Everything about the guitar
A slim book that reports comprehensively.
The German guitarist and musicologist Jörg Jewanski is no stranger to us either. He wrote in the Swiss Music Newspaper about the project "Sound-Color-Synthesis" of the Zurich University of Music (SMZ 5/2005) and, together with Natalia Sidler, published the accompanying volume Color - Light - Music. Synesthesia and colored light music (Peter Lang, Bern 2006). He has now written a book about the guitar for the Bärenreiter publishing house as part of a new series of instrument portraits. There is hardly any other instrument that comes in so many different forms. Nevertheless, Jewanski, who comes from the classical concert guitar, manages to report briefly and comprehensively on the history, performers and instruments.
Stylistically, the author distinguishes between classical, flamenco, blues, jazz, fingerstyle, rock and world music - a remarkable categorization that could certainly be contested, but which works quite well in the context of the guitar. Fortunately, he resists the temptation to trace all the ramifications of the development of this instrument in detail or to mention every reasonably prominent guitarist. Instead, he has the courage to set priorities, highlight special features and take the risk of leaving something out that someone else might have considered more important. After all, as a small example, in addition to comments on Blowin' in the wind and The house of the rising sun also a lot about the piece, which still seems avant-garde today Salute to Caudwell by Helmut Lachenmann from 1977.
Numerous
Pictures support the careful presentation of the slim volume. Small printed inserts provide additional explanations, and those who want to find out more about a specific topic will find numerous book, CD and Internet tips. Interspersed interviews with established performers such as Hopkinson Smith and Reinbert Evers as well as with two guitar makers round off the content. The book does not make any encyclopaedic claims and is therefore very pleasant to read despite the almost exaggerated variety of texts and the wealth of information.
Jörg Jewanski, Portrait Guitar, Culture, Practice, Repertoire, Performers, 156 p., € 27.95, Bärenreiter, Kassel 2011, ISBN 3-7618-1843-5
