasionally touched base with
what was being played. In Il Mio Ottocento, he presents
what is perhaps best described as a no-holds-barred
critique of his own choice of material. Having extolled
the virtues of Fantasia Elégiaque, our man goes on to
dismiss the rest of Sor’s output on the grounds that ‘far
too many amongst his compositions are pedantic, self
important, walk with a pompous air, parading harmo-
ny like silver cutlery at an official dinner’. As for Coste,
it seems Ambrosio ‘came across at least a dozen...com-
positions which are worth recording’. In other words,
he’s in no doubt whatsoever that most of the Coste
legacy, which comprises more than 50 opus numbers
plus various untagged items, isn’t worth recording.
But it’s in his thoughts on the Aguado that he breaks
the final taboo by taking a pop at rival performers.
Having revealed that he isn’t going to record Rondo
Brillante Op.2 in A minor because, in his opinion, the
Bream recording already says it all, Ambrosio informs
the astonished reader that ‘...I have heard several
recordings of the Rondos Op.2, from Scottish ones
down to Chinese ones, most of them being poor, some
even miserable’. Whoever can he mean?
Excellent playing, but I fear the invective could
rebound.
Paul Fowles
SERENADES OF THE UNICORN
E. RAUTAVAARA: Serenades of the Unicorn; Partita. N.
KOSHKIN: The Elves; Usher Waltz; The Prince’s Toys;
Happy Birthday.
Brian Luckett
Clear Note
American guitarist Brian Luckett’s rationale of placing
the works of the foremost living Finnish composer
Einojuhani Rauavaara with the Russian
guitarist/composer Nikita Koshkin is that the two
composers find inspiration for their compositions in
the world of fantasy and mysticism. Putting their gui-
tar works back to back on the same disc is actually to
Rautavaara’s slight disadvantage, as, respectably com-
posed guitar pieces as they are, compared to the
Russian’s output, they don’t stand up. From an inspi-
rational, musical and technically-inventiveness view-
point Koshkin wins head and shoulders.
In the three works: The Elves, The Prince’s Toy Suite
and Usher Waltz; all written in the 1980s, Koshkin
pulled out all the stops and more besides, coming up
with guitar sounds and techniques which had hitherto
been unexplored. His works are full of arresting
sounds and textures; conjuring up visualisations of
whatever the title of the composition happens to be.
Strangely enough, his much later work written in
46
1995, Happy Birthday (volume 1 only) which contains
seven pieces, shows a return to more traditional times,
although there are still the hallmarks of Koshkin if one
listens for them.
As to the performance of this music, Brian Luckett
shows he has an admirable dexterity around the fin-
gerboard and his observation of the composer’s inten-
tions with regard to dynamics, staccato, etc. are com-
mendable. However, there are instances where the per-
former forgoes the written rhythmic structures and
goes his own way to the detriment of the music. He has
an aggressive attack for a lot of the time which one
remembers long after the disc has finished. There are
moments of indistinctness due to the music being
taken too fast (the Usher Waltz is a prime example).
I can’t speak for the Rautavaara works, but there are
better, musical recordings of the Koshkin elsewhere.
Steve Marsh
SOUNDS OF THE AMERICAS
MICHAEL DOUGHERTY: Bay of Pigs*. GABRIELA
LENA FRANK: Inca Dances*. ROBERTO SIERRA:
Tríptico. AARON J. CURTIS: 100 Greatest Dance Hits.
*World premiere Recording
Manuel Barrueco
Quarteto Latinoamericano
Tonar 81201
A guitar and ensemble recording is always to be wel-
comed and even more so this offering by high-calibre
artists: Pro-active guitar superstar Manuel Barrueco
with the Quarteto Latinamericano, nominated for a
Grammy Award in 2002 for volume six of their record-
ings of the 17 string quartets by Villa-Lobos.
Dougherty’s three-movement Bay of Pigs uses the
title of a disastrous, for the Anti-Castro Americans and
CIA-trained military forces, mission, which failed to
topple the revolutionary leader in 1961; during his life-
time Castro has maintained control over his country,
defying his super-power neighbour and gaining both
admiration and hatred from Cubans, countrymen and
exiles alike. BOP is a bittersweet (composer’s word)
homage to Cuba, past and present. It doesn’t use the
expected rumba or any other obvious Cuban rhythms
although rock music from Jimi Hendrix and The Doors
floats in for mysterious quotes: (The Wind Cries Mary,
and Riders on the Storm). At the time of Bay of Pigs
Jimi Hendrix was contemplating the Army, and enlist-
ed in May 1961, a month after the invasion; guitar
superstardom was still a few years off. It’s an invigo-
rating work: Havana Dreams; Waterfall and Anthem; in
the third movement Barrueco uses a plectrum...the
horror! And very effectively too. I am more impressed
by the fact that Dougherty has avoided employing
Brouwerisms, something any modern composer for the
guitar finds hard to do; so strong is Brouwer’s influ-
ence. It’s not scary like George Crumb’s Black Angels
but neither is it a walk in the park.
Inca Dances, dedicated to the quartet and Manuel
Barrueco, by Gabriela Lena Frank, is a two-movement
work: ‘muses’ on the great kings of the civilisation that
was all but destroyed by Pizzarro and his men in the
15th and 16th centuries. There are some references to
the folkloric music elements of the Andes but not obvi-
ously so; not Atahualpa Yupanqui. The second move-
ment is a rather thrilling depiction of the purucaya, a
celebration of the deceased king (rey), where the mum-
mified body would be present for the gathering. It had
me thinking, what if...Bartok had got to grips with the
guitar?
In Tríptico, Roberto Sierra, from Puerto Rico, tries to
avoid cliché, while still creating a genuine evocation of
the archipelago that makes up this territory in the
Caribbean. It is not for me to know if this is successful,
as I’ve not yet had the pleasure of visiting said islands
but as an effective piece of music it fairly bristles with
Classical Guitar Magazine
inventiveness; it has three movements: Tranquilo;
Ritmico and Fluido and has had several listens through
already.
Aaron J. Curtis’s 100 Greatest Dance Hits is a sort of
collage of the various popular music sounds that the
composer has found hard to ignore during his lifetime.
Whether putting up with his parents’ easy-listening
tastes or regaling 70s disco the music is humorous but
not light; his great skills are balancing the guitar and
strings, even employing ersatz percussion in the final
movement. It’s a wonderful way to end a superb
recording.
The possibilities of the guitar and string quartet
seem boundless. Let’s hope a trend becomes some-
thing far deeper. Highly recommended.
Tim Panting
DECOUPAGE
M. D. PUJOL: Sonatine. L. BOCCHERINI: Grave Assai
- Fandango. P. TREMBLAY; Deux Pieces. I. ALBÉNIZ:
Torre Bermeja. Y. YOCOH: Sakura - Theme and
Variations. J. S. BACH: Prelude, Fugue and Allegro. F.
TÁRREGA: Recuerdos de la Alhambra. C. de BLASIO:
God Is Our Righteousness.
Stephen Robinson
Clear Note
In this eclectic programme, the American guitarist
Stephen Robinson plays music from South America,
Italy, the USA, Canada, Spain, Japan and Germany.
These works from differing cultures and eras were the
inspiration behind the title; ‘Decoupage’ being the
ancient art of beautifying objects using many varied
and different layers of colourful decorations. This is all
very appropriate as, from a musical viewpoint, this CD
has to be one of the most attractive ones I’ve listened to
in quite a while.
Robinson’s musicianship is of the highest calibre, his
effortless technique allowing him the freedom to do
with this music just about anything he wants and
what he does do is exceptionally good from every angle,
this is music making of high order.
Highlights include the infrequently-performed Pujol
three-movement Sonatina; the finale from Boccherini’s
Quintet No. 4 G448 in which Robinson is joined by his
fellow countryman Boyd Jones on harpsichord; and
the superb Prelude, Fugue and Allegro in which
Robinson gives a truly bravura rendition of the final.
In the ‘interest stakes’ the absolute pinnacle though
must go to the last item from American composer Chris
deBlasio with his relatively lengthy God Is Our
Righteousness for guitar and organ and composed for
Advent observance. The two instruments of guitar and
organ (and we’re talking large church organ here) seem
on the surface entirely mismatched, one imagines the
disproportionate timbres between the two would be an
unconvincing pairing but the skill of the composer has
won through and here is an outstandingly beautiful
and moving work. Once again Robinson is joined by
Boyd Jones.
The performances throughout are all highly commit-
ted and the sound engineer has done his job well.
Very highly recommended.
Steve Marsh
SCHUMANN DICHTERLIEBE
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Dichterliebe Op.48. JOHANN
KASPAR MERTZ: Six Schubert Songs: Die Post,
Ständchen, Das Fischermädchen, Aufenthalt,
Liebesbotschaft, Lob der Thränen.
Carl Herring, guitar.
Kevin Kyle, tenor
JCL Records JCL513
Recordings of Schumann’s settings of Heine’s love
poems are common for voice and piano; for voice
and guitar they are very rare: Schubert’s song
Classical Guitar Magazine
cycles are preferred, perhaps because Schubert
CD R eviews
owned a guitar. In his annotation, Carl Herring
makes out a good case for a guitar transcription of
the Schumann work, and supports it with playing
of a refined sensibility that complements the well-
placed voice of tenor Kevin Kyle. Good stereo sepa-
ration brings each voice into sharp focus, more so
than in a live performance: It is one of the pecu-
liarities of modern recording, but most listeners get
used to it and even come to like it.
When Kyle opens out, as he does in ‘Ich grolle
nicht’, he shows an intense passion, which the
piano can match more easily than the guitar. In the
matter of sustain, too, the need of an instrument
more able to sustain a note is felt, particularly in
the slower songs. Every instrument has its limita-
tions, and Schumann, himself a pianist, knew the
piano’s very well. How would he have written this
music if he had played the guitar? We can only
speculate.
Having said that, I would rather hear a genuine
musician on the guitar than a routine piano perfor-
mance. I salute the enterprise of these two good
musicians. They show that Schumann’s music is
not the no-go area guitarists generally feel it to be,
Träumerei excepted.
Guitarists will find the Schubert-Mertz arrange-
ments more familiar: no shortage of recordings
there. I wondered why Kevin Kyle couldn’t have
been roped in to sing the originals: hearing them
side by side with Mertz’s arrangements would have
made an interesting comparison. The total length of
the CD is only 51’17”; it takes roughly 18 minutes
to get through these six songs, which would take
the length to about 69 minutes: on the long side,
admittedly, but not impossible.
Colin Cooper
JÉRÉMY JOUVE
JOAQUÍN RODRIGO: Sonata Giocosa. JOAQUÍN TURI-
NA: Sonata. FRANCESO DA MILANO: Ricercari I, XVI,
XXXVIII, LVII. BENJAMIN BRITTEN: Nocturnal Op.70.
JULIÁN ARCAS: Fantasy on Themes from ‘La Traviata’.
Naxos Laureate Series 8.557597
Jérémy Jouve, a young Frenchman, was born in 1979
and has progressed steadily to the front rank of con-
temporary performers, winning a number of presti-
gious prizes along the way. This disc is part of his prize
for winning the GFA, and is a testament to his great
talent and musicality.
No one plays the Sonata Giocosa more wittily than
Jouve. He follows it with a thoughtful and poetic
account of Turina’s Sonata. The juxtaposition could
not be more apt: the first piece by a Spanish compos-
er showing neo-classicist influences; the second, also
by a Spanish composer, turning to the roots of flamen-
co for inspiration. Both are revealed as fine works in
Jouve’s brilliant hands.
The Ricercari by Francisco da Milano are master-
pieces from the lute repertoire, played as if they were
guitar pieces. Thank goodness that guitarists have got
away from trying to imitate the lute! These pieces are
common property, and they sound every bit as translu-
cent as they do on the lute.
Britten’s Nocturnal gives Jouve’s quiet poetry further
opportunities to show itself. He could hardly find bet-
ter material for that purpose. This is edge-of-the-seat
playing. Anyone who still doubts that Nocturnal is one
of Britten’s masterpieces, rather more than an essay
into unfamiliar territory, should listen to Jérémy
Jouve’s performance.
Fantasy on Themes from ‘La Traviata’ used to be
attributed to Tárrega, but is now accepted to be by
Julián Arcas. It may explain why a long paragraph
about Tárrega appears in the annotation, even though
47
CD R eviews there is not a note of that composer’s music to be heard. sung by the soprano at one point, but I am inclined to
Jouve’s performance is exemplary; you feel he has seen suspect a humorous allusion. Not that there’s any-
or at least heard the actual opera by Verdi. There is a thing funny about this outbreak of bubonic disease,
vocal feel to the line that does no damage to Verdi at all. which killed a large proportion of the population. The
The final ‘Sempre Libera’ is taken up to speed for once, honky-tonk piano does not make its presence known
and contains something of Violetta’s wild despair in it. until the last song, ‘Haste, therefore, each degree’,
The whole conception is dramatic, and only one or based on the 1930s chanson ‘Si Petite’ by Gaston
slightly acid notes creep in towards the end to remind Claret. These six songs, a mixture of Renaissance pas-
you that this is a human guitarist with the normal tiche and modern techniques and harmonies, are full
problems associated with nails. But bravissimo! of interest.
Colin Cooper The variations in Diferencias are on Bach’s ‘Jesus
bleibet meine Freude’. The guitar makes an appear-
POUL RUDERS Works for guitar ance towards the end. Rondeau, too, is a worthy addi-
Psalmodies Suite for solo Guitar; Chaconne for solo gui- tion to chamber music repertoire that includes guitar
tar; Jargon for solo guitar; Pestilence Songs for soprano, (electric is specified). There are seven musicians, but
guitar and ‘honky-tonk’ piano; Diferencias for seven some 23 instruments, including exotic ones such as oil
instruments; Rondeau for seven musicians and conduc- drum, football whistle and grandfather clock. In addi-
tor. tion the musicians are required to sing. It is based on
Jesper Sivebaek, guitar a medieval rondeau dance-song (Ruders was into
Kiki Brandt, soprano medievalism in the 1970s) and is all very entertaining.
Ensemble Fyn The notes, by Per Erland Rasmussen, are exemplary.
Dacapo 8.226542 Poul Ruders has made a substantial contribution to
A thoroughly professional job by musicians who guitar literature, and if you want the evidence, this CD
understand what the music of their compatriot Poul is it.
Ruders is all about. Even at his most cerebral, Ruders Colin Cooper
remains a composer of music
you can listen to with pleasure.
The four pieces that make up
the Psalmodies Suite for solo
guitar are part of the eleven
Psalmodies for guitar and nine
instruments, also known as
Guitar Concerto No.1 and
recorded by David Starobin.
Chaconne has also been record-
ed by Starobin, but guitarists
generally do not seem inclined
to tackle the work of this most
original Danish composer.
Jargon, at 13 minutes long, is
an extraordinary work, full of
snatches of half-identified popu-
lar melodies from the world of
entertainment but somehow
hanging together until the final
waltz (called Parisian in the
annotation).
The Pestilence Songs is a
youthful work, written in 1975.
It begins with a gentle pastiche
of Renaissance lute music, and
you expect something in keep-
ing from the soprano. Well, you
don’t get it; for the first two and
a half minutes of this three-
minute song, she sings the
same two octave-separated
notes over and over again, while
the guitar harmony changes
around her. Ruders had read
The Nine Tailors, a novel by
Dorothy L. Sayers in which
change-ringing formed a central
part of the plot. The connections
with minimalism are obvious.
None of the songs lasts more BERTA ROJAS
than three minutes. They are “D’Addario’s J45’s are the best strings I have ever used.
settings of stanzas from A Litany Consistently in tune with a perfectly balanced sound of trebles and
in Time of Plague by the English basses.” - Berta Rojas
poet Thomas Nashe. The lines Hear D’Addario Pro Arte strings on Berta Rojas’s latest recordings.
‘Come, come, the bells do cry/
I am sick, I must die/ Lord www.bertarojas.com
have mercy on us !’ may have
something to do with the pat- ;Ë8[[Xi`f:fdgXep#@eZ%›=Xid`e^[Xc\#EP((.*,LJ8›nnn%[X[[Xi`f%Zfd
;Ë8[[Xi`f<OG#Xe[ÈK_\GcXp\iËj:_f`Z\ÉXi\i\^`jk\i\[kiX[\dXibjf];Ë8[[Xi`f:fdgXep#@eZ%fi`kjX]Ôc`Xk\j`ek_\Le`k\[JkXk\jXe[&fifk_\iZfleki`\j%Ÿ)'',%8cci`^_kji\j\im\[%

tern of chimes from Big Ben,

48 Classical Guitar Magazine

SPIDER
HAVERSTICK: Spider; Beautiful Springtime; Six
Pieces for Pavel; Mars Momma; Someday.
Neil Haverstick (acoustic and electric guitars)
with the Colorado Chamber Orchestra conducted
by Thomas Blomster
www.microstick.net
A long-standing advocate of the 19-tone fretboard,
Colorado-based Neil Haverstick is known primarily
for his work in the field of contemporary blues. The
four-movement collaboration with the CCO that
provides the title track of this 2009 release thus
represents something of a departure, in which CCO
director Thomas Blomster appears to have played a
key role in generating the orchestral parts.
But whatever the balance of creative input might
have been, the results are compelling. From the
dream-like figures of the opening Birth to the per-
cussion-driven tribal ostinato in the valedictory
Hunting, Haverstick’s virtuosic and improvisatory
guitar lines soar above a backdrop that, although
of our own time, is by no means the demanding lis-
ten that might have been feared.
Elsewhere, Haverstick goes it alone using a range
of standard and non-standard instruments. Most
memorable of all are the soft focus overdubbed
soundscapes of Beautiful Springtime, performed on
a fretless seven-string electric. Only in the at times
discordant textures of Six Pieces for Pavel (for 19
and 12 tone acoustic) is it obvious that we’re in the
presence of an unfamiliar system of temperament.
On the outer edges of CG’s brief, but without
doubt an original and challenging release that’s
well worth getting to know.
Paul Fowles
THE EAGLE FLIES ALONE
Derk Van Der Veen and the Encuentro
Multitimbre Guitar Quartet play music by DERK
VAN DER VEEN and FOPPE JACOBI.
Here is another enterprising and extremely satisfy-
ing set of performances of new and interesting and
utterly approachable music. Some tracks are the
solo guitar of Van Der Veen; for example the open-
ing threesome that is Blues and Ballads, consist-
ing of a ballad sandwiched by two blues. It was the
sort of music that I immediately wanted to get the
score for and try for myself. Shame I couldn’t!
The quartet is an intriguing mixture of classical,
flamenco, bass and steel-string guitars, making for
a most unusual but inviting sound. A couple of
pieces employ the Latin percussion of Kristian
Dijkstra, namely Van Der Veen’s aptly titled Sunny.
As for the rest of the programme Jacobi’s sole
offering Prelude from the Lost City has been
arranged from a solo accordion piece, although you
would never know its credentials when witnessing
this lively engaging piece.
Everything here was new to me, compellingly
played and fun from start to finish. I wish all pro-
fessionally produced recordings were as interesting
as this privately-produced one.
Chris Dumigan
LITVIN FANTASIES
VALERY ZHYVALIEUSKI: Elegy in memoriam
Siarhiej Palujan; Litvin Fantasias; Preludes. HALI-
NA HARELAVA: The Castle of Mir. VLADZIMIR
ZACHARAU: Grunwald pastorale
Jan Skryhan, guitar
www.skryhan.com
skryhan@eudoramail.com
The Litvins were the inhabitants of the Great
Duchy of Lithuania, a region that once contained
what is now Belarus. Jan Skryhan is a native of
Classical Guitar Magazine
Minsk, the capital of Belarus, and he is the ideal
P ersonal CD R eviews
guitarist to introduce this, the first CD of
Belorussian guitar music.
Valery Zhyvalieuski’s Grunwald pastorale is an
unashamed piece of high Romanticism, given full
value by Skryhan. The pieces from the Polatsk tab-
lature book are crisp and lyrical by turns,
Skryhan’s wide ability encompassing all moods.
The haunting Bergamasca, one of the six, is mem-
orable for its intensity. Some of the pieces in this
large collection of eastern Baroque music are bor-
rowed from the West, some are purely Slavonic.
Valery Zhyvalieuski’s ten Litvin Fantasias are
split into three groups, it’s not clear why. One of
them, Beyond Siberia (not as chilly as the title
sounds in Skryhan’s warm rendering) has a spot
all to itself. In between come his four somewhat
reflective Preludes. The last of these features a
retuning of the 5th and 6th strings to A sharp and
D.
Halina Harelava’s The Castle of Mir runs through
a number of contrasting variations in its four and
a half minutes; born in 1951, she is an apostle of
neoromanticism - indeed, the opening suggests a
piece by Giuliani or Mertz, or even Mendelssohn -
and you get plenty of lyrical and expressive music
without ever being quite in the 19th century.
Vladzimir Zacharau’s Grunwald pastorale is recog-
nisably modern, but looks back to past events,
particularly the battle of 1410 when the combined
armies of Poland and Lithuania defeated the
Knights of the Teutonic Order. No doubt it was
more pleasurable to write about this victory than
about the subsequent maltreatment at the hands
of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, which are too
close to be viewed with detachment.
The CD of strongly national music, played by a
poet of the guitar, is too good to be lumped in with
the ego-trips that are all too frequently found
under the heading ‘private recording’. Seasoned
collectors know that not every product sold in the
shops is worth buying, and that many so-called
‘private’ recordings are. The reasons for not finding
a major publisher to market your art are many,
and usually involve considerations that have noth-
ing to do with the art of music and everything to do
with marketability and public taste. In this case,
the artist has also the limitations of the
Belorussian economy to contend with. Issues such
as this might make a few distributors sit up and
take notice. If not, and you want to buy a copy of
this excellent CD, you have to open Jan Skryhan’s
website or email him (addresses above).
Colin Cooper
ANTONIS HATZINIKOLAOU
J. S. BACH: Sonata in C major, BWV1005. M. GIU-
LIANI: Grande Ouverture, op61. B. BRITTEN:
Nocturnal after John Dowland, op70. J. RODRIGO:
Sonata Giocosa.
Antonis Hatzinikolaou
www.draftonline.co.uk
Magnificent … simply magnificent! Greek guitarist
Antonis Hatzinikolaou has excelled himself with
this, his first solo recording comprised of music
spanning four centuries.
His technical dexterity is beyond question and
his musicianship shows a maturity far in excess of
his years. Throughout, this is playing of the high-
est standard (containing some of the best perfor-
mance of Bach this reviewer has heard) and easily
stands alongside the best of them.
That’s all I have to say except that I cannot rec-
ommend this recording high enough.
Steve Marsh
49
B ook R eviews CLASSICAL GUITAR MAKING
by John S. Bogdanovich
Publisher: Sterling Pub Co Inc, USA
ISBN: 1402720602
Hardcover. 320pp
www.FretsOnly.com
The great luthier José
Romanillos has described how
his only reference source for
making his first guitar was
A.P. Sharpe’s 1957 book titled
‘Make Your Own Spanish
Guitar’ - all of thirty pages and
which leaves most processes
to the reader’s imagination.
How things have changed for the current genera-
tion of would-be instrument makers!
John S. Bogdanovich’s substantial and well-pre-
sented book is a detailed and informative ‘how to’
guide that takes the reader through all the steps
and processes in making a traditional classical
guitar. Several books covering similar ground have
appeared in recent years, and it might be argued
that the luthier’s bookshelf must now be overflow-
ing with books and journals. Yet it is always inter-
esting to gain an insight into the mind and think-
ing of other makers and a well-written summary
may make one think of ideas and approaches
which had not been considered before.
Bogdanovich’s approach is a personal one, which
he describes as ‘a modern approach to traditional
design’. His starting point for the design of the gui-
tar shown in his book is the 1937 Hauser which
Segovia played. He retains its outline shape, but
has modified the design, incorporating ideas both
from other makers and from his own experience.
The soundboard strutting layout, with its long
diagonal bar, cutting across the treble side of the
lower bout, is reminiscent of guitars by Hernandez
and Aguado; the idea being to contain the vibra-
tions of the treble frequencies, and hopefully
achieve a stronger and more projecting sound.
The book is divided into three main sections;
Preparation, Construction and Final Touches.
Excellent colour photographs and clear diagrams
help to explain the stages described in the text. So
to begin with, the author explains the anatomy of
the guitar, and the functions of the main compo-
nents; soundboard, fingerboard, neck, bridge,
back and sides, before going on to say something
about acoustics in general and then how the gui-
tar in particular works acoustically. Then there is
detailed information about the kinds of timber
used in guitar making, the ways in which wood is
cut and dried and some good photographs of dif-
ferent timbers and grain patterns.
The guitar maker’s workshop is shown and
described clearly but as this section naturally
refers to the author’s professional set up, it may
appear daunting to a reader considering making a
first instrument. Much emphasis is placed on
power tools; - band saw, drill press, table saw,
jointer and so on. The author does say that when
he started making guitars he did most work by
hand but that now he uses power tools wherever
possible. Not everyone would agree with him that
some essential power tools are a laminate trim-
mer, a router, and an orbit sander! Many a guitar
has been made perfectly well without any of these.
Connected to this point, the reader is then
shown various jigs that need to be made before
starting the guitar itself. Again some of these may
be off-putting for the average woodworker, as they
can appear complicated, when a simpler method
would suffice. But a good section on hand tools,

MARCINDYLLA
IN CONCERT AT WAWEL ROYAL
CASTLE IN POLAND
This stunning DVD, especially
imported from Poland, was filmed in
August 2008 in the Stefan Batory
Courtyard of the Royal Wawel
Castle. The concert was part of the
new annual chamber music festival
'Wawel Royal Castle at Dusk'. Dylla
is a virtuoso guitarist whose musi-
cianship is much admired all over
the world. This concert, one of the
finest guitar performances currently
available on DVD, includes;
Manuel Maria Ponce (1882-1948) - Sonata Romantica. Hommage a Franz
Schubert
1. Allegro non troppo, semplice 7'27"
2. Andante espressivo 4'26"
3. Moment musical: vivo 3'04"
4. Allegro non troppo e serioso 5'55"
Nicholas Maw (1935) - Music of Memory 18'03"
Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) 6. Rossiniana No. 1 Op. 119 14'24"
Joaquin Rodrigo (1902-1999) - Junto al Generalife 4'36"
Total time: 57'55" Sound: LPCM 24 bit, 48 kHz, stereo
Picture: widescreen PAL 16:9
Price: UK & Europe (Including15% VAT) 15.99
Rest of the World (Including North America) £13.90.
Plus Post & Packing: UK £2.75, Europe £3.98, R.O.W. £4.98
www.FretsOnly.com
ASHLEY MARK PUBLISHING COMPANY
1 & 2 Vance Court, Trans Britannia Enterprise Park,
Blaydon on Tyne NE21 5NH, United Kingdom.
TEL: +44 (0) 191 414 9000 FAX: +44 (0) 191 414 9001
e-mail: mail@ashleymark.co.uk Web: www.FretsOnly.com
perhaps reassures us that the project ahead is
still within reach.
The actual method of construction is loosely
based on what has become known as the ‘Spanish
Method’, meaning that the guitar is built face down
on a shaped board (‘solera’ in Spanish). The solera
itself is hollowed out so that the soundboard will be
forced into this shape and thus have a permanent
dome built into it. Again the method of doing this is
somewhat complicated here, when it could have
been kept true to the traditional pattern.
The next section of the book covers the layout
and planning, and is informative in considering
not only the wood to be used, but also the impor-
tance of aesthetic awareness – which is of course
subjective, but nevertheless makes the reader
aware that an ugly instrument will not receive
much appreciation.
The remaining chapters covering the making
process take us clearly through each component,
and the instructions on making the neck, rosette
and soundboard are especially clear. The sides of
the guitar are shown as being made by laminating
rosewood and cypress. Although this technique
has been used by some eminent luthiers including
Daniel Friederich, it is challenging and perhaps
best kept for a later instrument. A solid rosewood
side is simpler and perhaps better.
The final sections show how to French polish and
to apply a modern lacquer; how to fit the tuning
machines and strings and how to look after your
beautiful creation. All in all, this is a substantial
and comprehensive book; the only reservation
being that it is applicable more to a maker with
some experience in instrument making or engineer-
ing, rather than a complete novice.
Roy Courtnall

50 Classical Guitar Magazine

KARIN SCHAUPP
Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh
12 August 2009
The Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp was in
Edinburgh for most of August to perform a one-man
play with guitar called Lotte’s Gift, which was writ-
ten for her by the Australian playwright David
Williamson.
Karin Schaupp skilfully moved from playing the
part of her grandmother, Lotte, and back to playing
herself, and then would switch into the role of con-
cert guitarist on stage. Her interpretation of her
German grandmother was absolutely convincing, so
much so that one was almost disappointed when
she switched back to playing herself.
By the end of the play I felt that I had experienced
something very special on an intellectual, personal,
historical and musical level. Karin tells the story of
her grandmother’s partly lost career as a singer,
through her sad and often painful experiences in
Germany during the Second World War, moving also
to her mother’s life – Karin’s mother, Isolde
Schaupp, is a very well-respected classical guitarist
and teacher in Australia – and then ending with
where Lotte, Isolde and Karin are today.
There are so many deep and personal aspects of
their lives which are revealed in the play - not aim-
ing by any means at sensationalism but to show the
reality of people’s lives in the performing arts in the
ever-changing situations which life confronts all of
us with. I am trying to be careful about giving away
too much detail because I believe that it is a play
that any performing musician would find rewarding
to see.
Karin Schaupp must be congratulated separately
as an actress and as a guitarist in this wonderful
performance. She played works by Handel, Philip
Houghton, Barrios, Albéniz and Villa-Lobos among
others. The play was part of the Fringe Festival of
the Edinburgh International Festival of the Arts. I
highly recommend it.
Thérèse Wassily Saba
DIMITRIS DEKAVALLAS
& KARINA LUCAS
St Martin-in-the-Fields, London
14 August 2009
St Martin-in-the-Fields on Trafalgar Square in the
heart of London was absolute full for this lunchtime
recital during the summer holiday season. The
Greek guitarist Dimitris Dekavallas is a regular
chamber music performer and has a broad selection
of ensemble partners; this was the first time I heard
him together with the Spanish-British soprano
Karina Lucas and the combination was magical.
Lucas has a generosity of spirit as she sings and she
seemed to genuinely reach out to each member of
the audience. Her voiced flowed with ease and while
the whole concert was an absolute pleasure to listen
to from start to finish, there were some pieces,
which were so special that they will remain with me
for some time to come, such as O del mio dolce ardor
by Gluck, which had a strongly supportive opening
from the guitar - Lucas’s voice was so expressive
and each phrase so sensitively shaped. No less
beautiful were Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga and
Erlerbach’s Kommt ihr stunden.
As a duo Dekavallas and Lucas seemed to be
absolutely together and responding each to the
other throughout the concert. The guitar part for
Benjamin Britten’s Traditional Songs was jolly and
vibrant. In the later part of the concert we heard
works by Falla and Lorca. The guitar playing and
refined articulation was particularly exciting in
Lorca’s Café de Chinitas. Lucas’s Spanish back-
Classical Guitar Magazine
ground gave her an extra edge in the pronuncia-
C oncert R eviews
tion of the text, which was clear and energetic. The
Asturiana in Falla’s Siete canciones espanolas was
another high point in this recital; the guitar and
voice together gave an extremely beautiful perfor-
mance of this piece which one wished would never
end. The other members of the audience were
equally moved as I could hear the words ‘bravo’
and ‘fabulous’ being uttered out loud all around
me.
Thérèse Wassily Saba
CARLOS BONELL
University of Ulster, Derry, Northern Ireland.
22 August 2009
In the first weeks of 2009, it was announced amid
much regret that the City of Derry Guitar Festival
(CDGF) was to take a year’s sabbatical. The good
news was that the flag would be kept flying in the
form of a one-day event, the culmination of which
was this evening recital by one of the CDGF’s
established star attractions.
During the morning and afternoon, Bonell had
presented a good-humoured masterclass, while
Graham Wade delivered a well-informed lecture on
the dual topic of Albéniz and Tárrega, whose
deaths in 1909 are commemorated this year. In
addition to live musical illustrations provided by
CDGF director Sean Woods, Wade offered an
impressive range of recorded examples, including
the recently unearthed vintage account of Maria-
Gavota, said to be performed by Tárrega himself.
Regular Bonell watchers will be familiar with his
colourful opening sequence of Sanz reworkings,
although the items from the French renaissance
which alternated with Sanz tonight were new to
me. Despite the gap of a century or so, the mix
worked well, Bonell’s chirpy and original intro to
Canarios signalling that this first journey of the
evening was approaching its destination.
Equally inspired was Bonell’s approach to Villa-
Lobos. I honestly can’t remember when I last wit-
nessed the opening E in Prelude No.4 executed on
the 3rd string, as directed in the Eschig edition.
But Bonell made this controversial placement work
with disarming conviction and, just in case anyone
hadn’t noticed what was going on, our man posi-
tively flung the note in the direction of the audito-
rium with a triumphant scoop of the thumbnail.
That’s showbiz. Still on the subject of Villa-Lobos
editions, I don’t offhand recall any version of
Choros No.1 that requests the use of étouffé in the
closing bars of the E major section. Doubtless
Bonell doesn’t either, but that didn’t stop him
introducing it and, needless to say, it sounded ter-
rific.
Elsewhere, Albéniz and Tárrega were duly repre-
sented, with even Capricho Arabe sounding less
lumpy and long-winded than is customary. No
such unflattering adjectives could possibly be
applied to the bold and thrusting Asturias which,
despite having been done to death over the years,
remains a textbook example of a piano import that
genuinely sounds better on guitar.
It was this evergreen work that concluded pro-
ceedings. Several members of the audience imme-
diately rose to their feet in appreciation and soon
we were all on our hind legs, for this spontaneous
show of support was no more than Bonell had truly
earned by his endeavours.
And the really good news is that, amid celebra-
tions at a nearby hostelry, Sean Woods assured all
present that plans would soon be afoot to restore
the CDGF to full strength in 2010.
Paul Fowles
51
G ruppetto
NOT every young prizewinner succeeds in issuing a
CD, much less embarks on an international tour.
One way of keeping in touch with their progress and
development is to find them on YouTube. Watchers of
this informal channel are generally uncritical; what
they want is the music, and the personality of the
musician who is performing it. Thus the grossest dis-
tortions, the most extravagant of unnecessary hand
movements, the shameless projection of the self - all
done with not the slightest regard for the quality of
the interpretation - are greeted with cries of ‘awesome
... excellent ... sublime ... amazing ... beautiful’, all fol-
lowed by more exclamation marks than I would use
in a month. Perhaps it’s only professional reviewers,
critics and judges who feel unhappy about the deter-
mination to focus on the performer rather than the
music. The question is: who misses more, the profes-
sional reviewer or the uncritical admirer?
THE death of John King at the age of 55 robs the
world of plucked instruments of its finest classical
exponent of the ukulele. Too often used for banal
strumming, in John King’s Segovia-like hands it
revealed depths hardly suspected.. The essence of
his style was the campanella, the Baroque technique
where each successive note in a melodic line is
played on a different string. This meant that a Bach
Bourrée made perfect sense, with a unique beauty in
the bell-like tones that was the result of many years’
dedicated study.
You can hear John King on YouTube. A favourite of
mine is Sousa’s march The Washington Post; The
utmost clarity, the precise intonation, the mastery of
tempo and dynamics, all mark out John King as an
exceptional musician, forcing you to take his tiny
instrument seriously - and only a few bars into the
piece he was playing, you realised that it deserved to
be taken seriously.
‘A SELECTION of the songs collected by Cecil Sharp
were sung at Broomfield Village Hall in July, includ-
ing’, the parish magazine informs us, ‘many of the
ruder verses that prudish Edwardian publishers
would not print’.
Let’s be quite clear about this. Neither Sharp nor
his publishers were particularly prudish, but they
knew very well that if the ‘ruder’ parts were includ-
ed, they would never be sung in schools. Sharp
wanted the songs to be widely heard and readily
agreed to the excisions - may even have done the
censoring himself.
‘Edwardian’ is not quite right either. Sharp began
his work in that decade, but it was well into the reign
of George V by the time his collection was substan-
tial enough to be published.
THIS year’s BBC Reith Lectures were given by
Michael Sandford, professor at both Harvard and
Oxford, and provided food for thought to just about
every corner of society. I personally was struck by his
52
story that a deaf lesbian couple had sought authori-
sation not only to adopt a deaf child, but also - this
is the crunch - to employ the modern science of
genetic engineering to ensure that he or she was deaf
from birth. I can only hope that this does not mean
what it seems to mean, and that an otherwise
healthy foetus was not deliberately deprived of one of
the normal five senses. The adoptive parents appar-
ently argue that deaf people are not afflicted but a
separate entity. One step more, and they’ll start
believing that people with good hearing are the
abnormal ones.
On the other hand, it is argued that if a child is
going to be born deaf anyway, it might be better to
have parents who can empathise with his condition,
and teach him the necessary communication skills
more efficiently than any institution.
‘IT’S striking how much better a guitar tends to
sound in the hands of its owner (if the owner is a
good player, of course) than when anyone else tries
to play it.’ - John Taylor.
Nowhere was this better demonstrated than in the
Rust 09 competition, where one finalist was so
impressed with another competitor’s Smallman that
he borrowed it for the final. The result could have
been predicted. He didn’t exactly struggle with it, but
the intimate relationship between finger muscles
and his own instrument, born out of long use and
practice, was missing. He had been the front runner
up until the final, but in the end he had to share the
first prize with another guitarist. I am convinced that
John Taylor’s remark is essentially true, and equal-
ly convinced that only an inexperienced player would
make the error made by this young finalist. Yet in the
hands of the owner the results were perfectly
acceptable.
This same player meanwhile had fallen for a guitar
made by Carl Claus Voigt, who was exhibiting at the
festival. It was a Torres copy in all but the sound-
board, which was Voigt’s own and remarkably sweet
and responsive. He wanted to buy it, but the maker
knew the value of it and declined, offering instead to
make another at a reduced price, a gesture in appre-
ciation of the publicity given to him by the public
exposure of his guitar in a concert. Whether it’s a
good idea to buy a guitar without trying it first is
another matter.
HAVING received a demo CD from the Italian gui-
tarist Sara Gianfelici, I was reminded of the remark-
able competition in Alessandria in 1995, where three
outstanding female players scooped the top three
prizes. Filomena Moretti was awarded the 1st prize,
Yameng Wang the 2nd, and Sara Gianfelici the 3rd.
Since I was a jury member, I can testify that there
was no bias towards femininity; they were just the
three best players, and that was that. Has it ever
happened before?
Colin Cooper
Classical Guitar Magazine
 L etter
This is the Volta as Raizes (“Back to Our Roots”) group, with,
left to right: Jamey Haddey, Odair Assad, Christiane Kaman, Sergio Assad and Clarice Assad.
BADI ASSAD performed at Joe’s Pub in New
York, following her engagements at the Triple
Door in Seattle and the Luminato Guitar
Festival in Toronto, Canada. Ms. Assad braved
and joked about the Loch Ness monster of a
subway rumbling sporadically beneath the club
during her set. In addition to her repertoire of
Brazilian songs and guitar-playing, she per-
formed luminous covers of U2’s One and Tori
Amos’ Black Dove. She closed with her trade-
mark a capella singing, tapping her fingers per-
cussively against the side of her neck and upon
her cheeks to replicate what sounded like an
entire Amazonian rain forest of birds and small
creatures scurrying along the underbrush to the
simultaneous, bewitching melody of her voice.
‘Combining the fact that I have become a moth-
er and the current state of the economy, I have
been performing mostly in Brazil these days,’
Assad says. ‘The last time I toured the U.S. was
with my brothers Sergio and Odair toward the
beginning of last year, and also to perform at the
Brazilian Guitar Marathon in New York.’ Ms.
Assad also performed her distinctive music at the
Montreal Jazz Festival in 2007.
‘In the next year, I expect to release my first
concert DVD to commemorate the twenty years
of my career. The DVD will be released firstly in
Classical Guitar Magazine
from N ew Y ork
By JULIA CROWE
PHOTO: FADI KHEIR
Brazil, and then in both the U.S. and Europe in
the year to follow. The DVD was filmed in Rio de
Janeiro without a studio audience and it is
placed in three different scenarios, each related
to some characteristic of my music. The first is
experimental/instrumental, the second, bal-
lads, and the third focuses on Brazilian beats.
With this in mind, I chose five songs, which I
have already recorded in past years, to repre-
sent each scenario and the specific mood of each
room where these songs were filmed. This was
not an easy decision for me but the director,
Rodrigo Assad—my brother Sérgio’s son—,
helped me with the task. As of this moment I
am waiting for the DVD to be completed, before
having an idea as to which label will issue the
release.’
Badi is also preparing to record a double CD of
original music for children which, as she states,
‘For now, it exists in my mind and is not yet on
disc.’ She is proud of the soundtrack she
recorded with the legendary Naná Vasconcelos
for an award-winning documentary directed by
Denise Smekhol, Children of the Amazon. In the
vein of Michael Apted’s Up series, Smekhol’s
documentary revisits a group of Surui tribe chil-
dren of the Amazon some fifteen years after she
first took their photographs.
53
 The film examines the cultural transforma-
tion of both the Surui and Negarote tribes in
the wake of ranchers, loggers and a world of
modernity paving its highway through the rain-
forest of western Brazil. For centuries, these
tribes had known only one way of life, until this
highway linked these indigenous people to
modern-day Brazil. Smekhol’s interviews give
a voice to these grown children and their tribal
leaders, Chief Itabira and Chief Almir, that
conveys their experiences and perspective on
the subsequent cultural, historical and land-
scape changes, along with their aim of both
cultural preservation and economic survival.
‘In helping to create the
soundtrack for the film, Badi
Assad says, ‘I recorded by
myself, playing and singing,
but I also recorded two sec-
tions with Naná. He direct-
ed me right there at the stu-
dio in Sao Paulo, and the
music came spontaneously.
The experience was great,
especially as it was the first
time I have composed for
film. To be able to let the
images tell you what they
need in terms of music and
sound, along with the need
to start and finish in such
a precise time, is something
very new for me. In the end,
I learnt a lot and experi-
enced a lot of joy during the
process.’
Another member of the
Assad clan has been keeping
incredibly busy, writing a
Badi Assad performing at
number of critically-
Joe's Pub in New York.
acclaimed arrangements
and new works as the fea-
ture composer for the New Century Chamber
Orchestra in San Francisco for the past year.
Clarice Assad, who lives in New York, has
recently produced several orchestral arrange-
ments, including Kreisler’s Praeludium and
Allegro for strings, Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas
Brasileiras No 5, An International Holiday
Medley (a 20 minute work for strings, trumpet,
flute, oboe, soprano and choir) and O Magnum
Misterium by Morten Lauridsen and an arrange-
ment of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition
for strings, piano and percussion. Assad’s orig-
inal piece, Dreamscapes, for solo violin and
string orchestra, had been premiered earlier this
year by Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. Her piece,
Impressions, a bluesy suite for chamber orches-
tra, was recorded at Skywalker Studios in
California and will be released on Salerno-
Sonnenberg’s NSS Music label this year.
Clarice Assad has been just as devoted to writ-
ing for guitar. ‘I have written some arrangements
54
for the Cavatina Duo (guitarist Denis Azabagic
and flautist Eugenia Moliner) and a piece called
Quebra-Queixo, written for the Canadian guitar
and piano Donkin-Trépanier Duo. In
Portuguese, it means ‘JawBreaker.’ Why? I
don’t know. It sounded good to my ears at the
time and we have been calling it QQ, for short!
The Aquarelle Guitar Quartet recorded my
Bluezilian and a commissioned piece called
Danças Nativas on Chandos Records, released
this past March on a CD entitled Spirit of
Brazil. I also had a premiere of a piano piece,
When Art Showed Up, performed by Anne-Marie
McDermott at Town Hall in New York in May of
this year, and this was a
piece she had written while
attending the prestigious
MacDowell Colony in
October of 2008.
‘The Los Angeles Guitar
Quartet recorded Bluezilian
as well on a CD called LAGQ
Brazil. That is basically it
for my work in 2009. I am
looking forward to writing a
concerto for myself, com-
prised of scat singing, piano
and orchestra, to premiere
in 2010,’ she says.
Clarice Assad also plans to
tour in the winter of 2010 as
part of the quintet, De Volta
as Raizes (‘Back to Our
Roots’), which includes her-
self on vocals and piano,
Sergio Assad and Odair
Assad on guitars, along with
Lebanese singer Christiane
Karam and percussionist
Jamey Haddad. The Assad
family’s ancestral roots are
Lebanese, and, after Sergio
wrote the piece, Tahhiya Il Oussilina, both he
and Odair Assad felt inspired to delve further
into their musical heritage and explore the
rhythmic similarities between Middle Eastern
music and Brazilian music. Sergio and his
daughter Clarice Assad are composing new
music for this project, to which singer
Christiane Karam will set modern and ancient
Lebanese texts.
As various performance venues open and fold
across the city with the lifespan of dayflowers, it
is always a thrill to discover a new place that
endeavors to hold weekly concerts. The Còlloquio
di Corde duo, comprised of guitarist Sylwia Kloc
and violinist/violist Elena Rojas, performed
recently at the Workshop for Music Performance
(WMP) Concert Hall’s ‘Strad for Lunch’ series.
Founded by violin maker Emmanuel Gradoux-
Matt, WMP, the space, located on 28th Street off
Park Avenue South, was created to foster and
showcase the talents of young violinists and
Classical Guitar Magazine
offers 45-minute long chamber music con-
certs every Monday at 12:30 PM of free
admission with a suggestion donation of
5.00 USD. The concert room holds an
audience of up to 70 in capacity and is dec-
orated with 19th century Parisian chande-
liers and gilt mirrors, along with a new
Bösendorfer concert grand piano, and the
violinists are often lent Stradivarius violins
for their performances.
For this particular concert, Elena Rojas
performed upon a 1694 Stradivarius violin
as well as an 1830 viola made by Antonio
della Corte. Venezuelan-born Ms. Rojas, a
faculty member of music programme at the
UN International School of Queens, had met
Polish guitarist Sylwia Kloc five years ago
when working at the same music school in Left to right: Elena Rojas and Sylwia Kloc.
Queens, and the duo has been performing
together in small venues throughout the city. seven movements, written specifically for the duo
Their programme consisted of a selection of by New York-based composer Terry Champlin.
songs from Hovhaness’ Twelve Armenian Folk Guitarist Kloc received both her Bachelor and
Songs arranged by Terry Champlin; Persian Masters degrees from the Mannes College of
Abstract and Lori, an image from the Lorestan Music and is a faculty member of Montclair State
Province in Iran, written by Behzad Mirkhani; University, New Jersey, and the Music Education
French Cemetery – Panama Canal, from the doc- Center, Brooklyn, New York. The duo has been
umentary The Story of Two Oceans and Pieza #3 invited to perform at the Chamber Music Festival
For Concertina (or viola) and guitar, written by in Trujillo, Venezuela in March of 2010, where
Venezuelan composer Ricardo Teruel. The per- they will also teach a master class and collabo-
formance closed with Dragon Eyes, a piece in rate with local artists.

L etters to the E ditor

Letters for publication should be kept short and to the point. We reserve the right to edit
or abbreviate as we consider necessary. Please enclose a prepaid envelope if you want a reply.

In the September 2009 issue of CG, Chuck Hulihan
mentions Un Petit Jazz by John Duarte for flute
and guitar (page 53, column 1, paragraph 4). It was
not for flute and guitar, actually. It was written in
1982 for myself and John Turner (recorders) and
premiered that year, broadcast on the BBC and
recorded on Hat Box CD Cameo 2020.
NEIL SMITH
by email
On the same page, in the preceding sentence,
Sommerset Follies should of course be Somerset
Follies - Ed.
the Wigmore Hall in her second year when only
nineteen. Amie has worked with Stephen Dodgson,
who described her playing as 'very promising' and
recently appeared as the soloist in a Vivaldi
Concerto at the York Guitar Festival.
I apologise to Amie Owen (and to her teacher Gary
Ryan), for the inadvertent error, and send this
young artist every best wish for a happy and suc-
cessful career.
GRAHAM WADE
Withernsea,
East Yorkshire

It has been pointed out that in my article Sharon

Isbin at the Royal College of Music (CG, September
2009), I incorrectly described Amie Owen, one of
the students playing in the masterclass, as 'a first
year student from York'. In fact, Amie was a final
year student.
I would like to add that Amie Owen, awarded a
prestigious Foundation Scholarship on her entry to
the RCM four years ago, has won the Royal College
of Music Guitar Competition and also performed at
Small Ads
Rate is 70 pence per word plus 17.5% VAT, minimum 10 words.
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Payment must be included with advertisement order.
Antonio Marin, 2009, new, 20 frets, very dark
brazilian. Casimiro Lozano spruce or cedar, 2009,
new. Highest offers,
Pictures on www.carsten.nu carsten@carsten.nu

Classical Guitar Magazine 55

 CLASSICAL GUITAR TEACHERS
A FREE SERVICE FOR ALL TEACHERS WHO ARE SUBSCRIBERS
AVON
Adam Khan, 64 Winchester Road, Bristol, Avon, BS4
3NH. Tel: 0117 972 1942.
Matthew Machin, BA (Hons) Music, Flat 1, 44 St.
John’s Lane, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 5AD. Tel:
07709 400 194.
email: matthewmachin@yahoo.co.uk
The Spanish Guitar Centre, 103 Cold Harbour
Road, Westbury Park, Bristol BS6 7SD. Tel: (0117)
942 0479.
BEDFORDSHIRE
Bertram Whitton, LTCL, TD, 94 Chiltern Road,
Dunstable, Beds, LU6 1ES. Tel: (01582) 603 185.
BERKSHIRE
Mr. Colin Arenstein, BYMT, 100 Cockney Hill,
Reading, RG30 4EZ.
Michael Hinchliff, BSc, BA(Music), 4 Windsor Rise,
Newbury RG14 7TY. Tel: 48501.
BIRMINGHAM
The Classical Guitar Centre, 51A, St Mary’s Road,
Bearwood, West Midlands B67 5DH. Tel: (0121) 429
7446.
e-mail: info@classicalguitar.co.uk
Andrew Gough, MA, PGDip, BMus(Hons), 27 St
Laurence Road, Northfield, Birmingham B31 2AU.
Mob: 07702 742418.
e-mail: andrew@classicalguitar.org.uk
Web: www.classicalguitar.org.uk
Miss E. Larner, BMus Hons, PGDip, Birmingham,
B17 8TA. Tel: 0773 683 9134.
e-mail: lizzielarner@yahoo.co.uk
www.liz-larner.co.uk
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Nicholas Tillyer, ALCM, 40 Pheasant Drive, High
Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP13 5JL. Tel: (01494)
533669.
CHESHIRE
Peter Baldwin, 1 Barley Croft, Cheadle Hume,
Cheshire ST8 6SL. Tel: (0161) 485 7389.
John R. Gort, LGSM, Flat 2c, Sunnybank Avenue,
Heaton Mersey, Stockport, Cheshire SK4 3PR. Tel:
(0161) 442 4107.
DERBYSHIRE
Steve Marsh, ALCM, 5 Shaftesbury Ave, Ashgate,
Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 1HN. Tel: (01246)
233496.
email: stevemarsh@theguitarstudio.freeserve.co.uk
www.stevemarsh.uk.com
James Rippingale, BPA, 4 Clement Road, Horsley
Woodhouse, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 6BH England.
Tel: 01332 781026 Mobile: 07934 386701.
Website: www.james-rippingale.co.uk
Email: jamesrippingale@tiscali.co.uk
Peter Swaby, cpfa alcm alcm.td, Yellow Grove
House, Moor Lane, Youlgrave, Bakewell DE45 1US.
Tel: 0775 459 2106
peter@pswaby.co.uk
DEVON
Alison Smith GTCLHons PGTCMperfDist 100
Lynwood Avenue, Woodford, Plymouth, Devon
PL74SG. Tel. 01752 346 805.
email: alison@smith99a.freeserve.co.uk
www.alisonsmithguitar.com
DORSET
John Edwards, LTCL, LRAM, MSTAT, Flat 2, 72
Southcote Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth, BH13SS.
Tel: 01202 293917.
email: guitar@john717.orangehome.co.uk
Stephen Kenyon, BA Dip ABRSM, 36 Poundbury
Crescent, Dorchester DT1 2NX. Tel: 01305 257099.
e-mail: stephen@jacaranda-music.com
ESSEX
Judith Tonge, A.B.S.M., 6 St. Kildas Road,
Brentwood, ESSEX, CM15 9EX. Tel: (01277) 217812.
Ian K. Woolway, ALCM, 2 Nursery Road, Chelmsford,
Essex CM2 9PJ. Tel: (01245) 358 131.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Marguerite Pettit, LGSM, LTCL, 46 Courtenay Street,
Cheltenham, Glos GL50 4LR. Tel: (01242) 583 408.
HERTFORDSHIRE
Eric Hill, Radlett. Tel; 01923 854509.
E-mail; erichill03@aol.com
Over 100 free downloads at;
www.erichillguitardownloads.co.uk
Deborah Wiggins-Hay BA(Hons), Castle End Farm,
Lea, Ross on Wye, Hertfordshire HR9 7JY
Herefordshire / Gloucestershire border. Telephone:
01989 750342
e-mail: forestofdeanguitars@fsmail.net
Tom Parsons, ALCM, 67 Regent Street, Watford, Herts,
WD2 5AT. Tel: (01923) 245 559.
Neil Simon, 20 Bull Stag Green, Hatfield, Herts, AL9
5DE. Tel: (01707) 267 511.
IRELAND
Alec O’Leary, B.Mus. M.Mus., Kilkenny, Ireland Tel.
087 234 6256.
KENT
56
Roy Chilton Music, 15 Hawkhurst Way, West
Wickham, Kent BR4 9PE. Tel: (020 8777 6414).
roy@roychiltonmusic.co.uk
LANCASHIRE
Chris Dumigan, 14 Rochester Road, Davyhulme,
Manchester M41 0RL. Tel: (0161) 747 3851.
Paul Fowles, BA, LLCM, A.Mus.TCL, c/o Manchester
Guitar Circle, Flixton House, Flixton Road,
Manchester M41 5GJ.
Email: guitarcircle@hotmail.com
Voicemail: 07831-416358
Website: www.guitarcircle.co.uk
Stephen Henshaw, CT,FVCM LVCM (Hons) AVCM
(Hons) 72-74 Topping Street, Blackpool FY1 3A0. Tel:
(01253) 751 450.
Mark Houghton, ALCM, 29 Alcester Road, West Derby,
Liverpool L12 9EA. Tel: 0779 0174465.
e-mail: wmh@liverpool.ac.uk
Sebastian Karstad, 13 Delaine Road, Withington,
Manchester M20 4QP. Tel: 07749 340505.
e-mail: seb_karstad@hotmail.com
Rory Russell, 24 Ladysmith Road, Didsbury,
Manchester M20 6HL.
Tel: 07766 58 37 37.
rory@roryrussell.co.uk
Neil Smith, FLCM, 177 Lee Lane, Horwich, Bolton,
Lancs. BL6 7JD. Tel: (01204) 468 945.
www.guitaristuk.com
Paul Twine, LRSM, CTABRSM, 75 Chelsfield Grove,
Manchester, M21 7BD. Tel: (0161) 881 1484.
Email: paul@innovation-music.com
Website: www.innovation-music.com
LEICESTERSHIRE
Roger Coombs, 97 Frederick Street, Loughborough,
Leicestershire, LE11 3BH. Tel: 01509 263542.
Christopher Susans, “Wavertree” 26 Burton Road,
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicester LE65 2LL. Tel: (01530)
416564.
Alan Thomas, guitarist, teacher, and composer. Tel:
07905 035444.
e-mail: info@alanthomas-guitar.com
Web: www.alanthomas-guitar.com
LONDON
Petros Andreou, LLCM, ALCM, 20 Pollard Road,
Whetstone, London N20 0UB. Tel: (0208) 368 6717.
Mr. C. Bonell, info@carlosbonell.com
Robert Boyle, 417A Finchley Road, London, NW3
6HJ. Tel: 0207 4357438.
Hubert de Camillis, 53 Gondar Gardens, West
Hampstead, London NW6 1EP Tel: (0207) 794 1892.
Steve Dell, Flat J, 10 Sutherland Road, West Ealing,
London W13. Tel: 020 8621 1394.
Guy Depreux, Flat 8, Allingham Court, Haverstock Hill,
Belsize Park, London NW3 2AH. Tel: (0207) 435 7203.
Colin Downs, Hon A.R A M, 50, Holly Park Road,
London N11 3HD. Tel: 020 8361 3192. mobile:
07760107386
email- ham.co@virgin.net
Mohie Elsayed, Mohie Elsayed, 31 Cascades Court,
13-19 Hartfield Crescent, Wimbledon, LONDON,
SW19 3RL. Tel: 020 87155574
email guitar@m-elsayed.co.uk
www.m-elsayed.co.uk
Richard Hand, ARAM, DipRAM, LRAM, 61 Balcombe
Street, Marylebone, London NW1 6ND. Tel/Fax: (0207)
724 3806.
Eleftheria Kotzia, 56 Fernwood, Albert Drive,
Southfields, London SW19 6LR. Tel: (0208) 785 4054.
e-mail: ellie@eleftheria.info
Tony Rath, 27 Brunswick Street, London E17 9NB
Tel: 0208 521 4340.
Thérèse Saba, 9 Methuen Park, Muswell Hill, London
N10 2JR. Tel/Fax: (0208) 442 1489.
e-mail: guitar@theresesaba.com
Timothy Walker, Hon ARAH, 16A Algernon Road,
London. NW6 6PU. Tel: 0207 624 7937
e-mail: alitim@amamserve.net
Spanish Guitar Centre, 36 Cranbourn Street,
WC2H 7AD. Tel: (0207) 240 0754.
MIDDLESEX
Dale Harris, BA(hon) MA PhD, 82 Squires Bridge Road,
Shepperton, Middx, TW17 0QA, Tel: 07941 582194.
Philip John Lee, Flamenco guitar tuition – all levels,
46 Fir Road, Hanworth, Middlesex TW13 6UJ. Tel:
(020) 8755 0528.
e-mail: pjl.flamenco@virgin.net
NORFOLK
J.E. Crisp, BA DipMus ALCM, Thetford, Norfolk Tel:
(01842) 752 697.
Bob Parslow, BA(Hons) Music, LGSM, Springfield
Cottage, 72 Gloucester Street, Norwich NR2 2DY. Tel:
(01603) 620 261.
Bob@parslowguitar.freeserve.co.uk
NORTHANTS
Peter Nuttall, MA (Oxon), 48 Hillside Crescent, Nether
Heyford, Northampton NN7 3LS. Tel: (01327) 341 133.
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
Catherine Dickinson, Post Graduate RNCM, FLCM,
LLCM SMTC, Spanish Guitar Centre, 44 Nottingham
Road, New Basford, Nottingham. Tel: Nottingham
(0115) 962 2709.
OXFORDSHIRE
Raymond Burley, 'Ty Fynnon', 4 Yew Tree Mews,
Church St., Ducklington, Oxon OX29 7UQ Tel:
(01993) 700332
email: mailto:raymond@burley21.fsnet.co.uk
Brian J. Penny, ALCM, Classical Guitar Services,
The Studio, 68 Evenlode, Banbury, Oxon OX16 9PF.
Tel: (01295) 271900.
e-mail classicalguitarservices@btconnect.com
www.classicalguitarservices.co.uk
John Whitworth, MA. D.Phil, 25 Bickerton Road,
Oxford OX3 7LT. Tel: (01865) 761 273.
e-mail: info@holleymusic.co.uk
SCOTLAND
Lindsay Cargill, BA Hons. 77 Gairn Road, Aberdeen
AB10 6AP. Tel: (01224) 584 906
e-mail: LCARGILL@compuserve.com
Matthew McAllister Bmus (Honours) RSAMD, Flat
3/2, 96 Great George Street, Glasgow, Scotland G12
8RY. TEL:0141 339 4296
email: info@matthewmcallister.com
Website: www.matthewmcallister.com
Graeme Scott, Mmus RSAMD, 63 Sannox Drive,
Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland ML1 3PX
Tel: 07944 089015.
email: info@graemescott.com
website: www.graemescott.com
SOMERSET
Brian Sharman, Chancel View, Church Street,
Wiveliscombe, Taunton, Somerset TA4 2LT. Tel:
(01984) 623 132.
SURREY
Patrick Burke Guitar Studio, 92a High Street,
Carshalton, Surrey SM5 3AE Tel: 0208 6697052.
e-mail: kitaramusic@yahoo.com
Mr Roland Chadwick, 60a High Street, Haslemere,
Surrey GU27 2LA.
Mr P. de Fleury, CERTMUS, 4 Reynolds Place,
Richmond Upon Thames, SURREY TW10 6JZ Tel:
0208 9488480.
Stephen Goss, BA (Hons), PhD, LRAM, Hon ARAM,
specialist areas include composition, contemporary
music, and ensemble work. Parkers Lodge, Rectory
Place, Portsmouth Road, Guildford, Surrey GU2
4DG. Tel: (01483) 456177.
e-mail: s.goss@surrey.ac.uk
Fiona Harrison, MM, GRSM, Dip RCM, 14 Westlees
Close, North Holmwood, Dorking, Surrey RH5 4TN. Tel:
(01306) 882 323.
Milica Ilic. Richmond, Surrey, TW10 6DU.
Email: info@milicailic.com
Grahame Klippel, MPhil ARCM, 60 Pemberton Road,
East Molesey, Surrey KT8 9LH. Tel: 020 8941 0810.
e-mail: grahame.klippel@btinternet.com
Myer Rosen, BA (Hons), LTCL, PGCE, Knowsley, 7 Ash
Grove, Guildford, Surrey GU2 8UT. Tel: (01483) 35852.
e-mail: myer@rosen.force9.co.uk
SUSSEX
Vic Ellis, 172 Springfield Road, Brighton BN1 6DG
01273 558 217.
Linda Kelsall-Barnett, BA (Hons) LRAM, 3 The
Rummers, Brandy Hole Lane, Chichester, West
Sussex PO19 5RT. Tel: (01243) 784 442.
Registry of Guitar Tutors, Registry Mews, 11-13
Wilton Road, Bexhill, E. Sussex TN40 1HY. Tel:
(01424) 222222.
www.RegistryOfGuitarTutors.com
TEESSIDE
Stephen Munro, B.A. 12 Zetland Terrace, Saltburn by
the Sea, Cleveland TS12 1BS. Tel: (01287) 203437.
TYNE & WEAR
John Ferguson, LTCL, “Glenburn”, 4 Burn Road,
Blaydon Burn, Tyne & Wear NE21 6EA. Tel: (0191) 414
7469.
WALES
Jonathan N. Richards, LTCL, Ground Floor Flat, 12
Hawarden Road, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, North Wales
LL29 8NA. Tel: 01492 539589 Mobile: 07717224098.
Christopher Williams, 75 Heather Crescent, Sketty
Park Estate, Sketty, Swansea, Wales, SA2 8HS. Tel:
01792 207 861.
Timothy Tate, BMus MMus, 33 Egerston Rd,
Canton, Cardiff, CF5 1RF Tel:07799 691 504.
tim_c_tate@hotmail.com
www.theguitarcircle.com/ttate.aspx
WILTSHIRE
Harry Drabble, LTCL Sycamores Back Lane,
Marlborough, Wilts SN8 1JJ. Tel: (01672) 513 699.
John and Cobie Mills, 1 Fairways, Dilton Marsh,
Westbury BA13 3RU.
WORCESTERSHIRE
Jon Godfrey, ALCM, 68 North Malvern Road, Malvern.
Worcester WR14 4LX Tel: (01684) 893 414.
Classical Guitar Magazine
Rod Willmott, Guitarist & Lutenist, May
Willmott, Guitarist & Teacher, L.R.A.M. 2
Pitmaston Road, St. John’s, Worcester WR2 4HY
Tel: (01905) 427 026.
www.rodwillmott.com
ARGENTINA
Prof. Juan Gallino - Classical guitar - Tango guitar.
Buenos Aires - Coghlan.
www.juangallino.com.ar
e mail: jlg@guitarristas.com
www.bocaccio-gallino.com
Director of www.guitarristas.com
BELGIUM
Alexis Blumberg, ARCM, Hessenstraatje 20/C1.1,
2000 Antwerpen. Tel: +32 (0)3 227 01 31. Mobile: +32
(0)475 63 07 71.
e-mail: alexis.blumberg@pandora.be
Norbert Leclerq, 12 Bld, de la Woluwe (B135), 1932
Woluwe St Etienne.
BRAZIL
Jonatas Batista Neto, Rua Bela Cintra, 359 Apt. 95,
Sao Paulo-SP. Brazil 01415-000. Tel/Fax (5511) 3231-
2690.
e-mail: jonatasneto@terra.com.br
BULGARIA
Ekaterina Vasseva-Ikonomova, BA in classical guitar, 14
years of teaching experience P.O.box 5 / 27 Skobelev
Blvd. BG-1463 Sofia, Bulgaria +359 88 6441994.
kate_vasseva@hotmail.com
CANADA
Mariette Stephenson, BA (Mus )ARCT, Cambridge,
Ontario, Canada.
Mariette.Stephenson@sympatico.ca
CHINA
Morgan S.S. Velautham, PO Box 38 Taipa, Macau,
S.A.R. of China. Tel: 853-557223.
e-mail: <morgan@macau.ctm.net>
DENMARK
Arnie Brown, Møllevej 8, Møgeltønder, 6270 Tønder,
Denmark. Tel: 74 738343.
Karen Dusgaard Nielsen, Infanterivej, 42D, 8900,
Randers, Denmark. Tel: 86 40 31 24.
FRANCE
Claudette Coinel, 25 Traverse Pitance, Mourepiane,
13016, Marseille.
Lorraine Eastwood, 26 Rue St. Jacques, Grenoble
38000, France. Telephone: (0033) 476 508025.
Email: lorraine.eastwood@gmail.com
James Wilson, 6 Rue Marguerin, 75014 Paris. Tel: (1)
43 35 14 03.
GERMANY
Charles De Burgh, ALCM, LLCM, LTCL,
Ruedigerstrasse 30 70469 Stuttgart, Germany.
Classical Guitar Societies Directory
Berkshire Guitar Society, Richard Butters, 10 The
Dell, Woodlands Park, Maidenhead, Berks, SL6 3NS.
Website: http://www.berkshireguitarsociety.org.uk
Birmingham - Classical Guitar - See web page on
Yahoo Groups or contact Paul Grant 07760 175 626.
Small informal meetings on a monthly basis.
Blackburn Classical Guitar Society. Jack
Wilkinson, 82 Queen Street, Great Harwood, Lanc's
BB6 7AL. Tel (01254) 889555
E mail: jackwilkinson@lineone.net
<mailto:jackwilkinson@lineone.net>
Brighton Classical Guitar. Small informal group
meets every 4th Thursday. Details: Jim Westbrook
01273 746192.
Bridge Guitar Circle. Meets Central Library, Albion
Street, Hull. Full details from Secretary Sue Jones,
34 Rockford Avenue, Hull. Tel: (01482) 75684.
Bristol Guitar Society, meets 2nd Thursday of the
month 8pm at The Pierian Centre,Portland
Square,Bristol. Contact David Evans Tel.(0117)
9567251 or Tony Lewis(0117) 9734070.
www.bristolguitarsociety.org
British BMG Federation. Secretary: Sandra
Woodruff, 104 Tower Road North, Warmley, Bristol
BS30 8XN.
E mail: sandra.woodruff@virgin.net
Website: www.banjomandolinguitar.org/>
Bromley Guitar Society Denis Stockton-
02087774887 Kent.
www.bromleyguitarsociety.org.uk
Cambridge Classical Guitar Society. Meets first
Thursday in the month. For information please tele-
phone Tim Christmas (01223) 565552.
Canterbury Guitar Society. For further information
ring John Kemp on (01227) 265 503.
e-mail: j.kemp@btopenworld.com
Cambridge Guitar Orchestra, Contact Tony
Ainsworth (Chairman) via www.cgo.org.uk or
tony.ainsworth1@btopenworld.com. We are a per-
forming ensemble and rehearse every two weeks or
so on Sundays during term time on the outskirts of
Cambridge. We will always welcome intermediate or
advanced players.
Chester Guitar Circle. Meets 1st Wed/Month at
Classical Guitar Magazine
Jörg Gauchel, Diplom-Musiklehrer, Annettenstraße
13, D-53175 Bonn Tel: +49 228 384736.
e-mail: joerg.gauchel@t-online.de
GREECE
Dimitris Karvelis, Voreadi 20, 71409 Heraklion,
Crete, Greece.
ITALY
Giuseppe Caputo, Via Girolamo Santacroce 13, Naples
80129, Italy. Tel: 081 5785069.
Antonio De Innocentis, Via Dei Vecchi Pini, Coop.
Smeraldo, 81023 Falciano-Caserta, Italy. Tel/Fax: (823)
471 713.
ISRAEL
Sonia Michelson, c/o Elisheva Levin, Yishuv Ofra.
D.N. Mizrach Benyamin. Israel 90627.
smichelson@earthlink.net
JERSEY
Robert Ozard, ARCM, 49 La Grande Pouclee,
Richmond Road, St. Helier, Jersey JEZ 3GX, Tel: 01534
768 727.
MALTA
Charlotte Smith, L.L.C.M. (TD), L.Mus. V.C.M.,
A.L.C.M., A.Mus. L.S.M, “Sentosa” 7, Carmelo Bugeja
Street, Dingli DGL 1152, MALTA. Tel:
(0356)21450496 Mobile: (0356)79450496.
email: joesmith@maltanet.net
MEXICO
Juan Gaspar, Classical Guitar performer, composer
and maestro at the Puebla Conservatory of Music, 5
Norte 201-6, Puebla, Mexico. Telephone: (222) 232-
4202.
e-mail: jg68mailbox-music@yahoo.com.mx
www.juangaspar.com
NORWAY
Trond Davidsen, Klarinetten 12, 3033 Drammen,
Norway. Tel: 0047 32 886 286.
POLAND
Krzysztof Pelech, Bzowa 35/13, 53-224 Wroclaw,
Poland.
e-mail: gitara@post.pl
www.pelech.art.pl
PORTUGAL
Jorge Pires, Tel: +351965109150
E-mail: jorgepires.cb@gmail.com
SERBIA (SR Yugoslavia)
Uros Dojcinovic, Guitar Studio Solunska 12, 11000
Beograd. Tel/Fax (011) 180-587.
SINGAPORE
Thomas Liauw, M.A., B.A (Hons), LTCL, ALSD, PO Box
0596, Marine Parade, Singapore 914404. Tel (65) 6344
3671 Tel (65) 6344 3615.
e-mail: thomas@tomas-music.com
website: www.tomas-music.com
Chester Deaf Centre, Southview Road, Chester. Sec:
Steve Smith, 16 Daleside Chester, CH2 1EP.
e-mail: chestguitar@aol.com
Web site: http://www.members.aol.com/chestguitarcirc
Chesterfield Guitar Circle. Contact Peter Swaby
(Secretary), Yellow Grove House, Moor Lane,
Youlgrave, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1US Tel:
(01629) 636 165.
Derby Classical Guitar Society.
Contact: Nigel Harris, 9 Glamis Close, Oakwood,
Derby, DE21 2QJ. Tel: (01332) 664 425.
e-mail: derbycgs@gmail.com
website: www.derbycgs.org.uk
Dorset Guitar Society. Meetings on 3rd Sunday in
month at Kinson Community Centre, Pelhams Park,
Milham Lane, Kinson. Sec: Margaret Tredwell. Tel:
(01425) 613 739.
Durham University Guitar Society. C/o Dunelm
House, New Elvet, Durham. Sec: Elaine Young, Van
Mildert College, Durham. Visiting tutor: Peter
Batchelar.
Ealing Guitar Society. Meets 1st Sunday each
month at St Matthew’s Church Hall, North Common
Road, Ealing W5 at 7.30p.m. Correspondence: Steve
Dell, Flat J, 10 Sutherland Road, West Ealing,
London W13 0DT Tel: 0208 621 1394.
www.ealing-guitar-society.co.uk
Enfield Classical Guitar Society. Sec: Mrs J
Warwick, 43 Morley Hill, Enfield, Middlesex EN2
0BL.
e-mail: RButch3325@aol.comenfield_classical_guitar@hotmail.com
Website: http://members.lycos.co.uk/enfield_guitar/
Farnham, Surrey. Mozart Guitar Players. Meet every
Tuesday during term time. Musical Director Myer
Rosen, Knowsley, 7 Ash Grove, Guildford GU2 5UT.
Tel: (01483) 35852.
Federation of Guitar Societies UK, A group of Societies
mainly in the South of England that co-ordinate
together through a
Website. www.FederationofGuitarSocieties.org.uk
Annual meeting and Concert in June
E-mail guitar@martinshaw.plus.com
Fretful Federation Plucked Orchestra; Brighton.
Orchestra of mandolins, mandolas, mandocellos,
SOUTH AFRICA
A.M. Ludwig, P.O. Box 2340, Halfway House 1685,
South Africa. Tel: (011) 314 1802.
e-mail: ludwig4u@icon.co.za
SPAIN
Clive Davies, Classical / Fingerstylist; Performer,
Composer and Teacher for over thirty years. Offers
‘Guitar innovation- broad outlook- workshop holi-
days‘ in Montefrio, Granada, Spain. Apartado de
Correos 22, 18270 Montefrio, Granada , Spain. Tel.
+34 685 201 265.
email; clive.sue@avired.com
mailto:clive.sue@avired.com>
www.clivedavies.eu
USA
Mariano Aguirre, Mannes College of Music, New
York Guitar Seminar-Coordinator, 150 West 85th
Street, New York, NY 10024 USA
marianoaguirre@verizon.net
Jeffrey Ashton, MAT Mus, BA Mus, 204 SE 63rd
Ave, Portland, OR 97215. Tel: (503) 235 1062.
Lyster Bass, 4154 Arrayo Dr. Snellville, Ga.30039,
USA. (Tel) 770-972-7178
Emai: lysterbass@comcast.net
William Buonocore, Guitar Dept. Co-ordinator, The
Boston Conservatory, 8 The Fenway, Boston, MA
02215. Tel: (617) 536 6340. Fax: (617) 536 3176.
wbuonocore@bostonconservatory.edu
Maud Laforest, Plano, TX.
e-mail: alix@maudlaforest.com
web site: www.maudlaforest.com
Ronald Louis Fernandez, Flamenco and Portuguese
guitar., P. O. Box 5153, Irvine, California, 92616. Tel:
949-856-1537.
website: www.fernandezmusic.com.
e-mail: ron@fernandezmusic.com
David Grimes, 8701 Bellmead Drive, Huntington
Beach, California 92646, USA.
Craig Yarbrough, 26 East Oak Ave, Flagstaff,
Arizona 86001. Tel: 928 213 0752.
Email: grandcanyonsociety@hotmail.com
● Our Teacher’s Column is updated Bi-
monthly starting February, April, June
issue etc.
When sending alterations or additions
please state: country, county, full name,
qualifications, address and telephone
number in this order. If changing areas,
state old county address so this can
easily be deleted.
guitars and mandobass. New members welcome. Ian
07939368874.
Grand Canyon Guitar Society, LTD, Flagstaff,
Arizona 928.213.0752. Craig Yarbrough, Executive
Director.
www.CanyonGuitar.org <http://
www.canyonguitar.org/>
Greenwood Classical Guitar Club. An informal group.
Meets every Friday 7.30-8.30pm at the Greenwood
Centre, School Road, Hampton Hill, Middlesex. Contact
Martin Shaw (0208 891 6889) or turn up at the Centre.
Hastings & Rother Classical Guitar Society, we
meet at 8pm on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at
The Beacon below St Mary’s Terrace, West Hill,
Hastings. Contact Richard Butler 01424 465 414 or
via the website http://www.hrcgs.org.uk
Hampshire Area Guitar Orchestra. Meets fortnight-
ly and has vacancies for intermediate and advanced
ensemble players. Ring Derek Hasted 023 9247 9200
or email: dir@hago.org.uk
Hertfordshire BA(Hons), Castle End Farm, Lea, Ross
on Wye, Herefordshire HR9 7JY Herefordshire /
Gloucestershire border. Telephone: 01989 750342
e-mail: forestofdeanguitars@fsmail.net
Haverhill Classical Guitar Society. Details: Colin
Shulman (01440) 705 371.
Hertfordshire Guitar Orchestra. Meets twice
monthly and is always looking for good ensemble
players. Details from Tom Parsons on Tel: (01923)
245 559 or
www.hertfordshireguitarorchestra.com
Highland Classical Guitar Society. C/o Roger Niven,
‘Iona’, High Street, Avoch, Rosshire. Tel: Fortrose
21012.
Hounslow Guitar Society. Hounslow Music Service, De
Brome Building, Boundaries Road, Feltham TW13 5DT.
Lauderdale Guitar Society. Meets at Lauderdale
House, Highgate Hill. Details from 63 Marlborough
Mansions, Cannon Hill, London NW6 1JS. Tel:
(0171) 794 9108.
Leeds Guitar Society. Sec: Matthew Hill, 1 Grosvenor
Terrace, Leeds LS6 2DY. Tel: (0113) 785 341.
Classical Guitar Society of East London. Informal
meetings last saturday each month at 3pm. Contact
57
Maria Sentivani on Tel: 020 507 8299 for details.
The Lute Society. Sec: Chris Goodwin, Southside
Cottage, Brook Hill, Albury, Guildford, Surrey, GU5
9DJ. Tel: (01483) 202 159 Fax: (01483) 203088.
Manchester Acoustic Guitar meets on the 3rd
Tuesday of every month at the Urmston Cricket
and Lawn Tennis Club, Moorside Rd, Urmston. All
acoustic and classical guitar styles welcomed.
Open mike, workshops, special recitals. All you
need is an interest in the guitar, not necessarily to
be able to play. For details contact: Chris, tel. 0161
747 3851.
www.manchesteracousticguitar.com
Manchester Guitar Circle, (Est. 1946).
Informal evenings on the first Thursday of
every month at Flixton House, Flixton Road
(opposite Rothiemay Road), Manchester M41
5GJ. Visitors always welcome. Contact: Paul
Fowles.
Email: guitarcircle@hotmail.com
Voicemail: 07831-416358
Website: www.guitarcircle.co.uk
Midlands Fretted Orchestra meets fortnightly on
Thursdays 7.30pm, at St. Mary’s Hall, St. Mary’s
Road, Bearwood Smethwick, B67 5Dh. Contact:
Danielle Saxon Reeves 01384 893 987
e-mail: daniellesaxonreeves@yahoo.co.uk
www.m-f-o.co.uk
Newent Guitar Society. Sec: Keith Sandall, Holts
House, Holts Road, Newent, Gloucestershire GL18
1BT. Tel: (01531) 820 436.
North Bucks Guitar Club. Meets 3rd Sunday of the
month. Information from Kevin Cook. Tel: (01296)
427 836.
www.northbucksguitarclub.org.uk
Classical Guitar Society for Northern Ireland .
Meets on the first Sunday of the month at the Ulster
College of Music, Belfast. Contact Keith Thompson
(028) 90703311.
Email: secretary_CGSNI@lycos.co.uk
Website:www.cgsni.org
The Northumbria Guitar Society. Correspondence
to: Pete Boothby, Engine Cottage, Accomb, Hexham
NE46 4RL. Tel: (01434) 600 340.
North Devon Guitar Society. Meets third Tuesday
of month in Barnstaple. Contact Terry Bourne at
North Lodge, Filleigh, Near Barnstaple, North Devon
EX32 ORE. Tel: (01271) 74529.
North East Scotland Classical Guitar Society
meets the third Wednesday of every month at
Queen’s Cross Church, Aberdeen. Contact Peter
Stock (chairman) on 01467 642729,
e-mail: info@nescgs.co.uk
www.nescgs.co.uk www.nescgs.co.uk
North Wales Guitar Circle, Meets the 2nd Tuesday
of every month at 7.45pm at The Anglesey Arms,
Menai Bridge, Anglesey. Contact Jane or Dave
Sinnett 01407 831480.
e-mail: davesinnett@btinternet.com
website: www.northwalesguitarcircle.co.uk
Nottingham Classical Guitar Society. Contact:
Ian Jones. Tel: 0115 923 1038
Email: IanJones66@yahoo.co.uk
Pena Flamenca de Hull. Sec: Ron Burbela, 40
Warton Avenue, Beverley, E. Yorks, HU17 0JB. Tel:
(01482) 863 553. Meetings 1st Sunday of month,
8.00pm, Blue Bell, Hull.
Pena Flamenca de Londres. Sec: Ron le Voi, Flat 6,
45/53 Myddelton Square, London EC1R 1YD.
Pendon Guitar Society. Peter Li, 15 King Henry Mews,
Harrow-on-the-Hill, HA2 0JS (020) 8423 3202.
Putney Guitar Society. Sec. Chris Blade, 18
Gwendwr Road, West Kensington, London W14
9BG. Tel: (0171) 603 1820.
Richmond Guitar Society meets every 4th Sunday
of each month 7-9 pm @ Richmond Parish Rooms,
Church Walk, Richmond upon Thames,Surrey
Details 0208 891 6889
Saddleworth Classical Guitar Society. Ring Hazel
and Colin Davies. Tel: (01457) 875 378.
Southampton Classical Guitar Society. Meets last
Wednesday of every month at 7:45pm. Contact
Wayne Lines. Tel: 01329 310792.
wwv.scgs-guitar.org.uk
South Lincolnshire Guitar Society and Orchestra.
Meetings are fortnightly on Tuesdays at Central
School, Grantham. Contact Peter Constable, The
Elms, 3 Sleaford Road, Ruskington, Lincs, NG34
9BP. Tel: (01526) 834 120.
South Wales Guitar Society. Chairperson: Kate
Williams, 18 Westbourne Crescent, Whitchurch,
Cardiff. Tel: (01222) 626 826.
Surrey Guitar Society, 2nd Wednesday monthly at
Tanyard Hall Gomshall 8pm. Contact: George
Swallow (01306) 886 196.
Swansea CG Circle. Keith Morris, 3 Dulais Grove,
Derwin Fawr, Sketty, Swansea, Glamorgan. Tel:
(01792) 202576
Warwickshire Spanish Guitar Society. Peter
Pettifor, 73 Lodge Road, Sratford-upon-Avon CV37
9DN Tel: (01789) 263 697
e-mail: peter.pettifor@ntlworld.com
Wealden Guitar Society. Meets at the Friends
Meeting House, Grosvenor Park,Tunbridge Wells on
58
the 2nd Wednesday of each month...nice hall, great
accoustics,supportive members.Contact Marcia
Burton on 01892 534631 or Richard Frenkel on
0207 233 9076’.
West Sussex Guitar Club. The Regis School of
Music, 46 Sudley Road, Bognor Regis, West Sussex,
PO21 1ER. (01243) 866 462.
www.westsussexguitar.com
Windsor Classical Guitar Society. An informal
group who enjoy playing together at 7.30pm first
and third Wednesday of each month at the Windsor
Arts Centre. Tel: (01753) 859 421.
The Wirksworth Classical Guitar Group. Contact:
Jonathan Priestley, 5 Cooks Yard, West End,
Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Tel: (01629) 825 129.
Worcester Classical Guitar Society: A per-
forming society of Junior and Senior orches-
tras and ensembles. We meet regularly dur-
ing term time. Contact: Andrew Filer. Tel.
0121 445 3345.
email: secretary@worcesterguitar.co.uk
www.worcesterguitar.co.uk
ARGENTINA
Musical Centre ‘Franz Liszt’. Directresses: Ana M.
Polinori and Mariana Vlaho, Montevideo 967 (1019),
Buenos Aires.
AUSTRALIA
Classical Guitar Society of South Australia.
Lincoln Brady, 19 Emerson Drive, Morphett-Vale,
Adelaide, SA 5162, Australia. Tel: (08) 832 51052.
The Classical Guitar Society Sydney. P.O. Box
829, Bondi Junction. N.S.W. 1355 Australia. Tel:
(02) 9453 3113.
BULGARIA
Classical Guitar Association (CGA). PO Box 879,
40900 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
BRAZIL
BRAVIO - Associacao Brasiliense de Violao -
QI 25 bl. L apt. 501 - Cond. Sgto Wolff -
Guara 2 - Brasilia - DF - 71060-250 Tel +55
(61) 3567 6589 / 9968 5528 -
www.bravio.blogspot.com - Square II, 50 East Coast Road, Singapore 428769.
bravio@gmail.com
Géris Lopes Consalter (Fernando Sor Guitar
Association). Rodovia BR 116 No. 12500, b. São
Ciro ‘brasdiesel’, CAXIAS DO SUL-RS 95055-180.
CANADA
The Halifax Guitar Society. 6199 Chebucto Road,
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3L 1KY (902) 423-
6995.
ecormier@hotmail.com
Vancouver Guitar Concert Association. 1807
Collingwood St, Vancouver, B.C., V6R 3KA.
COSTA RICA
Asociacion Guitarristica Costaricense. Apartado
373-1009, San José, Costa Rica. Tel: 21-44-53.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Classical Guitar Society. The Czech Music Society,
Vladislav Blaha, Renneska 25 639 00 Brno. Czech
Republic. Tel. – Fax: 00420 – 543 242 407.
DENMARK
The Danish Guitar Society. c/o Jeff Duckett,
Karlemosevej 7, 4.tv., 4600 Koege, Denmark.
Web: www.danskguitarselskab.dk
E-mail: post@danskguitarselskab.dk
EGYPT
Cairo Classical Guitar Society. President: Sherif S.
El-Salhy, 7 Abdel-Hamid Said St, Apt. 22, Maarouf,
Cairo 11111, Egypt. Tel: +202 5758097. Fax: +202
3414168 (BISC).
FINLAND
Helsinki Guitar Society. President: Jussi-Pekka
Rannanmäki. Vanha Sotilastie 3, 00850 Helsinki,
Finland.
GERMANY
Kultur u. Gitarre. Dietmar Kunzler, MittelstraBe
69a, 66126 Saarbrücken, Germany. Meetings held
first Sunday of each month at Bistro Stadthalle
Dillingen/Saar, 10.30 am.
HONG KONG
Hong Kong Guitar Information Alliance. G/F 14
Nanking Street, Yaumatei, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel:
(852) 2780 4864. Fax: (852) 2770 5520.
IRELAND
Cork Classical Guitar Circle. Established in 1960.
Meets last Wednesday of month at Cork Arts Society
Rooms. Sec and Treasurer: Laurence Egar, Herbert
Park, Cork. Tel: (021) 504832.
Dublin Classical Guitar Society meets last
Thursday of each month at Booterstown Parish
Centre, Booterstown Ave., Blackrock.
email: dublinguitarcircle@yahoo.co.uk
ISRAEL
The Guitar Society of Israel. The Rubin Museum,
Bialik St. 14. Tel-Aviv 65241, Israel.
ITALY
Florence Guitar Association. Via del Bargellino 15,
50014 Fiesole, Firenze, Italy. Phone 055/597012.
JAPAN
International Guitar Orchestra Association. 143-14
Fujisawa, Fujisawa-shi Kanagawa-ken, 251-0052
Japan. Tel: +81-466-23-8338. Fax: +81-466-23-9337.
Japan Federation of Guitarists is the only official
corporation authorized by the Ministry of Education
in Japan since 1966, for the aim of contribution to
the culture by the study and spread of guitar music.
Akira Ugajin, Secretary General, Japan Federation
of Guitarists. Wada Bldg. 5F 6-14-4 Shimbashi,
Minano-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Tel. 81-3-3438-1819 Fax.
81-3-3438-1899.
e-mailto:jfg@guitarists.or.jp
website: www.guitarists.or.jp
MALAYSIA
Alor Setar Classical Guitar Club. Chairman: Chan
Kok Peng, 29 Taman Sultan Abdul Halim 05300 Alor
Setar, Kedah, Maylasia.
Kota Kinabalu Guitar Society. Sec: Lawrence
Chong. HSE. No. D47, Lorong Raja Udang 2A,
Taman Kingfisher, 88400, Kota Kingbalu, Saba,
Malaysia.
PERU
Centro de la Guitarra / Intermusica, Jr. Carabaya
421, Lima 01, Peru, telfs. 461-4670, 933-1599, Fax
336-6442,
Email:intermusica@rocketmail.com
POLAND
‘Gitariada’, ul Gdynska 5/g/16, 80-340 Gdansk,
Poland. Tel: (058) 57-80-83.
Wroclaw Guitar Society, BOX 1063, 50-131
Wroclaw, Poland
e-mail: wtg@op.pl
www.gitara.wroclaw.pl
SERBIA (SR Yugoslavia)
Yugoslav Association of Classical Guitarists
(Guitar Art Festival) Bosko Radojkovic, director;
address: Bul.Kralja Aleksandra 530, 11000
Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro; tel: +381 64
1407583, fax: +381 11 2623853.
e-maill: guitart@yubc.net <mailto:guitart@yubc.net
www.gaf.co.yu <http://www.gaf.co.yu
Yugoslav Guitar Society. Uros Dojcinovic,
Foundation Solunska 12, 11000 Beograd. Tel/Fax
(011) 180-587.
SINGAPORE
Tomas Music Consultants Pte Ltd. 01-97 Roxy
Tel (65) 6344 3671 Tel (65) 6344 3615.
e-mail: enquiries@tomas-music.com
website: www.tomas-music.com
SWEDEN
The Swedish Guitar and Lute Society. Established
in 1968. Sec: Erik Möllerström, Postbox 24038, S-
104 50, Stockholm, Sweden. Tel: +46 8 660 13 74
and +46 8 1059 82. Summer courses each year at
Ingesund, Arvika end July. Four reviews published
annually (Gitarr och Luta).
TURKEY
Izmir Guitar Club. Kibris Sehitleri CAD. No. 138/1,
D.301 Alsancak, Izmir. Tel: (90 232) 464 5287.
USA
Austin Classical Guitar Society. PO Box 49704,
Austin, TX 78765, USA.
The Columbus Guitar Society. 120 E. Northwood
Ave, Columbus, OH 43201, USA.
The Connecticut Classical Guitar Society. P.O.
Box 1528, Hartford, CT. 06144-1528.
Classical Guitar Society of Western Carolinas.
Roger A. Cope, President, 300 North Main St,
Hendersonville, NC 28792-4900, USA. Tel: 704 693
7666. Fax: 704 692 2630.
Denver Classical Guitar Society. Patrick M. ‘Rick’
Keller, Director. 1601 Ivanhoe, Denver, Co. 80220.
303-321-5690.
Guitar Houston. 4149 Bellaire Blvd., 229 Houston,
TX 77025 USA (713) 665-2712
www.neosoft.com/~guitar/index.htm
Long Island Classical Guitar Society LICGS c/o
Dennis Rief, 182 Parkside Ave, Miller Place, NY
11764, Phone: 631-821-5270
licgs@licgs.us <mailto:licgs@licgs.us>
www.licgs.us <http://www.licgs.us/>
Miami Classical Guitar Society. PO Box 0725,
Miami, Florida 33265-0725 (305) 386-3103. Carlos
Molina, President.
The Milwaukee Classical Guitar Society, Ltd.
1522 East Kane Place, Milwaukee, Wiscousin 53202
(414) 765 9398.
New Jersey Classical Guitar Society. President:
George Schindler, 267 South Street, N. Providence
N. J., 07974.
New York City Classical Guitar Society, John
Olson, President, P. O. Box 1691, New York, NY
10101.
www.nyccgs.com
president@nyccgs.com
Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society, 2038
Sansom St. Philadelphia, PA 19103 215.567.2972
http://www.PhillyGuitar.org.
The Utah Classical Guitar Society. Roy Johnson,
Director, 1121 E. 200 So. Salt Lake City, Utah
84102, USA. Tel: 801-364-7431.
Washington Guitar Society. C/o President: John
Rodgers, 4500 Connecticut Ave., NW a605
Washington, DC 20008 USA.
WEST INDIES
Classical Guitar Society of Trinidad and Tobago.
PO Box 1312. Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Sec: Stephen Cockburn.
Classical Guitar Magazine