Hey!

In the end, you could also just enjoy the music, but we'll still give you a quick overview: Julia Schüler takes us on a journey full of contradictions in this week's YouTube Find, while the Album of the Week with its many well-known pieces stands out, not least because of its alternative tunings (and moods). In the sheet music section, Leon Albert believes that problems sometimes solve themselves if you trust yourself from time to time, and, as for all milestone anniversaries, the interview is like a bouquet of the most beautiful answers to the poster question we've received since issue 20. We promise: there are some gems in there in terms of inspiration.

And what could be more fitting than leaving August behind with Storm by Nikolai Teich and storming toward September: our feel-good melody of the week. 

We hope you enjoy reading, listening, and watching.

Stefan and Willi

YOUTUBE FIND OF THE WEEK
with Julia Schüler

Fifteen sixteenths, a rhythmic pattern that initially sounds strange, almost bumpy, to our Western ears. But as soon as you slip into the flow and the world of Bučimiš's traditional Bulgarian song, into this uneven beauty, this aspect becomes secondary. 

In Julia Schüler's interpretation, based on an arrangement by Claire Besson, this music unfolds like a dance, bouncing lightly on the guitar, full of energy and at the same time washed over with a subtle melancholy.

The title refers to the plant hemlock – the poison associated with the death of Socrates. Although this derivation is not entirely certain, the idea that such a dark reference lives on in a dance is quite appealing. Something deadly that is transformed into something solemn and joyful in sound.

In the end, however, you can simply enjoy the music. Perhaps that is exactly what we sometimes lack: a small step away from straightforwardness into a world where the weird and the odd are accepted and where contradictions are taken for granted. And, as we know, art thrives on contradictions. 

We recommend: Take a look at this.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK
with Gergely Szurgyi

The title Scordatura (The out of tune consonance) immediately caught our attention. We ourselves are fans of alternative tunings, which constantly open up exciting new possibilities for arrangements and soundscapes.

Gergely Szurgyi has pulled out all the stops on his solo debut album, and not just in terms of scordatura! He plays his way through a wide variety of styles and eras with great skill and confidence. From Gaspar Sanz to Miguel Llobet, Antonio Lauro, David Russel, and the young guitarist and composer Márton Stummer.

We were particularly impressed by the arrangements of four dances from “Terpsichore” by Michael Prätorius and “Prelude No. 1” by Villa-Lobos. The latter features refreshing variations in the octave ranges.

A multifaceted album with a wealth of composers, which you can easily listen to several times and lose yourself in the many beautiful details!

Thank you for this – certainly laborious – work, dear Gergely!

MORNING-ROUTINE
A coffee with Leon Albert

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

When developing the ideas for this composition, I initially thought that the time signature would change from time to time. While writing it down, I noticed that it is entirely in 7/8 time. It is always nice to surprise oneself and to see how problems resolve themselves. It helps if we trust ourselves from time to time.

QUESTION 5 …

As always when we reach a milestone: marking our 30th anniversary edition, here is a selection of the best answers to the question we ask all our interview partners. Reading through the answers, we are once again reminded of the innovative power and inspiring creativity that can be found in the world of guitar. What would your answer be? Feel free to send it to us in response to this newsletter!

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?

Ricardo Gallén: Learn the rules, break them, innovate.

Merce Font: Precision is beautiful, but honesty is unforgettable.

Andrea de Vitis: Something that we really need today, about mutual respect and hope: Let music be the sound of kindness.

Julia Trintschuk: Keep healing souls!

Peter Graneis: Phones off during practice!

Ladislav Pazdera: Enjoy the music today, think about it tomorrow.

FEEL-GOOD TUNE OF THE WEEK
with Nikolai Teich

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

Thank you for joining us again! If you have any thoughts or ideas about this issue, please feel free to write to us directly in response. And if you're in the mood for more music, our Spotify playlist has more discoveries as usual, including from the artists featured in this issue. 

Be kind to one another.

Stay tuned!

Stefan & Willi 

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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.