Maximo Diego Pujol Recital
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Patrons: Gary Ryan & Fabio Zanon Charity No. 1124762 email: [email protected] Volume 24 Issue 1 web site: www.westsussexguitar.org December 2018 Maximo Diego Pujol Recital or our last concert of 2018 we were very nine years. He later studied composition. He has honoured and privileged to welcome the strived for an ever-closer fusion of traditional F very much revered Argentinian guitarist, Argentine Tango and formal academic concepts. prolific composer and teacher Maximo Pujol to Today Maximo’s compositions are performed and our stage. This was his first visit to our club and recorded throughout the world. He is currently we were very grateful that he could fit us in to his professor of guitar at the Conservatorio de Musica very busy schedule. For the past month he had Manuel de Falla in Buenos Aires. been touring Europe – Belgium, Germany, Italy We were very pleased to welcome to this and Switzerland. On his final Saturday evening he concert Phil Woodall, the Deputy Mayor of gave a concert in Cambridge. We had our concert Bognor Regis and his consort Steve Hearn. on the Sunday evening and then he had to be up Maximo’s concert was quite unique. He very early Monday morning to catch a flight from began his performance with three pieces by Gatwick to Madrid and then later that same day he Argentine composers – Atahualpa Yupanqui (a flew to Buenos Aires. What a busy hectic life he folk musician), Astor Piazzolla and Luis Spinetta leads! (a rock musician!). From the very first piece we Maximo studied the guitar from the age of were all mesmerised by the beautiful mellow tone eight and gave his first concert at the age of just that Maximo elicited from his wonderful guitar made by the Argentinian Luthier Fernando Rubin. Notes seemed to pour from the guitar like luscious New Members thick creamy chocolate. We extend a very warm welcome to Maximo then apologised for the fact that Benjamin Ward Heyshott; the rest of the concert would feature all Trevor & Carol Senatore, Sutton Steve, Rachel, Dennison & Lachlann Grimwood, compositions that he has written. In fact there was Clymping no need to apologise since we were treated to an Angus, Julia, Olivia & Jack McIntyre, Rose Green array of the most wonderful tangos, milongas and Tatiana, Sofia & Lucy Carson, Bognor Regis romantic music which were quite new to the Laurence Pettit, Hastings majority of the audience. The applause showed We hope you enjoy many happy how much the audience enjoyed his compositions. events at the Club! A romantic piece dedicated to his wife was a Page 2 Good Vibrations particular favourite. We were treated to an encore played by the composer as he intended them to be which Maximo said he wrote when he was 19 years played. We sincerely hope that this unassuming and old. This was the well known and much loved brilliant musician will return to us in the not too Preludio Triston (the second of a set of Five distant future. TW Preludes). We were so fortunate to hear the pieces Maximo with Richard Prior (left), Debbie, Conor & Diana Maximo with Diana, Joanna & Club’s Treasurer David Clarke Maximo with Sasha Maximo talking with Linda Good Vibrations Page 3 Michael Matthews Concert but there were some aggressive flamenco passages and enviable rasgueados when required. The first half of the concert finished with the Nocturnal after John Dowland Op 70 which Benjamin Britten wrote for Julian Bream. This is based on Dowland’s Come Heavy Sleep and consists of eight different passages of sleep each movement a variation progressing closer towards Dowland’s song which finishes the piece. The second half began with Brouwer’s Cuban Landscape with Bells. This was played again with great precision and speed with the fingerboard being tapped by the right hand - a technique some rock guitarists have been seen to use. All the harmonics rang out loud and true. Michael certainly knows how to get the best from his Angel Benito Aguado guitar. ur first concert of the new season was given We then heard all five of Villa Lobos’s Preludes by a brilliant guitarist of the new generation This was surely a definitive performance of all five O of performers – Michael Matthews. preludes from which the audience learnt much. The Michael was born in the UK but was raised in France, final piece of the formal concert was Serenades of the South America and Africa. He had his first classical Unicorn by the Finnish composer Einojuhani guitar lessons in France at the age of seven. Michael Rautavaara. This was a new piece to many of the graduated from the University of Hull with First audience. It sounded crazy music to start with, but Class Honours Degree in 2016 and now lives in with Michael’s convincing performance it quite Lincoln quickly became a firm favourite. He began his recital with Dowland’s The enthusiastic applauding audience were Lachrimae Pavan and Fantasia which was played rewarded with an encore of some more Dowland. Let with great feeling and compassion. This was followed us hope it will not be too long before Michael returns. by a smoothly executed rendition of Turina’s Sonata, TW Michael meets the girls Debbie, Diana & Moyria Michael with Editor Terry News From the Library New additions to library bought at West Dean: Rondo Alla Turka Bill Kanengiser The Modern Guitar Trio Colours of Brazil Xuefei Yang The Modern Guitar Trio at the Rococo Cafe Heartstrings Xuefei Yang Pam Fereday Page 4 Good Vibrations Bach Day Workshop Stephen Gordon with the Club Orchestra ack in January member George Robinson guidance many improvements were made. When it presented a Guitar Showcase concert given is considered that the majority of the orchestra were B by students from the Royal Welsh College guitar hobbyists and not professionals, the standard of Music and Drama based in Cardiff. Their musical of performance was very high indeed. The day ran director was Stephen Gordon. Stephen returned on from 10:00am – 6:00pm and was split into four Sunday 14th October to give a long awaited hourly sessions working on the concerto punctuated workshop dedicated to the music of Bach. This was with coffee breaks, lunch and two special treats. very well attended with an orchestra of thirteen The first treat was George Robinson’s mini recital players conducted by Stephen. The composition where he played Mudarra’s Fantasia, two Catalan selected was all three movements of the folk tunes by Llobett and a Bach Prelude. Stephen Brandenburg Concerto no. IV which Stephen had provided the other treat when he gave a talk about arranged for eight voices. The piece was originally baroque music. With the assistance of Baz, Jay and written for violins, recorders, viola, cello and bass. Vince we heard sounds from two theorbos and a ten Stephen had brought along two requinto guitars for string baroque guitar which Stephen had brought Linda and Jay to play and these cut through the along. other guitars. Together with Stephen’s bass guitar The day finished with a full recital of the these added extra dimensions to what was already a concerto which sounded magnificent. It was truly most beautiful sound. amazing what could be achieved in so short a time. The orchestra had the music in advance and Well done everyone who participated. We most everyone had certainly done their homework as certainly must have another workshop next year. there were no glitches in sight reading. Right from TW square one things sounded good, but with Stephen’s Jay, Baz & Vince Smith play Baroque instruments Jay complains his arms are too short! Good Vibrations Page 5 A Short History of the WSGC In 1980, Sasha and Nina Levtov left addition to continuing to support the guitar section of St Petersburg in Russia, and after the Chichester Music Festival every February. A travelling in Europe, came to grant of some £2000 was received from West Sussex England and settled in Bognor Regis. Arts. Sasha then worked in a nursing home and taught the classical guitar Kit Crowhust, now deceased, was the club's privately, and also taught the guitar first librarian and generously donated £4000 when he in adult education classes. passed away. (He was a talented ceramic artist, In 1984, having met a relation of Felix clarinettist, member of the original Gala Guitar Mendelssohn at a birthday party - the Head of Music Quartet and an enthusiast of jazz and old cars). at the Japanese School near Horsham, who was Themed parties began and to date, the theme looking for a guitar teacher invited Sasha to teach every year has been different (except strictly classical guitar. He accepted the invitation and still teaches there today. speaking there has twice been a “Wild West” theme) In the late 1980s, there was a nucleus of The club had a committee of 5 or 6 , including at one students including Amanda Cook then aged 10 and stage even a Bulgarian lady Irina, as Hospitality Graham Downes together with 10 or 15 others Officer! including Debbie Burford, John Mason and Diana The main aim of the club is to encourage an Green. All were taught at evening classes at Bognor interest in the art of the classical guitar, providing a Community College. Sasha was invited to take over the guitar section at the Chichester Music Festival. platform for amateur and professional guitarists. This The future club members met at various venues, is achieved by attracting and educating new including at his house, and one day he invited audiences and very importantly, encouraging the Charles Ramirez to give a recital at The Dome, interest of a new generation of youngsters in the Chichester College (opposite Hotham Park).