MusicWeb International One of the most grown-up review sites around 2023
Approaching 60,000 reviews
and more.. and still writing ...

Search MusicWeb Here Acte Prealable Polish CDs
 

Presto Music CD retailer
 
Founder: Len Mullenger                                    Editor in Chief:John Quinn             


CD REVIEW

Some items
to consider

new MWI
Current reviews

old MWI
pre-2023 reviews

paid for
advertisements

Acte Prealable Polish recordings

Forgotten Recordings
Forgotten Recordings
All Forgotten Records Reviews

TROUBADISC
Troubadisc Weinberg- TROCD01450

All Troubadisc reviews


FOGHORN Classics

Alexandra-Quartet
Brahms String Quartets

All Foghorn Reviews


All HDTT reviews


Songs to Harp from
the Old and New World


all Nimbus reviews



all tudor reviews


Follow us on Twitter


Editorial Board
MusicWeb International
Founding Editor
   
Rob Barnett
Editor in Chief
John Quinn
Contributing Editor
Ralph Moore
Webmaster
   David Barker
Postmaster
Jonathan Woolf
MusicWeb Founder
   Len Mullenger


AVAILABILITY Artist' s website

In Tempo
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) BWV 998 Präludium [3:00]; Fuge [5:39]; Allegro [3:50]
Sylvius Leopold WEISS (1686-1750) Passagaille from Suite XIII [6:28].
Fernando SOR (1778-1839) Gran Solo Op.14 [8:40]; Sonata seconda Op.15b [8:16].
Joakim ZELMERLOOW: from Six Bagatelles Op.1, Barcarola [2:02], Allegro con Spirito [1:21], Cavatina [1:51]; El Angel Caido Op. 3 [6:30]; Capricci Dinamarca, Op.7, Allegro Assai [2:10]; Allegretto [1:33]; Lento a poco largo [2:19]; Andante Ritmico [3:07]; Vivace [2:07]; Toccata [1:40]; A Mia Sorella Op. 5 [4:03]; Chroma Op.10 [3:07]; Allegro al Dente Op.9 [2:03]
Joakim Zelmerlööw (guitar)
rec. June-October 2006.
JZ 001 [70:48]



In an industry where classical music is a small part of the total market and not a dominant profit generator, new and unknown classical musicians face significant challenges irrespective of capability. Prize-winners of major international music competitions are, understandably, often the first to be offered recording opportunities.
 
The review disc is rather remarkable and approaches the challenge from a different perspective: Guitarist Joakim Zelmerlööw, a recording engineer, produced and recorded it. He also wrote the music for thirteen of the nineteen tracks. The three pieces from his Six Bagatelles Op. 13 (7, 8, 9) are particularly enjoyable.
 
A recent experience influenced my initial impressions of the guitar playing on the review disc. Having shared with a friend a particularly fine rendition of Tárrega’s Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Norbert Kraft (Naxos 8.553007) his response was very interesting. Aside from immediate affinity with the music, there was an admiration for the marvellous co-ordination of the two guitarists.
 
To exploit the polyphonic capabilities of the guitar a number of elements in combination is desirable. Judicious use of appropriate right-hand finger strokes is essential to effect emphasis and observe phrasing. Also the instrument should possess good balance between treble and bass strings to preserve the integrity of voicings.
 
On the review disc those voicings that should desirably receive emphasis are sometimes lost in the general milieu of sound. Any one of the aforementioned variables or combinations may contribute to this.
 
While Zelmerlööw displays sound technical skills often the music does not sing. The fine Spanish guitarist Manuel Babiloni got to the core of this issue when he said: ‘A tireless investigator of instrumental technique, Tárrega achieves his ultimate aspiration through his work: to give the guitar a human voice’ Babiloni, an outstanding exponent of Tárrega, knows how to make all the music he plays on the guitar sing.
 
A quick comparison with the playing of Julian Bream in the same Baroque items or the Sor from the review programme amply illustrates how Bream brings cantilena to these pieces. Many guitarists from the younger generations emulate this same desirable capability; David Martinez’s rendition of Bach’s Prelude from BWV 998, (Naxos 8.557308) achieves this well.
 
Per-Olof Hedlund, of the Music Conservatory of Falun, Sweden, noted of Joakim Zelmerlööw…… ‘a remarkable lightness in his playing’. Tendered as an accolade, on the review disc it is this characteristic that detracts from rather than embellishes the music.
 
This is a unique recording with admirable qualities. The original compositions are well worth auditioning. However my preference will always be for guitarists who more conspicuously display the polyphonic attributes of the instrument and make the music ‘sing’.
 
Zane Turner
 



 


Advertising on
Musicweb


Donate and keep us afloat

 

New Releases

Naxos Classical
All Naxos reviews

Hyperion recordings
All Hyperion reviews

Foghorn recordings
All Foghorn reviews

Troubadisc recordings
All Troubadisc reviews



all Bridge reviews


all cpo reviews

Divine Art recordings
Click to see New Releases
Get 10% off using code musicweb10
All Divine Art reviews


All Eloquence reviews

Lyrita recordings
All Lyrita Reviews

 

Wyastone New Releases
Obtain 10% discount

Subscribe to our free weekly review listing

 

 

Return to Review Index

Untitled Document


Reviews from previous months
Join the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the discs reviewed. details
We welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to which you refer.