LA Guitar Quartet
Program
Overture to "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" G. Rossini (arr. J. Dearman)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 J.S. Bach (arr. J. F. Smith)
Allegro
Andante ma non troppo
Allegro
El Amor Brujo Manuel de Falla (arr. W. Kanengiser)
Introduccion y escena
En la cueva – La noche
Cancion del amor dolido
El aparecido – Danza del terror
El circulo magico
A media noche
Danza ritual del fuego (arr. I. Krouse)
Escena
Cancion del fuego fatuo (arr. S. Tenant)
Pantomima
Danza del juego del amor
Las campanas del amanecer
- INTERMISSION -
“Imagens do Brazil”
O Morro nao tem Vez Antonio Carlos Jobim (arr. M. Alves)
Samba Novo &n bsp; Baden Powell (arr. M.Tardelli)
De Sabado Pra Dominguinhos Hermeto Pascoal (arr. W. Kanengiser)
A Lenda do Caboclo Heitor Villa-Lobos (ar. S. Assad)
A Furiosa ; Paulo Bellinati
Celtic Fare &n bsp; Scott Tennant/Simon Jeffes
Daya’s Spin/Music for a Found Harmonium/The Cat-Cow Reel
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 Franz Liszt (arr W. Kanengiser/J. Minei)
First off, I am not a classical guitar aficionado. Other than the instructor, from whom I took 1 semester of studio guitar (classical), I could not name a classical guitar player. That was until last night. The quartet took the stage in the cathedraled sanctuary of a local church. They walked out, with guitars in hand, sat down immediately and began playing The Barber of Seville. I was amazed at the rich sound emanating from their guitars. The cathedral ceiling amplified their guitars and allowed us in the back rows to hear clearly.
Each member of the quartet share melodic responsibilities in the pieces. It was amazing to hear and watch each member play the main melody and literally hand it off to the next player while flawlessly overlapping the notes. The quartet's skill was immediately apparent. It is not hard to believe that they have been playing together for 20 years. Even though they have a new member, Matthew Greif, you would be hard pressed to tell he was not an original member.
Having never been to a classical guitar "concert", I was half expecting a stuffy performance. The guys were anything but stuffy. They were genuinely having fun. They would move their heads, and sometimes their entire bodies while playing, obviously getting into the music. It was very revealing to watch the players use quick looks and head nods to keep precise timings. And let me tell you, the timing was precise. The only thing I've ever seen that comes close to the impeccable timing of this quartet are seasoned, very seasoned, bluegrass players.
Only one of the players seemed to have a "role". That was John Dearman. He played a 7 string guitar and because of this he seemed to be responsible for most of the melodic rhythms. Between sets one of the quartet would describe the upcoming set and tell about the composer and arrangement. They each share responsibilities.
By far the highlight of the evening was "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2". Yes, it was the last song of the night, but it would not have mattered if it were played first, a standing ovation was imminent. The overlaying melodies and John Dearman's 7 string actually made 4 guitars sound as if they were a piano. A piano being played by a single person.
All in all, I would have to say it was the best $70 I have spent in a while. Why $70? Because I could not leave without at least 1 CD! My wife and I enjoyed every minute, and we will definitely see the quartet when they return.
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