I came across a wonderful project that Spanish virtuosa Andrea González Caballero has been immersed in recently. Proyecto Identidade is a project centered around women from diverse artistic and cultural backgrounds, united to create new works. Proyecto Identidade was founded by Andrea, flutist Amalia Tortajada, and Celia Ruiz Artacho as the producer. The project is premiering four new projects by internationally acclaimed composers, like Clarice Assad, Elisenda Fábregas, Johanny Navarro, among a total of eleven women. And, this week, Andrea and flutist, Amalia Tortajada Zanón, premiered a piece by Clarice Assad titled Triptych.
Besides the playing which is always world class when Andrea is involved, Clarice Assad’s new piece is a wonderful and serious contribution to the flute and guitar repertoire. Triptych is composed in three movements, I. Spirals, II. A Quiet Place, III. Rio, 1991. Flanked by a talented team of videographers, a stellar producer, and designers, the project so far has produced real and important new music for the world.
The most important movements to confident right hand technique include alternation between pairs and groups of fingers and how these fingers move across strings. To that end, as part of your daily warm-up, try the next several exercises using various speeds and the most common right hand fingerings: im, mi, am, ma in both rest stroke and free stroke. If you have extra time, add in the following fingerings in free stroke: ia, ai, ami, pi, pm, pa.
Here are several key practice points:
Strive to play with a sense of pulse, resisting the urge to play every note with the same intensity.
Focus on the quality of sound and whether it is consistent from finger to finger.
When not using thumb (p), rest it lightly on the lower string adjacent to the string that is played. Experiment with resting it two or three strings away and sense the subtlety of how it influences the alternating fingers.
Stay close to the strings.
Use a metronome. Record your progress in terms of tempo.
Here is a list of the tracks. If you’re not familiar with these arrangements, they are beautiful, rich, and showcase Alirio’s magical creativity. Each one is a small masterpiece.
Another masterful performance by guitar virtuoso Sanel Redzic of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Lute Suite Nº1 in E Minor, BWV996. From the exquisite touch to the elegantly executed ornaments, Sanel’s interpretation reflects a deep understanding and connection to what Bach penned centuries ago. There is magic in how the music propels itself forward despite the grand space of calm Sanel seems to exist in when he plays.
This haunting milonga is one of my favorite pieces by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla (1921-1982). Though there are plenty of arrangements of this for guitar (and two guitars and other instrumental combinations), I stumbled upon Ryuhi Kunimatsu’s arrangement very recently and loved how he captured the essence of the song so well.
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Though the always amazing Grisha Goryachev primarily plays flamenco guitar, the videos he posts are so beneficial for classical guitarists, too, that they deserve a spotlight on them. I’ve always thought flamenco players in general had more power in their right hands due to the extensive extensor muscle development as a result of contant rasgueados. So after trying these two guitarless warmups that Grisha posted and judging by how tired my extensor muscles felt, I think they will at least help balance out the musculature of my hands and forearms. The other benefit of trying these warmups is to experience the natural movements required of the hand and fingers and the foundation they provide for the fine motor skills of playing. Try them and let me know what you think!
And, if you have not heard Grisha, check out the videos below. : )
Two different players take two different approaches to one challenging etude in one post! Both videos were wonderfully recorded by Siccas Guitars.
Though this video of Tal Hurwitz is from 2013, it displays such a keen sense of musical and physical balance that I thought I would repost it to inspire Six String Journal readers.
Isaac Albéniz’s Leyenda (aka Asturias) is overplayed. Which is exactly why I’m posting Goran Krivokapic‘s wonderfully produced video of it. It stands high above most renditions. Goran’s playing has always interested me. He is always musical and supremely virtuosic. What draws me into this recording is the consistency of his articulation throughout the whole first third of the piece and the recap. I also love how he uses octaves in the slower, more introspective section. The choice imbues the melodic lines with elegance. The whole arrangement is a breath of fresh air, or perhaps, a gust of wind from southern Spain. The intensity and the clarity in Goran’s playing is a nice contrast to how calm he looks. Music is just being channeled perfectly here and fortunately for us, it was captured on video.
Carlo Domeniconi – Selected Works VIII Featuring Kanahi Yamashita was released in April of 2021 as the eighth volume of composer Carlo Domeniconi’s music. The CD features the young guitar prodigy Kanahi Yamashita playing four works by Domeniconi – Toccata in Blue, Pealrs of the Orient, Haiku, and Sonata V. Both of the later titles were written for Kanahi.
Carlo Domeniconi’s music through the hands of Kanahi Yamashita is a revelation. Like a magician casting a spell, Kanahi’s interpretations flow effortlessly as if simply conjured through her guitar. The selection of repertoire offers the listener a bit of a snapshot of Carlo Domeniconi’s development as a composer as the compositions span more than 20 years. The sophistication of Domeniconi’s harmonic language and his cultural influences seem to get woven into his musical ideas in a more seamless way as one moves into the later works. As with more familiar compositions from Domeniconi like Koyumbaba and his Anatolian Variations, much of the beauty and magic of his music exists djinnlike between times and cultures.
Kanahi Yamashita, photo: Hiromi Hoshiko
The Toccata in Blue was a familar and groovy tune that I’ve enjoyed listening to in concerts over the years. For its light heartedness, it displays Carlo Domeniconi’s ease with music genres as he blends in his unique voice on the guitar with the blues. The other three compositions were new to me. Pearls of the Orient is comprised of twelve movements or perhaps sound pictures with fanciful titles like The sultan, White Pearls, The Genie, and the Astrologer. Kanahi, with her endless palette of colors, conjures these pictures with both flair and virtuosity. Haiku, dedicated to Kanahi, evokes Japan through the use of pentatonic forms, allusions to folk music, and perhaps even sounds reminiscent in their resonance of Japanese traditional instruments like the koto.
Of all the pieces the one that I enjoyed the most was the Sonata V, also written for Kanahi. In four movements, the piece goes from Mosso to Adagio to Scherzo and finally into an Andante animato – Ritmico. Perhaps the most sophisticated display of Kanahi’s superior musical sensibility and Domeniconi’s composition skill manifest itself in this performance. Though abstract, modal musical motifs recur in Domeniconi’s Sonata as a rich blend of styles and genres. The Sonata evokes multi-cultural layers that are both complex, harmonious, and rhythmic. The techniques demanded of the performer, which are numerous and creative, are an easy match for Kanahi’s wonderful fluency on the guitar. And, as with the rest of the compositions in this recording, Kanahi navigates the Sonata with the elegance and fluidity of a master.
This CD is wonderful. You can order by contacting Kanahi Yamashita directly through her website.
