Spain and flamenco dancers come to mind when there is an acoustic guitar being masterfully strummed in quick, rhythmic patterns nearby. When the concert program consists almost entirely of Spanish and Latin composers, the imagery comes alive.
This Saturday, classical guitarist Jason Vieaux filled Lippes Concert Hall with the subtle and gently relaxing music of Spain and Latin America.
Vieaux opened with "Hungarian Fantasy" by Johann Kaspar Mertz. The music was quick but gentle, with some fancy finger-work. Even though the piece was by a Hungarian composer, the music sounded more Spanish than Slavic, and it set the tone for the rest of the concert.
The next selection was "Sonata Clasica" by Mexican composer Manuel Ponce. The piece was written in the 20th century, but was meant to imitate a composer of the late Baroque period, Fernando Sor. Ponce was known for his ability to write in the style of other composers. Apparently, the man who commissioned the piece from Ponce was actually planning to present the piece to the public as a long-lost manuscript by Sor.
Though the scheme failed and Ponce was given credit for the composition, the piece does sound distinctively Baroque. Listening to the movements, it almost could have been a pianist playing a sonata by Bach or Haydn. Getting a guitar to sound like a piano is an accomplishment in itself, and Vieaux impresses by making it look effortless.
Vieaux was at his best when he played music with a clear Latin feel. The next piece was his own arrangement of "Asturias" by Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz. This piece was the highlight of the concert. The strong rhythms gave it a much more tense and driving feel than the others. His flying fingers sent out a rapid stream of notes.
The next piece was another by Albeniz. Albeniz wrote "The Vermillion Towers" after he saw the Alhambra. The concert was not amplified at all. Lippes Concert Hall's excellent acoustics were put to use in this piece. Even the notes plucked more quietly for dramatic effect were heard, and the vibrato on the strings carried.
One selection took a large break from the feel of the evening. Vieaux explained how he had come up with the idea for "Five Melodies in the Form of a Baroque Suite," a working title. Vieaux took songs by jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and arranged them to fit the style of the Baroque era.
"Picture Pat Metheny in knee-high socks and a powdered wig," he said.
Only the rhythms and form of the piece were really changed in the process of making jazz pieces conform to Baroque standards. The result was that there were jazz chords and intervals throughout, making modern harmonies clash with the Baroque rhythms forced upon them. Though it was an interesting concept, the pieces were probably better off as jazz.
After the brief jazz interlude, he turned to contemporary Argentinean guitarist and composer Jose Luis Merlin. The "Suite of Remembrance" was a collection of a main theme and four regional dances from Argentina and Venezuela. The music was at times mournful and somber, fitting the theme of the title, and at other times it was upbeat and dramatic. People might actually dance to these songs outside a seated concert hall.
For his two encores, Vieaux played another Argentinian song and a third piece by Albeniz. These were more a continuation than a conclusion to a relaxing concert. It was the feeling and atmosphere of the concert that made it such an enjoyable one, rather than memorable or exceptional songs. Vieaux was very comfortable with his audience, playing in a manner that was professional, yet intimate and connected.
For those who missed Saturday's concert, or those who can't get enough classical guitar, Jason Vieaux will be holding a reading session for composition students and the general public Monday at 2 p.m. in Baird Recital Hall (250 Baird Hall). He will also be featured at the Slee Sinfonietta concert Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall. The reading is free and tickets for the Sinfonietta concert are $5 for students, $9 for faculty, staff, WNED members, senior citizens and alumni, and $12 for the general public.
