Jungian synchronicity? Nah… Blind chance? Can’t be that either… Punching up shuffle on the trusty iPod as I wended my weary way to this evening’s wonderful concert gave me the title track from Frank Zappa’s Return Of The Son Of Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar. I took that as a good omen and wended my weary way to the Simmons Center ready for a fretboard on fire.
And boy, did I ever get one!
As anyone who has spent time perusing classical recordings over the last twenty-five (plus…) years knows, Eduardo Fernandez creates moments of transcendent beauty at will, while never losing sight of the purpose any given work might contain. Tonight proved no exception; and with only a slight tuning issue during the Ponce piece (even a master’s guitar can be cranky like that…), was one of the most thrillingly full musical performances it’s been my pleasure to attend in quite a while.
We began with the gentle yet lively gallop of Mauro Giuliani’s Giulianate Op. 148, part II. No wading timidly in via the shallow end here, L’Armonia plunges deeply and quickly into a place where its simple melody creates a captivating sense of wonder. Il sentimentale brought our feet back to the ground with its opening octaves, but as soon as that sense of grounding was realized, it flew off in runs of blazing speed, showcasing Mr. Fernandez’s flawless tremolo as well as Giuliani’s fastidious harmonic construction. La malinconia presented the guitar’s amazingly wide range of tone; from a full throat rasp to a placid mute, grabbing the attention of all. The closing L’Allegria jauntily tied everything together with pitch perfect Viennese style…and a hefty dose of Italian humor.
Fernando Sor’s Fantasy No. 7, Op. 30 begins with a pleading insistence which gives way to a lighter, yet still serious melody that ultimately builds an almost impish head of steam. The Thème et Variations follows a similarly serious melody through ingenious reworkings of rhythm and tone, leaving one with an almost happy variation. The closing Allegretto, a master class in counterpoint, brings the work full circle as repeated notes in the bass echo the introduction’s pleading.
The Schumannesque character of J. K. Mertz’s Bardenklänge, Op. 13 was evident from the beginning. An Malvina left no doubt of pianistic influence as its melody ranged across the fretboard while cascading into the consciousness. It ended with a sigh… Unruhe brought forth crackling runs of blinding speed without pity or remorse. An die Entfernte slowed us back down and proved (well, to these ears at least…but hey, I’m a guitarist…) once again why chromatic passing tones are more effective on a guitar. The Tarantella closed out our first set of music with a witches dance that flew through its triplets with breakneck abandon and joy.
After the intermission, we shifted from the old school composers to two more modern composers. Up first was Manuel Ponce’s Sonata Romantica. The questioning start of its Allegro moderato soon gives way to a battle between a strident march and sections of delicate complexity. In the middle of this movement I noticed a slight tuning issue for which Mr. Fernandez compensated adroitly higher up on the neck. The second movement, an Andante espressivo, captures one of those tearfully perfect guitar melodies which can only be described as gorgeous. The Allegretto vivo brought us a near perfect showcase of precision in both construction and performance. The closing Allegro non troppo e serioso deceptively masks its virtuoso nature with a beautifully flowing melody, building a joyous tension that just does not want to end…And Mr. Fernandez makes it look so easy…
Our concert closed with Sonata, Op. 47 by Alberto Ginastera. Based around an angular chordal melody, this work makes thrilling use of several…one might say…unconventional sounds which can be produced on a guitar. The classical guitarist’s version of a pick scrape? Sure! Playing the strings above the nut? Why not? And I can honestly say that I’ve never heard a steadier hand playing harmonics. But through it all, a sure and steady logic emerges, allowing the “what was that?” to mix freely with (again…) blindingly fast and precise runs. This is delicately controlled and precisely presented music that revels in chaos. And when one thinks, “Oh, I can catch a breath now…” the jubilant Finale of rhythmic chords sweeps into a closing dance leaving smiles and a standing ovation.
Thank you, Mr. Fernandez, and Bravo!
