Adelaide International Guitar Festival
Gala - Australian String Quartet with Pepe Romero, Maximo Pujol Trio, and Slava
Grigoryan plus special guests: The Aurora Guitar Ensemble
Festival
Theatre, Sat Jul 19
This was a case of the support act nearly stealing the show.
The curtain opened on the glorious sight of 26 guitarists in brightly coloured
shirts seated and ready to play. Their composer and musical director, Paul
Svoboda, raised his arms for quiet, waited a few appropriate seconds, then
launched the Aurora Ensemble. What a beautiful sound. Svoboda himself is
mesmerising as he choreographs his players with precision and grace. If I
closed my eyes I could hear an orchestral string section. At times I heard wind
instruments, and a piano. But I'd open my eyes again and there were just
guitars. Beautifully played guitars and superb arrangements. Quite simply some
of the most uplifting music I've heard in years.
Enter the Australian String Quartet (ASQ) and Slava
Grigoryan to play a piece by Australian composer Shaun Rigney. Modern and
experimental, it took some getting used to. It seems a difficult piece to play,
and I imagine it might be one of those pieces that is more fun to play than to
listen to. ASQ were not so much playing together on this disjointed and
occasionally discordant piece as keeping out of each other's way. As violin one
swapped parts with violin two who handed over to cello who had its lines
completed by viola it bounced around quite frenetically at times, and in the
quieter moments or gaps there was the guitar holding it all together.
Fascinating to watch and enjoyable to listen to, but more music for the head
than the heart perhaps.
Spain's classical guitar superstar, Pepe Romero, joined ASQ next
and treated us to Luigi Boccherini's 'Fandango' from the late 18th century. In
contrast this was a much brighter and more harmonic interlude with the guitar
parts more integrated into the composition. There were also fine moments that
showcased the difference between bowed strings (violin, cello) and plucked
(guitar), and how deliciously complementary they are.
The Maximo Pujol Trio from Argentina were the final featured
act and delivered sensuous moments of tango. The interplay here between Pujol
on guitar and Eleonora Ferreyra on bandoneon, a type of concertina, was a joy
to behold and listen to. It was just like the instruments were talking to each
other. It also felt European, but it was actually music from the 'Paris of the
south' - Buenos Aires.
A wonderful evening's entertainment.
(also published on The Clothesline)
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