Matthew Rosenthal Musc 1300 Professor Jensen-Moulton Weill Recital Hall Concert: Octo er!

2013

11/24/13

On Octo er 1"! 2013! # $isite% Weill Recital Hall at Carne&ie Hall to watch an incre%i le classical &uitar 'erfor(ance) *he two artists were: Junhon& +uan&! the sensational 12-,ear-ol% &uitar 'ro%i&, fro( China! an% Celil Refi- +a,a! (, frien%! collea&ue! an% for(er (entor! whose uncann, (aster, of the instru(ent has le% hi( %own a 'ro%i&ious career as a 'erfor(er) Junhon&! (ar-in& his .ew /or- Cit, %e ut! 'la,e% (usic , 0ach! Johann +as'ar Mert1! 2u&stin 0arrios! 3nri4ue 5rana%os! an% #saac 2l eni1) Celil 'la,e% 'ieces , Mauro 5iuliani! Jor&e Morel! #saac 2l eni1! .iccolo Pa&anini! an% cele rate% *ur-ish co('oser! Cinucen *anri-orur) *he (usical st,les feature% were 0aro4ue! Ro(antic! Mo%ern! an% Conte('orar,! all of which contri ute% to the incre%i l, %i$erse recital) *he Ciaccona! transcri e% fro( the Violin Partita in D minor, BWV 1004! was the onl, 0aro4ue-st,le 'iece 'la,e%) Co('ose% , Johann 6e astian 0ach! the 'iece feature% a''ro7i(atel, thirteen (inutes of 'ol,'honic &enius) 8i-e (ost 0aro4ue (usic of the ei&hteenth centur,! the Ciaccona is e7tre(el, %ifficult to 'la, on &uitar) #t e('hasi1es continuous! forwar% (otion! fast runs! an% %ifficult! often co('le7 chor% $oicin&s) *he Classical (usic in this concert feature% strict attention to for( an% (elo%,! as well as clean lines an% neat contra'untal writin&) 9nli-e the 0aro4ue (usic! the Classical (usic was li&ht an% less outwar%l, co('licate%) Most of the Classical (usic in this recital was co('ose% in the late ei&hteenth centur,) *he Ro(antic (usic! with co('osers li-e 5rana%os! Mert1! an% 2l eni1! was co('ose% (ostl, in the (i%-

nineteenth centur,) *his (usic is -nown for its : rea-; fro( strict Classical for( an% clean lines) *he chor%s an% 'ro&ressions are har(onicall, co('le7) *he (elo%ies are rich an% lon&! with less clear ca%ences< chro(atic lines were also use%) *he Mo%ern an% Conte('orar, (usic in this &uitar recital was re(iniscent of the Ro(antic (usic< the chor% $oicin&s an% rh,th(s were co('le7! an% the (elo%ies were lon& an% e$en so(eti(es $er, %issonant) *he (usic 'la,e% fro( the Mo%ern an% Conte('orar, 'erio%s was co('ose% in the twentieth an% twent,-first centuries! an% inclu%e% 'ieces co('ose% , Morel! 0arrios! an% *anri-orur) One of the wor-s that reall, stoo% out to (e in this recital was #saac 2l eni1=s Sevilla, fro( Suite Espaola, O') 4". *he 'iece was co('ose% aroun% 1>>?! an% has (an, the characteristics of Ro(antic (usic! infuse% with 6'anish fol- an% 'o'ular son& ele(ents) Sevilla was ori&inall, co('ose% on 'iano! so when it was first transcri e% , &uitar $irtuoso @rancisco *arre&a A1>?2-1B0BC! $arious co('le7 chor% $oicin&s ha% to e rearran&e%! an% other e%its ha% to e (a%e for the 'iece to e 'la,a le) *he for( of the 'iece is si('le on the surface! 2-0-2-C-D-2-Co%a! ut is e7tre(el, co('licate% when listenin& to all the s(aller su sections within the 'iece) *his for(! or rather! lac- of a strict for(! is $er, characteristic of the Ro(antic st,le of (usic) *he :C; an% :D; sections are co('letel, unrelate% to the 2 an% 0 sections! an% are al(ost li-e (iniature :ru ato ca%en1as); *he (elo%ies are eautiful an% $er, reco&ni1a le! ut at the sa(e ti(e! are e7tre(el, intricate) *he har(onies are (ostl, %iatonic! ut often stra, into chro(atic an% %issonant real(s! which contri utes to the 'iece=s :6'anish; flair) *he 'itch ran&e an% %,na(ic ran&e are wi%e! which also confor( to Ro(antic (usical i%eals) *he te7ture is (ostl, ho(o'honic! with so(e short (ono'honic sections) Junhon& +uan& &a$e an e7cellent 'erfor(ance of this 'iece!

%e(onstratin& his a ilit, to hi&hli&ht the (elo%, and &i$e the inner $oices 'lent, of s'ace to shine) One ele(ent that reall, %o(inates this 'iece is timbre. *he classical &uitar is -nown for its enor(ous tonal 'alette) Junhon& reall, too- a%$anta&e of the $arious ti( res the &uitar can (a-e %urin& his 'erfor(ance) He woul% sha'e the (elo%ies with war(! rich! an% sil-, hi&h notes) *he low notes ha% a certain : ite; to the(! which is re(iniscent of @la(enco &uitar 'la,ers) *he ru ato sections shifte% fro( war( to shar' tones that al(ost 'ainte% the $er, i(a&e of 6'ain) 2l eni1 was a 'iano co('oser! ut his (usic coul% not ha$e een an, (ore i%io(atic to the &uitar) Sevilla fits $er, well in its st,le 'erio%) #t is colorful! fast! an% at ti(es! un're%icta le) #t certainl, is not Classical (usic! as neither its for( nor (elo%ic sense are clean enou&h) Howe$er! the 'iece is not loo-in& too far ahea% into Mo%ern or Conte('orar, (usic! as the %issonances are suita le an% tonal! the (eter is constant! an% the for( still contains (an, reco&ni1a le ca%ences) *he 'iece is si(ilar to other Ro(antic 'iano (usic in these re&ar%s) # was enthralle% to see Celil an% Junhon& 'la, in Weill Recital Hall on Octo er 1"th) *he (usic was en&a&in& an% 'erfor(e% at the hi&hest le$el of inter'retation an% (aster,) *he 'erfor(ance inclu%e% (an, 'ieces fro( the 0aro4ue! all the wa, to the Conte('orar, 'erio%) # woul% lo$e to see another fantastic &uitar 'erfor(ance soon)