The Adelaide Guitar Festival has become a fine annual celebration of “the world’s most popular instrument,” and with Slava Grigoryan curating this year’s event, there were sure to be many “extra strings attached” in tonight’s concert, as touring international classical and contemporary guitarists and composers were taking a Festival atmosphere to various Melbourne venues for further concerts. With his compositions featured in the opening performance of the Adelaide Guitar Festival, Paco Peña, a true legend and master of flamenco, was always going to fill Elisabeth Murdoch Hall in the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Equally celebrated as world-class performers, Leonard and Slava Grigoryan shared the stage, performing new works by notable Australian composers and sharing new works from their recent album release that departs from conventional repertoire, celebrating both diverse influences and collaborations with friends from around the globe.
The Brothers opened this concert with four songs from the new 13-track album, opening with the title work “Amistad”, a word rich in allusion meaning friendship in Spanish, but also in history being the name of a cargo schooner carrying slaves. Opening with simple, yet sad chords strummed in a veiled tone with regular pulse under an ancient folk-like gently plucked melody, this very haunting music evoked another time and place where human courage and soul were felt in the colours and punctuations of the past. Written by Sting guitarist Dominic Miller, “Do You Want Me” was fully re-shaped into a type of contemporary classical study, with perpetual motion accompanying a strong melody line. Lyrical and with full-toned colour, it was an excellent demonstration of the duo’s exemplary finger techniques and brilliant teamwork in so many styles of music.
Popular Melbourne composer Nat Bartsch composed “Kindling” especially for this duo, balancing classical and jazz elements of beauty and rhythmic freedom with high airy melodic riffs nicely spaced and developing over a flowing accompaniment with an earthy hypnotic bass riff.
“Lucky Breaks” was the last of the new Album choices, written by jazz/classical guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel. We felt a straight ahead high-energy groove added to a blend of contemporary classical design with touches of a jazzy slinkiness at times. Complex rhythmic patterns with much syncopation and irregular accents were admirable and so invigorating. Changes from one texture to another with assertive meter changes were so seamless, as these experienced partners shared every move and every breath in their playing. Beautiful high melodic shapes using harmonics highlighted further the uniqueness of the classical guitar.
Asked by the Australian National Art Gallery to compose music for 18 of their visual objects, we heard just three: “Song for the Road”, a playful journey with lively character and amusing moments; “Morning Dress”, a delightfully sweetened dance with circling harmonies in time and dampened chords with an added old-fashioned, nostalgic flavour from Leonard Grigorian’s tenor ukulele; and “Dom’s Boat”, a brilliant vivace with a series of sections that accelerated through changing expression and styles, receiving much applause before interval.
Paco Peña was welcomed with rapturous applause, and the legendary 82-year-old immediately showed why he is still regarded as one of the world’s foremost traditional flamenco player. All the Andalusian colours and flavours were there in an opening long fantasia style piece that wove traditional intricate melodies embellished with imitative vocal expression in verse and long recitative-like vocal lines with fluid virtuosic cadenzas. Bass lines, upper melodies and rhythmic tremolos were orchestrated with different tones and percussive timbres – the passion never waned. This elegant master made it look so easy. Paco Peña spoke to the audience of the real essence of true Flamenco guitar playing – that it was inspired by the voice, the emotions and expression of the cries in the song tradition.
Next, without formal introduction, guitarist Rafael Montilla, who also featured at Adelaide with acclaimed Flamenco dancers and singer Titi de Algeciras, walked on mid-song to a cry of “Viva!” doubling tonal vibrancy, pulsating accented rhythms and on-stage charisma.
The applause, excitement and orchestration was doubled again as the Grigoryan Brothers came on stage to form a very formidable and visually appealing guitar quartet with a warm backdrop of red and orange lighting. United and balanced in both traditional and contemporary Andalusian flavours, the ensemble was musically woven perfectly together. Fire, drama and passion developed as players shifted gear, exchanging and echoing runs and melodic flights, with added vocal interjections rousing the senses. Humour, flirtation, drama, and excitement increased with contemporary techniques and spicy rhythmic punctuations, all leading to rousing applause and calls for an encore, which was kindly provided.
In the foyer a large crowd remained after the concert, as these highly revered and most popular guitarists are always generous to share with the audience in a meet and greet.
Image supplied.
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Julie McErlain reviewed “Guitarra”, with the Paco Peña, Rafael Montilla and the Grigorian Brothers, presented by Abstract Touring at the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre on September 19, 2024.
