During the 1970s two musicians established
a performing alliance that, on a purely
theoretical basis, some may have anticipated
would be less than ideal.
With concerted effort
it would be difficult to identify
two guitarists who are more disparate
in their approach to the guitar than
Julian Bream and John Williams. Despite
this, in a genre that requires seamless
affinity and a true "oneness",
the duo guitar recordings that they
made were surprisingly good. The anticipated
criticism was forthcoming but this
writer has always respected and enjoyed
the fruits of that relationship.
Martha Masters and
Risa Carlson are from similar musical
backgrounds and both studied under
Manuel Barrueco at the Peabody Conservatory
of Music in Baltimore. In their approach
to playing the guitar each reflects
that common training. Duo Erato was
formed during their time at the Peabody.
Comparing this new
release with the duo recordings of
Breams/Williams one may come to at
least one conclusion: based purely
on solo performance and theoretical
compatibility/incompatibility considerations,
any prediction regarding the quality
of what may be produced as a duo is
highly fallible - in essence Bream
and Williams did it much better than
Masters and Carlson.
The strength of this
new disc is the programme.
While musically the
disc gets off to rather a shaky start
with Toccata pour deux Guitares by
Pierre Petit, the Prelude, Fugue and
Variation Opus 18 by César
Franck that follows has serious merit.
From personal experience
English guitarist Carlos Bonell, born
of Spanish parents, has expressed
acute awareness of the challenge in
playing music for which the musician
has no cultural connection. He is
able quickly to discern if a guitarist
playing Spanish music understands
nuances of that music.
On the review disc,
renditions of music by Isaac Albéniz
(7), (8), do not convey the "Spanish
spirit" or nuances one has come
to expect from Alicia de Larrocha,
Andrès Segovia or indeed Englishman
Julian Bream. The music from Op. 34
by Sor fares better.
The compositions
by Ernesto Cordero and Bernardo Pasquini
are less frequently recorded and therefore
welcome.
Programme-wise this
is an enjoyable recording but the
duo guitar playing does not compare
with the best available.
Zane Turner