Born to perform
I've just got back from another musical event. Young solo guitarist Morgan Szymanksi was giving a recital at the Wigmore Hall. It was a remarkable show.
Another guitarist I saw recently, Martin Byatt, had recommended this concert to me saying Szymanski was on his way to a place among the top guitarists in the world. Mad as it might have sounded, I can now say it was no overstatement. Szymanksi dazzled us all with his varied repetoire of classical, Latin and tango pieces - all played with consumate perfection.
When I saw Byatt perform I had been impressed by my first taste of Paraguayan composer Agustin Barrios, who Szymanski describes in his programme notes as "one of the most important figures in the history of concert guitar in Latin America". My interest was further satisfied from hearing four more of his pieces, delivered with emotion and skill from Szymanksi. His techniques were amazingly finely honed; he must have played these tunes hundreds of times. The captivated audience could hear everything, even the minute slidings of his left hand over strings as it glided up and down the fingerboard.
The Wigmore Hall seems to have the perfect acoustic temperature for such an artist. I was sitting quite near the front, but get the feeling everyone behind could hear equally well. After the interval Szymanski moved on to some tango music by Astor Piazzolla, a highly-renowned Argentine composer who took the genre into a new era. These tunes were very different to the classical works of Barrios and needed another level of skill to pull off. I particularly enjoyed 'Primavera Portena', as this is a tune I've heard many times on a CD of pianist Pablo Ziegler.
Szymanksi's tour de force unsurprisingly came right at the end. He played Alberto Ginastera's 'Sonata Op. 47', a long four-movement piece which demanded great concentration from the performer. At times he was required to use the guitar as a percussion instrument and employ many other unconventional methods to draw out unusual sounds. It was definitely the most interesting and varied composition we saw - and is apparently the only one Ginastera composed for solo guitar.
This was a fantastic occasion for me, since I'm still developing my interest in solo guitar music. To see such a young, upcoming star so early in his career is really great and I'll definitely be following his progress. What impressed me most of all was that, throughout the whole concert, I got the impression that Szymanski was playing within himself. Even during the most technically challenging passages of any of his selected repetoire, he never looked like he was straining or playing as fast as he knew he could. It is this seemingly effortless brilliance which will take him far.
Another guitarist I saw recently, Martin Byatt, had recommended this concert to me saying Szymanski was on his way to a place among the top guitarists in the world. Mad as it might have sounded, I can now say it was no overstatement. Szymanksi dazzled us all with his varied repetoire of classical, Latin and tango pieces - all played with consumate perfection.
When I saw Byatt perform I had been impressed by my first taste of Paraguayan composer Agustin Barrios, who Szymanski describes in his programme notes as "one of the most important figures in the history of concert guitar in Latin America". My interest was further satisfied from hearing four more of his pieces, delivered with emotion and skill from Szymanksi. His techniques were amazingly finely honed; he must have played these tunes hundreds of times. The captivated audience could hear everything, even the minute slidings of his left hand over strings as it glided up and down the fingerboard.
The Wigmore Hall seems to have the perfect acoustic temperature for such an artist. I was sitting quite near the front, but get the feeling everyone behind could hear equally well. After the interval Szymanski moved on to some tango music by Astor Piazzolla, a highly-renowned Argentine composer who took the genre into a new era. These tunes were very different to the classical works of Barrios and needed another level of skill to pull off. I particularly enjoyed 'Primavera Portena', as this is a tune I've heard many times on a CD of pianist Pablo Ziegler.
Szymanksi's tour de force unsurprisingly came right at the end. He played Alberto Ginastera's 'Sonata Op. 47', a long four-movement piece which demanded great concentration from the performer. At times he was required to use the guitar as a percussion instrument and employ many other unconventional methods to draw out unusual sounds. It was definitely the most interesting and varied composition we saw - and is apparently the only one Ginastera composed for solo guitar.
This was a fantastic occasion for me, since I'm still developing my interest in solo guitar music. To see such a young, upcoming star so early in his career is really great and I'll definitely be following his progress. What impressed me most of all was that, throughout the whole concert, I got the impression that Szymanski was playing within himself. Even during the most technically challenging passages of any of his selected repetoire, he never looked like he was straining or playing as fast as he knew he could. It is this seemingly effortless brilliance which will take him far.
Labels: music
posted by Frederick at 02:00
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