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SCENES FROM CHILDHOOD
Claude DEBUSSY Children's Corner Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum Jimbo's Lullaby Serenade of the Doll The Snow is Dancing The Little Shepherd Golliwog's Cake-walk Robert Alexander SCHUMANN Scenes from Childhood (Kinderszenen), Op.15 Of Foreign Lands and People A Strange Story Catch-as-catch-can Pleading Child Happy Enough An Important Event Dreaming (Traumerei) By the Fire-side Knight of the Hobby-Horse Almost too Serious Frightening Child Falling Asleep The Poet Speaks Georges BIZET Children's Games (Suite from Jeux d'enfants), Op.22 The Top (Impromptu) The Doll (Berceuse) The Shuttlecock (Fantaisie) Soap Bubbles (Rondino) Puss in the Corner (Esquisse) Blindman's Bluff (Nocturne) Leaping Frog (Caprice) Little Husband, Little Wife (Duo) The Ball (Galop) Maurice RAVEL Mother Goose Pavane for the Sleeping Beauty Tom Thumb Laideronnette, Empress of the China Dolls Conversations of the Beauty and the Beast The Fairy Garden  The Pro Arte
Guitar Trio ASV CD WHL2129
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This is an inspired, charming collection and I am surprised that it has not (to my knowledge) been done before. The sets of piece are dedicated to children or, to be more accurate, childhood. Though acquainted with the Debussy and Ravel pieces, the "Children's Games" (Suite from Jeux d'enfants), Op.22 by Bizet and Schumann's "Scenes from Childhood"(Kinderszenen), Op.15 was a new, and I must say, most pleasant experience for me.
On this disc the works have been transcribed from the original piano scores to accommodate the medium of guitar trio. The arrangements are realised by two members of the Pro Arte Trio, Peter Rueffer and Richard Hand, the third member of the trio being Tom Dupré. A sense of innocence is maintained by a certain lightness of touch employed by the players. This is aided by the use of an eight-stringed instrument with added basses in conjunction with the standard guitar, but more especially a requinto guitar, an instrument tuned a third higher than the traditional guitar. This provides a somewhat translucent feel. This extended tessitura benefits the music to good effect.
For the most part, each piece is not long in duration (the longest is three minutes forty one seconds). The Trio succeed in bringing out the contrasting moods, which are constantly shifting. Technically the Trio are a tight knit unit capable of some delightfully delicate and sympathetic interplay.
This is charming disc of attractive music which doesn't ask anything of the listener other than to enjoy it.
Andy Daly