L’imaginarium

Here are a set of 12 pieces that are progressive in difficulty, so that the first Plaisanterie has two simple voices and is quite simple whilst the final No 12, a Fuque, is quite advanced and several stages further on from the opening piece. So my first response is I wonder what standard of player would be suited to this set, because a player who was only able to cope with the likes of No 1 would be a few years away from being able to play the final No 12. Nevertheless this is a nice set of mostly enjoyable pieces with one or two real standouts that are worth the price of the book themselves. No 5 is a Negro Spiritual with a real lilt to it although it remains in two relatively simple voices throughout. Echo des Andes, with a theme almost entirely made up of the semiquaver, quaver and semiquaver grouping so typical of this music; lots of fun and not too difficult either. No 1O is a really fun Ragtime which is only of modest difficulty and yet is so effectively done, just to name a few. So, in essence, this is a nice set but there is a wide gap between the first and the last piece but if that is not a problem then there really is something for everyone in this effective little set.

Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar Magazine)

"I often find myself playing a piece and wondering how its title relates to the music. At other times, a beautiful piece in which I can imagine colorful stories for which it might have been written about is simply named Prelude. Here, Marois has compiled twelve colorful and imaginative pieces that clearly reflect the themes for which they are named. The collection also includes a great diversity of compositional techniques. Each piece is between one and two pages in length, with the exception of one that is three pages, and they seem to increase in difficulty level throughout the collection. The first piece, 'Plaisanterie', translates as a 'joke' or a reference to humor. The melody explores up to the tenth fret of the first string with only a few instances in which the left hand holds more than one note at a time, making it a simple piece for beginners to explore higher notes on the fretboard. It is fun to play, with the use of staccato notes and an overall light, lullaby-like feel. The last two pieces, Danserye and Fugue, are written in two voices that move in baroque-style counterpoint and are a bit cumbersome for the left hand. Although they are challenging with both fingering and phrasing, they remain playable and pleasant for the ears. Other favorites include Étoiles d'Arabie ("Under the Stars of Arabia"), which evokes the sound of Arabic music by flatting the second scale degree throughout the melody; a haunting melody in Tombeaux des Ming (tombeaux meaning "Tombstone"); and Ragtime, which is reminiscent of the music of Scott ]oplin in a style surprisingly simple for the hands and catchy to listen to. Overall, this is a nice collection of short pieces that would be appropriate for beginner to intermediate guitarists. Right-hand fingerings are not included, and this left me wondering what the composer would have suggested in a few situations."

Amy Hite (Soundboard)