The Pacific Guitar Ensemble was formed in 2010 by the chairman of the
guitar faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory, David Tanenbaum together
with Peppino D'Agostino. It comprises eight members, including the two
founders. I do not remember hearing a guitar ensemble of this size before.
These are not just classical guitars playing together but a variety of sorts
including steel string, electric, baroque, oud, bass, theorbo and, in one
piece, a sazouki - a recently created hybrid of saz and bouzouki. This helps
to overcome the possible timbre limitation of the ensemble, making the sound
diverse and engaging.
The opening piece, multi-cultural in its character and cinematic in its
development, is called
Wednesdays at Sugar. According to the
liner-note, the idea was born in a bar (called
Sugar) where the SF
Conservatory folks talk and argue and then decide where to go to dinner,
each time choosing a different national kitchen. The music is caught
somewhere between Chick Corea and Paco de Lucia, urgent and witty, with
strong motifs and skilful instrumentation. Colourful episodes of different
character alternate - some of them openly oriental, some rumba-style, others
song-like. This is an attractive and memorable piece, overflowing with
energy.
Sor’s
Gran Solo here ceases to be a solo. The ingenious
and rich arrangement adds depth and colour, yet it sounds natural, as if Sor
originally wrote the music with such an ensemble in mind. A stately
introduction leads into a lively fandango-style main body. The music is very
Spanish and is heard here with excellent drive. Even the densest parts sound
very clean and have a wonderful swing.
Terry Riley’s
Y Bolanzero comes from
The Book of
Abbeyozzud, a set of pieces for various guitar combinations, which are,
according to the composer, “indebted to the great Spanish music
traditions and to those traditions upon which Spanish music owes its
heritage”. The music is populated across a vast expanse with small
elements, rhythmic, melodic and harmonic, each one of them Spanish through
and through. This is not “postcard” music - after all, Riley is
one of the fathers of the musical Minimalism - but Iberian blood certainly
courses through its veins are arteries. This is music of dark shadows and
flickering flames, of daggers hidden in folds of cloaks. There are
minimalistic traits, but far removed from “elementary”
minimalism. The development is freely variational over several short motifs.
The
Sixth Brandenburg Concerto is a good candidate for a transcription
for guitars, as its original soloists are two violas, whose pitch range
is similar to the guitar. The first movement is sea-like. Its main element
is the harmony, not the melody, and, being placed immediately after
Riley, it sounds surprisingly proto-minimalist. The performance flies
forward with good momentum - light and dancing. The second movement
is a slow, sweet aria. In the original version the violas sing their
way through these long, long notes, and the music sounds very different
on plucking instruments. The texture is well filled, so even though
we hear a sort of musical counterpart to a classical painting which
was redrawn in pointillism, this effect is not disturbing, and is even
stimulating. The finale is a happy bouncy dance, combining the gallant
with the simple. The characteristic Bachian swing is well conveyed by
the performers. The faster rhythm with shorter notes and chorded accompaniment
fit the guitars perfectly. This is enthusiastic and bright music-making.
Begin was written by Belinda Reynolds in memory of her friend
composer Jorge Liderman. According to Reynolds, in this work she ousted the
“polished shine” which she says is more characteristic of her
manner, in favour of Liderman’s more “rugged” style. The
work’s title reflects the structure of the music, where each section,
although harmonically related to the rest, sounds like a new beginning. I
hear desolation, loss and loneliness. The music is based first and foremost
on harmony, with a nervous rhythmic pulse. Like many good minimalistic works
it captivates, if you allow yourself to be submerged.
The disc concludes with a short work entitled
Jump Rope.
According to its composer Peppino d’Agostino, it “features a
persistent off beat that sounds like the high point of a jump rope”.
This is an evocative and effective piece. The music has certain dark
insistency and is not by any means unremittingly cheerful. That said, the
feeling of freedom and the delight of the flight make for really thrilling
listening.
Overall, this album is an interesting mix of old and new. It holds together
rather well. The arrangements are clever and resourceful, and the performances
are inspired. The only possible caveat arises if you have never heard
a guitar ensemble before. You should be prepared for a more acidic sound
than an unprepared listener would expect; better to listen to online
samples before buying. If you enjoy that slightly metallic taste, the
album can be recommended without reservation. If the acoustics were
deeper there would be a more alluring ambience to the halo-rich guitar
sound, but the recording is good enough as it is - both clear and spacious.
The liner-notes by David Tanenbaum give a short introduction to the
ensemble and recount the history of each work.
Oleg Ledeniov
