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The central theme of this New Classical Guitar Newsletter issue is rhythm and timing. Our Video of the Week is a Chick Corea arrangement by Karlijn Langendijk, and Ladislav Pazdera provides us with a fantastic piece for guitar duo for download. After that, it gets cinematic – with Stelios Kyriakidis in our Album of the Week. We interview classical drummer and pop producer Ingo Reddemann about rhythm and timing, and lastly, in our "Guitar and..." category, we dive into the wonderful world of tango because here too, rhythm plays a central role.

Have a good read!
Stefan & Willi

YOUTUBE FIND OF THE WEEK
Karlijn Langendijk plays Chick Corea

Chick Corea is a household name. An icon of contemporary jazz, both as a pianist and a composer. We always find it intriguing and daring at the same time to bring the music of such giants to life on the guitar. It remains a tightrope walk to translate complex and layered compositions, that were never originally intended for the guitar, to our instrument. And it's all the more delightful when the plan works out, as in this Find of the Week.

Karlijn Langendijk breathes life into Chick Corea's "Amando’s Rhumba" with a meticulously crafted arrangement, played with nuance and great taste. The "lost place" as video location naturally aligns with our Berlin taste and suits the mood of the Rhumba very well. The interplay of different playing positions – mostly standing, occasionally casually leaning for a groovy bassline, swaying dreamily on a funky swing tire for a brief chill-out – adds that extra touch to both the music and the video. It's great fun to watch the video and listen to Karlijn's cool arrangement.

Learn more about Karlijn here: karlijnlangendijk.com

SHEET MUSIC
Ladislav Pazdera – Shifting Sands

As in every issue, we'd like to present a wonderful piece for free download in sheet music form today. Ladislav Pazdera repeatedly appears in various constellations as an interpreter, arranger, and composer in the guitar world. Sometimes in a duo with Karlijn Langendijk, other times featured with Claire Besson or Reentko Dirks. His solo album titled "Chiaroscuro" was released in 2023. We are pleased to introduce a part of his latest composition, "Shifting Sands," for guitar duo.

You can look forward to interesting, rhythmically engaging voices with a repetitive character. Those who enjoy working with scordatura (tuning that deviates from the standard guitar tuning) will also find this piece quite satisfying.

Here you can find Ladislav Pazdera's latest CDs and sheet music: www.lpazdera.com/my-products

Website: www.lpazdera.com

ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Stelios Kyriakidis - 508 Days

Stelios's debut album is finely woven. His original compositions are inspired by film scores, neoclassical music, and folk. Flowing arpeggios, subtle melodies – simply beautiful. A calming presence in a very dynamic time. "508 Days" describes a period during which the Greek guitarist spent time in relative isolation in a village in his homeland, then traveled across Europe before returning to London, where he has been based for quite some time. An album that brings sunshine to rainy days and lets us drift away. We are captivated by the closeness of the recordings with subtle reverb. Our recommendation of the week!

Stelios’ Website: www.stelioskyriakidis.com

KNOW-HOW 
4 Questions to Ingo Reddemann about rhythm and timing

1. How can classical musicians benefit from pop musicians, and vice versa?  

Classical musicians often excel at sight-reading, which is impressive when, for example, an accompanist opens an orchestral score and plays everything from the sheet. In my experience, pop musicians mostly approach music very much by ear. There's an extremely good sense of phrasing, excellent timing, and an incredibly good memory for details. I believe everyone can only benefit when they get inspiration from each other.

2. What does (micro) timing mean to you?

Timing, for me, is the more professional description of "it grooves," referring in a technical sense to the placement of notes in relation to a timeline. However, timing always has to do with context. While the music in a house track benefits from having the kick precisely quantized to the rhythm, timing in live situations with a band or orchestra can vary. When all musicians play in a shared flow or timing, it can have an extremely positive effect.

3. How do you approach more complex rhythms (polyrhythms, quintuplets, septuplets, etc.)?

I believe there's a huge myth surrounding this topic. I have often found that most (often classical) musicians think, "now it's going to be particularly difficult." The concept is actually always the same. If I can fit 4 notes into a unit of time (e.g., a quarter note, so four 16th notes per quarter note), I can fit in 5 or 7 notes just as easily. The conflict lies mainly in our musical education and our Western-influenced music culture. 4/4 time is very familiar to most. A large part of the music we consume follows the "binary" listening culture. "More complex" rhythms are very underrepresented. Consequently, they are probably taught less and passed on even less. The result: We perceive these rhythmic figures as more complex and challenging.

I try to give these rhythms the same significance as the 4 sixteenths in a quarter note and consider them just the same when practicing. This way, I don't perceive them as a problem because they are equally familiar to me.

4. Suppose you have a melody in front of you: how do you develop a groove/rhythm pattern for it?

It depends on the melody or what I want to produce/compose. First, I would listen to it. In most cases, I would have a first idea right away. And if not: the melody definitely already comes with some rhythmic information. I would take it from there and see how I can support or expand that rhythm.

Ingo Reddemann regularly performs as a drummer with renowned orchestras such as the Konzerthausorchester Berlin or the NDR Radiophilharmonie. Further engagements have taken him on tours around the world, sharing the stage with musicians like Sir Simon Rattle or Robbie Williams.

As a music producer for electronic and pop music, he has been active since 2022, releasing music, among other labels, for SOAVE Records.

Ingo’s Insta: www.instagram.com/ingoreddemann

GITARRE AND…
Omar Massa (bandoneon) & Jerzy Chwastyk (guitar) play Libertango by Astor Piazzolla (arr. Omar Massa)

At this point in the newsletter, as always, we present a combination of classical guitar with other instruments worth listening to. Today: Omar Massa (bandoneon) & Jerzy Chwastyk (guitar) play "Libertango" by Astor Piazzolla. The combination of bandoneon and guitar feels unique and classical at the same time. The reason may be that both instruments are inevitably associated with tango, but not necessarily expected together in a duo. The arrangement of Astor Piazzolla's classic allows the two instruments to blend as if they were made for each other. Omar Massa is THE bandoneon player of our time and is even considered the "new" Astor Piazzolla. Jerzy Chwastyk, on the guitar, is no less impressive, and it is a pleasure to watch these two virtuosos at work. We are very impressed with this interpretation of "Libertango" and are delighted to share it with you! Recorded at a tango meeting place called Nou Tango in Berlin. By the way, Berlin is Europe’s main tango hotspot, where the art of both dance and music is celebrated in countless venues. Enjoy!

More information about Omar Massa: www.omarmassa.com
More information about Jerzy Chwastyk www.jerzychwastyk.com

OUTRO

As always, we hope you enjoyed reading the newsletter. Suggestions are always welcome. In the next issue, we will focus on the American continent and the rediscovery of a probably largely forgotten U.S. composer. We will also delve into two well-known Latin American composers, Manuel María Ponce and Heitor Villa-Lobos. Moreover, we'll have a conversation with two special individuals who are involved in the construction of guitars. Thanks for reading!

All the best,
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 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 open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZwxJRAsW9Zs2JiS2eLy6a?si=9b2a737f01c043a4 and recommend new additions.