http://www.matthewmcallister.com/

Rene Izquierdo

http://www.reneizquierdoguitar.com/

Whirler Of The Dance

Whirler of the Dance

 

“His natural and instinctive interpretations are second to none: his virtuoso technique allows him absolute command of the instrument  giving him the independence of subtle phrasing, dazzling speed, beautiful tonal control… everything. Classical Guitar Magazine, May, 10.

“… dazzling performance… a world-class player . ” – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,  April 12, 2009

” Izquierdo is a very self-assured performer who demonstrated amazing technical and expressive command of the music he plays…” -Classical Guitar Magazine, Oct. 07.

“ … unforgettable versatility, sensitivity and sublime musicianship.” – Classical Guitar Magazine, July, 07.

“…the command and character of his playing lived up to the impressive credentials. His sound carried the guitar-friendly Recital Hall with power to spare. His secure technique eliminated the usual clicks, muffles and buzzes. Speed was no problem for him.

…Izquierdo is a painterly guitarist. He changes angle of attack in the right hand and moves it from bridge to fingerboard to produce a wide spectrum of sonic color. He applies it thoughtfully, to cast particular light on particular melodies…”

-Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nov 20, 2004.

“…Izquierdo is already a seasoned performer of great accomplishment. His tone is clear, warm and robust, his musicianship impeccable, and his desire and capability equally great…”

-Eliot Fisk, 2003.

“I have rarely seen a musical talent equal to Rene Izquierdo. He is a virtuoso guitarist and a profound musical thinker”

-Benjamin Verdery, 2001.

“Rene is without any question one of the finest young guitarist in the country”

-Ransom Wilson, 1999.

“Rene Izquierdo is one of the most promising young guitarist to come from Cuba, not only for his purist approach to technique, but for his artistic gift as an interpreter, giving him a voice of his own at such a young age”

-Jesus Ortega, 1994.

More info at www.guitarhamilton.com or (905) 807-4792.  Register early for a reduced rate!

As Palmer points out in his introduction, the method is intended to supplement an already well-established technique and is therefore a method aimed at the intermediate to advanced player. Essentially, the method conveys the study and application of ami fingerings which enable velocity and agility displayed in Palmer’s formidable technique. However, the ability to execute ami passages is more complex than right hand technique alone, it requires a solid understanding of appropriate fingering, string crossing, and left hand technique.

What I admire most about the method is its clear and thorough delivery of the topic at hand. The 82 pages discuss the technique in a structured and comprehensive manner. Not only is the technique dissected and discussed on micro levels but it is also put into practice with appropriate repertoire excerpts presented to display the application of ami in action. It is clear from the way in which Palmer writes, that he has not only spent many years developing his own facility but also teaching it to others. Palmer addresses problems that will inevitable arise from practical applications of the method and his step-by-step approach to building up the technique points to a writer who has put a lot of thought and time into this method. The presentation of the publication is of a high quality, and is laid out in a style reminiscent of the ever ubiquitous Pumping Nylon.

While the method has a narrow focus, I believe it is indispensable for any advanced guitarist or teacher to include in their library. It presents a consolidation of ami technique, that while not revolutionary, has been distilled and delivered in an easy to understand and elegant manner.

Kudos to Matt for raising the bar!

Purchase the book at:

http://www.mattpalmerguitar.com

Milos Karadaglic, a 27 year old musician from Montenegro, has recently taken quite an extraordinary path for a classical guitarist. Signed by Deutsche Grammophon, Milos has been traveling extensively promoting his newly released CD “Mediterraneo”. Additionally, Milos has been popping up in several mainstream publications such as The Economist, New York Times, The Guardian etc.. I have observed some curious reactions to Milos’ recent publicity and I will address that later in this article, but first I will tell you about the concert last night.

Having attended countless classical guitar concerts over the past couple of decades, I was really delighted to experience a concert that stood out from the rest. The Poisson Rouge is a trendy new venue on Bleeker Street in Manhattan that built its reputation by presenting contemporary classical music to the New York audience. The layout of the venue is more akin to what one might expect for a jazz club. Dim lighting, tables, and a bar with food and drink service throughout the evening. Even before the performance began, the surroundings had created a very different mood and ambiance compared to a more conventional classical concert. The staff and audience were very respectful with ambient noise throughout the performance, but with the powerful house amplification of the guitar, it was never an issue.

Milos performed a single set of works without intermission, in between pieces Milos shared some insights with the audience and in general exuded a very calm, collected charisma that added greatly to the overall effect of the performance. The repertoire selection was largely taken from his newly released album and consisted of: Villa Lobos Prelude no.1, Asturias and Granada by Albeniz, Spanish dance no.5 and Oriental by Granados, Prelude and Fugue from Bach BWV 997 and Koyunbaba by Carlo Domeniconi. While to fellow classical guitarists this repertoire selection has been well worn in both recital and recording, I can only imagine that to the full house that was attending, much or all of this music was brand new.

Throughout the entire performance Milos played with impeccable accuracy and command. The interpretation of Bach’s Prelude and Fugue stood out to me in particular but his excellent musical phrasing and clear melodic lines were consistently of a high standard. Milos plays a particularly beautiful Smallman guitar, and he managed to coax out some of the most beautiful high notes in Asturias, that I have ever heard.

Following the performance, the audience showed their appreciation by calling Milos back to the stage three times (without an encore – which may partly be because of the Koyunbaba tuning!) and then proceeded to form a large queue to have CD’s signed.

Milos is a world class performer, and he possesses a charisma and presence that will serve to further his already blossoming career. I thoroughly enjoyed this performance and I am very excited to watch the progression of his career.

-

Apart from the performance itself, there were many larger issues that were brought up by the concert last night and by the discussions that I have witnessed on the ever positive internet.

Many readers of this site are well aware of the increasing pool of phenomenal performers that are in the world today. One simply has to go to a big guitar festival to encounter not one but several guitarists that are really exceptional and gifted. Therefore, when reading article titles such as ‘The guitar has a new hero’ and comments that suggest that the guitar has been dead or dormant since the heyday of Segovia, Bream and Williams, I can understand that some people might find these ideas and statements grating, if not offensive. Similarly, the repertoire selection for the album may come across as redundant, given the ubiquitous recordings that already exist containing the same pieces.

A few months ago, when the promotional material started flowing, I was dismayed to read several vitriolic discussions on the internet regarding Milos. As we all know, the internet is particularly adept at fueling anonymous hatred, but I was saddened to see people lashing out at Milos for the amount of exposure he was receiving. In Australia this phenomenon is called ‘tall poppy syndrome’.

The fact of the matter is, a large part (a very large part) of the societies we live in have no familiarity with the classical guitar at all. I cannot tell you the amount of blank faces I have stared into when I tell people what I do. Then, suddenly their faces light up and say, “Oh! Like the Gypsy Kings!”

I think Milos is bringing the classical guitar and some of its most treasured repertoire to an audience that would otherwise be ignorant of our six stringed world. For that, I am grateful. If your particular taste in repertoire or performance is different, there are a multitude of performers out there that you can choose to support instead. In terms of the publicity that is being generated, I believe that in a media saturated world, publicity sometimes needs hyperbole. Just walk down broadway in New York city and count how many signs say “Best Coffee in the World!” (and I can tell you right now… the US does many things well, coffee is not one of them).

I have always been vexed by peoples tendency to bring down others that are in the same boat. I believe that if the guitar community shows support for others that do well, everyone will benefit. I can only imagine that our own guitar heroes in the past had their detractors, but I think we all know how much gratitude we owe them now.

In the end, the ultimate critic, time, will have the final say to Milos’ legacy, but it is my hope that the guitar community will encourage the success of anyone who is fortunate enough to have it.

To end, I will leave you with a joke:

How many guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?
100, 1 to change the bulb and 99 to say “I could have done it better”

- Simon

Thanks everyone!

Simon

Dear Sir/Madam,

By Laurence Peter BBC News

Classical guitar virtuoso David Russell explains why his choice of instrument is helping to revive and spark new interest in the music of composers such as JS Bach and his contemporaries

In today’s crowded music market the classical guitar sometimes struggles to make itself heard alongside other guitar genres.

But this versatile instrument is helping to introduce new listeners to the music of Bach and other outstanding composers of the Baroque period, such as the Italian Domenico Scarlatti and Bach’s German friend Silvius Leopold Weiss, who was a celebrated lute player.

David Russell is a leading exponent of Baroque music – one of a few classical guitar virtuosos who are rediscovering masterpieces from that period and transcribing them.

Read the full article at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13229108