Few musicians will
ever have the privilege to record an
entire programme of music written by
their father. Independent of paternal
fealty, the general standard of the
music presented on this new release
by Greek guitarist Eva Fampas more than
justifies her undertaking.
Recorded programmes
dedicated entirely to one modern composer
for the guitar often encounter difficulties
with " too much of more of the
same". The eclectic nature of these
original compositions by Dimitri Fampas
ranges from Greek dances, melodic concert
studies for guitar to a suite in the
"Old Style" which has a baroque
flavour.
Fampas (1921-1996)
was Greece’s most celebrated classical
guitarist. He studied guitar initially
with Nicholas Ioannou; also theory of
music with Th. Vavayiannis and counterpoint
with K. Kydoniatis at the Athens Conservatory.
In 1955-56 he received a scholarship
to study guitar with Andrès Segovia
and musicology with Emilio Pujol at
the Academia Chigianna in Sienna, Italy.
In 1959 he studied once more with Segovia
at the Academy of Santiago, Spain. Fampas’s
performing career spanned almost four
decades during which he gave hundreds
of recitals worldwide. He taught at
the National Conservatory of Athens
where he created a world famous guitar
school.
Simultaneous with performing
and teaching Fampas composed over 200
solos, concert studies, melodies and
dances enriching the guitar repertory
with the very essence of Greek music.
Any guitarist who commenced
their study of the instrument playing
a transcription of "Lime Light"
by Charlie Chaplin gets a strong vote
from this writer. In this instance the
guitarist was Eva Fampas and the transcription
by her father Dimitri. Ms. Fampas is
no stranger to classical guitar circles,
with a career as a performing concert
artist spanning almost two decades.
She has studied with eminent professors
such as composer Dimitri Dragatakis
and composer-maestros Theodore Antoniou
and Leo Brouwer.
Included in the numerous
awards and distinctions to her credit
is first prize in the 16th
International Guitar competition of
the Guitar Academy of Milan. Eva teaches
classical guitar at the National Conservatory
of Athens and at various institutions
worldwide.
On the review disc
the programme’s predominant flavour
is that of Greek folk music with its
intriguing rhythms; however in some
compositions the sounds of Spain lingers
like perfume from a Granada flower garden
on a summer’s eve. The Concert Study
No.8 (Tr. 4) is structurally traditional
but nonetheless very enjoyable listening
and with obvious didactic virtues. "Suite
in an Old Style" provides a strong
balance to the programme. This composition
comprises six short movements and the
quality is such that it could be a pastiche
attributable to almost any eminent baroque
composer for lute/vihuela
Eva Fampas is very
much ‘at home’ with music of her motherland;
this empathy is further enhanced by
all original compositions from the pen
of her father.
The key strength of
this recording is its programme: relatively
unknown works, well written and well
played. If there is an Achilles’ heel
in the playing it is in the execution
of tremolo in Concert Study No. 23 (Tr.
12). This is a very challenging technique
to execute well and smoothly but numerous
guitarists manage it to perfection in
their recordings e.g. Norbert Kraft,
Naxos 8.553007 - Memories of the Alhambra.
Unfortunately this
is not one CD that can be "judged
by its cover". The overall presentation
is a little dated and belies the quality
of the contents.
In summary this recording
brings to mind an observation once made
of the great French pianist Alfred Cortot:
not always technically perfect but always
musically excellent.
Zane Turner
Eva Fampas, guitar. 
