Homage to John W. Duarte
In addition to a selection of pieces published by the doyen of the British guitar scene, this commemorative volume also features three of his own compositions.
John W. Duarte was an Englishman through and through, so he was always a little annoyed that his name was pronounced by non-English speakers - Du-árte instead of Djú-ǝtsen. Although this was almost inevitable for an internationally active guitarist and composer who cultivated friendships with people like Andrés Segovia and Antonio Lauro. He was an organizer, editor, reviewer, a well-known figure in London music life and doyen of the British guitar scene, sharp-tongued but friendly. His veston and pipe were reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes. After every guitar concert that took place in the famous Wigmore Hall, his disciples would gather around him in the pub for a convivial debriefing.
The album, which has now been compiled in honor of the man who died in 2004 at the age of 85, comprises 20 pieces for solo guitar, all of which were published by Duarte in the seventies and eighties, including three of his own compositions. These are lively, colorful, sometimes a little quirky with their tonality broken by sharp seconds and transverse chords. It is surprising how adequately Duarte transferred Gaspar Sanz or Alonso Mudarra's tablatures to the guitar even back then. His clear interpretative ideas can be easily understood from the bar setting, the slurs and the seamless fingering.
The musical notation has been copied one-to-one from the earlier editions, including printing errors. The scordatura indications are missing for some pieces. In addition to much early music, not least by John Dowland, transcriptions by Domenico Scarlatti are well represented, and some lighter, beautiful-sounding numbers, for example by Rodrigo Riera, invite you to dream. A short study by Reginald Smith Brindle sounds the most modern. Overall, the volume is John W. Duarte - A Celebration of His Music for Guitar a beautiful tribute to a striking personality as well as a varied guitar album that invites you to browse through the music.
John W. Duarte : A Celebration of His Music for Guitar, selected by Paul Coles, UE 29201, € 14.95, Universal Edition, Vienna
