Thomas Viloteau Sentiment, and Poignancy Characterising So Much of the Bartók Pizzicatos, Rapid Demisemiquaver Arpeggios, Country’S Music
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570510 bk Viloteau US 29/6/07 15:03 Page 4 The first movement, Light Motif (Takemitsu au accompanied by rhythmic triplets. The third movement, Brésil), is a tribute to the Japanese composer, Toru Clown Down (Gismonti au cirque) pays homage to Takemitsu (1930-1996), whose ethereally Egberto Gismonti (b. 1947), the Brazilian composer, Laureate Series • Guitar impressionistic works presented a wholly new landscape guitarist and pianist, the title recalling his very in sound. The harmonics beginning Light Motif reflect successful album, Circense (in Spanish ‘of the circus’). an integral part of Takemitsu’s guitar music as do the The work is a remarkable tour de force, and one of the elegant harmonies and subtle themes. The Brazilian most virtuosic concepts ever composed for guitar. As influence here might be summed up in terms of well as a rapidly repeated pedal bass, there are many saudade, that elusive blend of nostalgia, sadness, wonderful guitaristic colours here, including harmonics, Thomas Viloteau sentiment, and poignancy characterising so much of the Bartók pizzicatos, rapid demisemiquaver arpeggios, country’s music. Black Horn (when Spain meets Jazz) chordal sequences, and, in the coda, a wide variety of begins with repeated chords and sharp flourishes across percussive devices completing an amazing finale. First Prize: the strings. This leads into a slower section where the tension gradually rises through riff-like jazz phrases Graham Wade 2006 Guitar Foundation of America Competition Thomas Viloteau Born in Paris in 1985, Thomas Viloteau began his musical education at the age of twelve in the French town of Port St. Louis. In 1998 he entered the Escuela de Música Juan Pedro Carrero in Barcelona, where he also participated in GUITAR RECITAL numerous master-classes with Alvaro Pierri. Two years later he entered the Barcelona Conservatorio Superior de Música, where he studied with Joan Furio. In 2001 he received a scholarship from the Fondation Zigmund Zaleski to study under Alberto Ponce at the Ecole Normale in Paris, where he graduated with a Diplôme Supérieur de Concertiste in 2004. Entering the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique that same year, he studied in Roland Dyens’ class, while also working with Judicaël Perroy and participating in master-classes with Rolf Lislevand and Manuel Gonzales. Thomas Viloteau has taken first place in several competitions, including the M. LLOBET Spanish Salou guitar competition and the Segovia international competition in Linares, the Ville d’Antony international competition in Paris, and the Mottola competition held in Italy. Most recently he received first prize in A. TANSMAN the 2006 Guitar Foundation of America competition. Thomas Viloteau has performed in Italy, Spain, Sweden, France, and Germany. His triumph in the Guitar Foundation of America Competition brings a seven-month concert tour of over fifty cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. L. BROUWER A. GINASTERA R. DYENS 8.570510 4 570510 bk Viloteau US 29/6/07 15:03 Page 2 Thomas Viloteau: Guitar Recital a multitude of guitar pieces to concertos, chamber The first movement, Esordio, is a solemn music, and scores for over a hundred films. His guitar prelude, followed by a song which was inspired Miguel Llobet (1878-1938): most sensitive sonorities. This is succeeded by a section works have evolved over four decades embracing the by Kecua music and which finds its conclusion Variaciónes sobre un tema de Sor, Op. 15 where the guitarist uses only the left hand to pluck and avant-garde and the experimental as well as neo- in an abbreviated repetition of these two Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986): Cavatina finger the notes, ending with a dramatic downward romanticism. Rito de los Orishas (Rite of the Orishas), elements. The second movement, Scherzo, Leo Brouwer (b. 1939): Rito de los Orishas sweep across the strings. The finale, Variation 10, was given its première by the dedicatee, Alvaro Pieri, at which has to be played ‘il più presto possibile’, Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983): Sonata, Op. 47 combines many techniques involving chords, slurs, and the Festival de Radio France, in October, 1993, a few is an interplay of shadow and light, of nocturnal Roland Dyens (b. 1955): Triaela harmonics in a dazzling coda. months after its composition. Orishas is the Yoruban and magical ambience, of dynamic contrasts, Alexandre Tansman, one of the twentieth-century’s word for the gods worshipped by the African slaves. distant dances, of surrealistic impressions, such Miguel Llobet, born in Barcelona, Catalonia, was one of leading Polish composers, resided in Paris from 1920 The first movement, Exordium - conjuro as I had used in earlier works. Right through to the most influential guitarists of the early twentieth onwards until moving to the United States for the war (Introduction - Incantation/Exorcism), in ternary form the end the theme of the lute of Sixtus century. A student of Francisco Tárrega and a profound years. His works include symphonies, concertos, string with an episodic middle section and a modified Beckmesser appears as a phantasmagoria. The influence on Andrés Segovia in his formative years, quartets and a quantity of piano and film music. recapitulation, celebrates a ritual where evil spirits are third movement, Canto, is lyrical and Llobet gave recitals in many countries, made recordings Tansman and Andrés Segovia first met in 1925 at a vanquished. Isabelle Hernández, Brouwer’s biographer, rhapsodic, expressive and breathless like a love and wrote various original compositions. He also musical soirée given in Paris by Henri Prunière. On points out that this movement is created from three poem. It is connected with the last movement, became renowned as both teacher and editor. In recent hearing Segovia play, Tansman was converted to a fundamental cells, a repeated sound in groups of three in Finale, a quick spirited rondeau which recalls years Llobet’s compositions have seen a revival but his lifelong love of the guitar and thereafter wrote a number the manner of an ostinato, an ascending scale in rapid the strong, bold rhythms of the music of the lasting monument has been his exquisite harmonizations of works for it. figurations, and a theme characterized by a descending pampas. Combinations of ‘rasgueados’ and of Catalan folk-songs, arrangements of Granados’s La Cavatina, a suite in four movements, was awarded minor third followed by an ascending major second. The ‘tamboras’ percussion effects, varied by other Maja de Goya and Spanish Dances Nos 5 and 10 and the first prize in the International Composers Competition second part, Danza de las diosas negras (Dance of the elements of metallic colour or the resounding of editing of Manuel de Falla’s guitar work, Homenaje, Le of the Accademia Chigiana and published by Schott Black Goddesses) comprises three dance elements strings, gives a special tonality to this rapid, Tombeau de Debussy. (edited Segovia), in 1952. Preludio sets the mood, being interspersed by darkly atmospheric episodes named violent movement which thereby gains the Variations on a Theme of Sor, Op. 15, begins with a lively dance of melodic and harmonic complexity. The ‘evocations’. overall aspect of a ‘toccata’. (Preface to Sonata Fernando Sor’s arrangement of La Folia de España and first part, with its interplay of treble and bass voices, is Alberto Ginastera, born in Buenos Aires of Catalan- for Guitar, Op. 47, Boosey & Hawkes 1978) his first two variations. Only in Variation 3 does Llobet followed by a lyrical middle section (marked un poco Italian descent, is acknowledged as one of Argentina’s first show his hand, beginning with brilliant descending più lento), before a recapitulation of the opening, greatest composers. His works include operas, ballets, Roland Dyens, born in Tunisia of French nationality, is triplet arpeggio patterns. Then comes a variation modified only by the addition of a brief coda. orchestral music, chamber and vocal music, a leading guitarist/composer and an eminent teacher at presenting a different kind of arpeggio where a theme in Sarabande reminds us of the music of J.S. Bach in form instrumental pieces for piano, organ, cello, flute, guitar the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique, Paris. the bass is complemented by harmonic progressions rather than vocabulary, as it comprises modulations of a and other instruments, and nearly a dozen film scores. His concerts offer improvisatory pieces as well as an across treble strings. Variation 5 consists of short contemporary nature through various keys, the poignant Sonata for Guitar, Op. 47, dedicated to Carlos Barbosa- extensive repertoire of original works. His profound semiquaver triplet bursts in minor and major thirds in melody paramount throughout. This mood changes with Lima, was composed in Geneva in 1976 and had its knowledge of contemporary harmony co-exists with a the treble, contrasting with the next variation - a series Scherzino beginning with a tremolo and progressing to première on 27th November of that year at the Lisner vivid mastery of jazz and rock aspects which appear in of rapid ascending triplets from bass to treble, elements from the Preludio, including the return of a Auditorium of George Washington University. The various manifestations throughout his compositions. rhythmically and harmonically similar to Variation 5 pedal bass and intricate passage work. Barcarole brings composer’s intentions were to write a work of ‘sizeable Triaela, in three movements, has been given this but giving a quite different effect. An Intermezzo is in a mood of serenity, exploiting the cantabile nature of proportions’ of four movements as he realized that ‘the enigmatic title by a composer who delights in word introduced, a legato melodic line in the major key, the the guitar supported by inventive harmonies in guitar - in contrast to other solo instruments - relied on a play. Tria is Greek for ‘three’ while ela (come or come treble accompanied by chromatic chords reminiscent of modulations from the home key of E minor to F sharp repertoire of almost exclusively short pieces without on), possesses a hint of the first name of Elena the technical figurations in Sor’s Study Op.