Hey!

We hope you had a good time since the last edition.

Our 20th issue is another small anniversary because March is also the newsletter's first birthday.

To mark the occasion, we have compiled a best-of from the interview responses we received to our notorious poster question. Once again, we noticed what a bubbling and lively community we have. We'd like to raise a glass to that.

And to the video of the week. Philosophy and music. Albert Camus and Leo Brouwer. We also celebrate a brand new, fantastic album by Gabriel Bianco. Then, after an all-nighter, we meet up for coffee with Leon Albert for a new etude, and celebrate the feel-good tune of the week with the Vision String Quartet.

But before that, here's what we'd like you to do for our newsletter birthday: listen, follow and share our constantly updated Spotify playlist featuring many of the artists you know from the newsletter:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZwxJRAsW9Zs2JiS2eLy6a?si=DXgIsU-JRlirPaInXPG2Iw&pi=3SbzMdMASl6VD

Enjoy the read, and happy birthday, dear Newsletter.

Stefan & Willi

YOUTUBE FIND OF THE WEEK
with Matthew Kaplan

Our video of the week is a gift for all those who love philosophy and music. This is true for both the performer and the composer as well as the authors of this article. In a nutshell: In The Myth of Sisyphus (1942), Camus describes Sisyphus, the king punished by Zeus, who is forever rolling a boulder uphill only for it to roll down again and again. For Camus, this myth epitomizes human existence: Sisyphus defies his fate, accepts it and thus becomes free – and perhaps even happy. Leo Brouwer's composition captures this philosophy. The work oscillates between uncertainty, repetition and heaviness – until it finally ends where it began. A virtually endless cycle.  Matthew Kaplan interprets this piece with great depth and you can tell that the composition means a lot to him!

ALBUM OF THE WEEK
with Gabriel Bianco

Wow! What a journey. A journey to a multi-faceted world in between. Colorful, timeless, exciting, thoughtful, sporty, elegiac...

Gabriel Bianco offers interpretations of compositions by contemporary composers. And what interpretations at that!

We have a hard time recommending just one or two pieces, as all the tracks are performed perfectly in their own individual way. Epic guitar moments! So many playing techniques, timbres, compositional ideas. All united by great joy of playing and gripping musicality.

We’ve definitely become fans and would love to play all these pieces, too! Thank you for that, Gabriel Bianco!

Just this much: the first track, “Autumn Rhythm”, levels the ears and the mind. So start from the beginning and listen to the whole album. You'll enjoy it!

MORNING-ROUTINE
A coffee with Leon Albert

Hi Leon, what’s the routine for this week?

You may not like to hear this, but my current routine actually consists of early morning push-ups. Alternatively (or in addition), you can also get a light workout with the enclosed etude. Bang away, every day. And go!

QUESTION 5…

To mark this anniversary issue, here is a best-of of the answers to the one question we have been asking all our interview partners since Newsletter 8:

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?

Irina Kulikova: Music is the language that unites all of us, transcending time, place, and words.

Open Strings Berlin: Stay hydrated.

Eva Beneke: Today is the future!

Beatrix Kovács: Be nice, we all are in the same team.

Emiliano Verrino: Classic is not jurassic!

David Gorol: Workers! Listen to more classical music!
(This includes employees, civil servants and the self-employed)

Nora Buschmann: Without music, life would be a mistake! (Friedrich Nietzsche) Support music better!

FEEL-GOOD TUNE OF THE WEEK
with the vision string quartet

An upbeat and positive melody! It makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning. Or take a look at the sky in the middle of the day. Stress? Bad news? Put on your headphones, let your hair blow in the wind and jump on the good mood train!

Our feel-good tune of the week!

OUTRO

We hope you enjoyed some nice moments with new discoveries. Once again it was a great pleasure for us to listen to so much beautiful music!

As always, feedback and suggestions are welcome in reply to this mail!

Stay tuned!
Stefan & Willi

New Classical Guitar ist ein Newsletter von Willi Leinen und Stefan Degel von TMBM. Unsere Musik und weitere Infos zu unserem Werdegang findet ihr unter t-m-b-m.com

Auf Spotify kuratieren wir eine Playlist mit unseren Lieblingsstücken. Ihr könnt unserer New Classical Guitar Playlist unter https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZwxJRAsW9Zs2JiS2eLy6a?si=9b2a737f01c043a4 folgen und uns gern neue Empfehlungen schicken.