Hey! 

Welcome to issue 13/24 of our newsletter.

Today we have guitar and film virtuosos in personal union, a brand new album by a recently disbanded ensemble and a chamber music line-up that shouldn't actually work.

Sounds crazy, but it’s true.

We also take a detour into Alice's Wonderland and explore a question that we all certainly ask ourselves from time to time.

Once again, we have discovered a lot of things we didn't know before. And discovering new things releases happiness hormones – at least for us.

What made us particularly happy was a (URL) mistake that we made in last issue’s English version. Not because of the mistake, but because many of you pointed it out in such a kind and nonjudgmental way. Feel free to do that, always. It's also great to be able to exchange ideas and experience again and again what a cool community we have for our instrument! 

Have fun reading! 

YOUTUBE FIND OF THE WEEK
with Evgeny Beleninov

Yup, we should talk about this beautiful piece. Maybe we'll pick it up again elsewhere. Scarlatti's music is simply a feast for the ears. Here Scarlatti is wonderfully interpreted by Evgeny Beleninov. Hard to beat for clarity. Also, incredible sound. What is also special, however, is that the performer has filmed himself here. This is not a selfie video though. From the golden background to the editing and color grading, it's just super chic.

You can tell that there is also a passion for filming. The cuts are subtle and the slight zooming in and out is as tasteful as Evgeny's playing. Sorry Evgeny, but we need to say: copy this, guys.

After watching the video, if you want to discover Evgeny's virtuosity beyond his musicality, we recommend his album Paris Buenos Aires on the streaming platforms, on which he has recorded all 12 of the famous Villa-Lobos etudes (check out Etude No. 2) alongside music by Astor Piazzolla.

SHEET MUSIC
Olga Amelkina-Vera – In the Golden Gleam

The right source of inspiration for a composition is often half the battle for the desired flow when writing. For Olga Amelkina-Vera, it was the stories of Alice, whose unique, dreamlike world inspired her to write her trilogy In the Golden Gleam. “I enjoyed discovering musical ways of portraying my impressions of their [Alice Books] images and moods.”

The miniature in today's issue is the beginning of a wonderful journey across Alice's Wonderland with glimpses behind the mirrors. Both the piece and the concept behind it immediately caught our attention and so we are delighted to share a small part of this story with you.

Check it out and be enchanted!

You can find more background information about the piece here:
https://www.olgaamelkinavera.com/solo-guitar/in-the-golden-gleam

If you are interested in the complete sheet music, you can get in touch with Olga here:
https://www.olgaamelkinavera.com/contact
https://www.instagram.com/olgaamelkinavera/

ALBUM OF THE WEEK
New Zealand Guitar Quartet

A fresh release by a disbanded ensemble?

“After nearly a decade and a half of music making, the New Zealand Guitar Quartet is winding up. But not before releasing a final album, Equinox,” writes Radio New Zealand. And what a final chord indeed!

If we haven't miscounted, there are 26 tracks on the album. A long player in the truest sense of the word. And it really gets down to business. “Dynamo”, the first track by British composer Gary Ryan, is a perfect opener. Folky and played with real energy, the track immediately whets the appetite for the rest of the album.

The suite “Equinox” (1-4) by Michael Williams certainly gives the album its name. You can easily hear the New Zealand composer's polystylistic approach in this suite. Sometimes wildly dissonant with a heavy groove, then again lyrical and gentle in more conventional language. The continuous beat in number two and the oriental-inspired melody that then sets in really draw you in and have something mysterious about them. We’d love to see more guitar compositions in this “patchwork sound language” in the best sense of the word.

Another highlight of the album for us is “Perpetuus I” by Marek Pasieczny. We will continue to soak up the album.

In sport, it's often about finding the right moment to quit at one’s peak. For musicians, age doesn't matter in that sense. But the final chord here is a powerful one. Both on the LP and symbolically as the ensemble’s statement with this album. But there is always a potential comeback, right? :)

We'd totally love that!

KNOW-HOW 
with Emiliano Verrino

What is the current state of the classical guitar?

This is a question that we regularly ask ourselves. There is certainly an answer in the sense of a global intersection, but at the same time it can be answered very individually. Urban, rural, national, continental – bubbles of their own on many levels that move within our international guitar community.

We were interested in what Emiliano Verrino had to say about this. He performs regularly as a guitarist and mandolinist, solo or in a duo, most recently with David Garrett at the Opus Klassik Gala at Konzerthaus Berlin. As head of department at Berlin's Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg music school, he has a deep insight into the current training situation for young guitarists.

What has happened/changed in guitar training?

I studied in Italy. Back then, I got a place at the University of Music in Rome at the age of twelve and, as a child, I was able to receive top-class guitar lessons from professors alongside school and experience the atmosphere of a music university. My studies lasted ten years and I think it was sensible because you need time to master the instrument.

Nowadays, such a course no longer exists in Italy and students don't have as much time to focus on their main subject because of the many minor subjects. The level of students remains high, but not in all music colleges. The pandemic has probably played a big role in this regard…

How about the interest in the guitar, and the classical guitar in particular?

I think there is still a lot of interest in the guitar. At music schools, the classical guitar is one of the most popular instruments (400+ registrations on the waiting list at my music school!). It is still appreciated for its versatility.

Where do you think the classical guitar world currently stands? For example, in terms of the repertoire that is played, the community, the external impact for consumers of the music in the form of concerts, etc.

In recent years, old compositions have been rediscovered and new editions published, and many new pieces have been commissioned or composed.

In my opinion, competitions have become less important nowadays, also because the uniqueness of the artists is more appreciated. No longer just technical ability. Creative videos and social media probably play a role in this change.

As for concerts: audiences today prefer original ideas and interesting line-ups rather than the hard and heavy repertoire.

What do you wish for the future of the instrument?

First and foremost, I would like to see all freelance teachers at music schools in Germany get a permanent employment. Otherwise, almost all guitar students would lose their teaching position and there would be no future for the instrument at all.

Imagine you could have one sentence printed on a poster to be put up in huge numbers at all the (classical) music festivals in the world. What sentence would that be?

Classic is not jurassic!

You can find Emiliano's latest CD recordings and videos here on his homepage:
https://www.emilianoverrino.com/news/ 
We recommend you give it a listen… ;)

GUITAR AND…Bassoon
Angela M. Santiago and Frances Karim Chiroque
play J.S. Bach – Siciliana

To get straight to the point: we discovered this one thanks to an insider. Fair enough.

In short: When we moved to a different city to learn a plucked instrument in response to the call of money, we quickly formed an extended circle of friends that has more or less lasted to this day and consists of 5 to, say, 15 guitarists and a bassoonist. Greetings go out Flo. ;)

But bassoon and guitar as a duo is not your standard chamber music line-up. Sure, you might be skeptical about the combination at first, the register being similar and so on. But we have now discovered something that we like so much that we should think about why we never thought about it in the first place …

OUTRO

We hope we were able to inspire you with the artists in this issue. Once again, it has been a great pleasure to discover so many different albums, composers, videos and great people! A few things ended up on the list for the next issue. For example, an interview about composing with the wonderful Laura Snowden. Stay tuned and curious. 

Autumn greetings,

Stefan & Willi

New Classical Guitar is a newsletter by Willi Leinen and Stefan Degel from TMBM. You can find our music and more information about our journey at http://t-m-b-m.com/.

On Spotify, we curate a playlist with our favorite pieces. Feel free to follow our New Classical Guitar Playlist at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZwxJRAsW9Zs2JiS2eLy6a?si=9b2a737f01c043a4 and recommend new additions.