This is a group of four pretty and well-composed pieces ideally suitable for the grade 4-5 student. The first one, titled Clair-Obscur, is basically a study in block chords but it is actually a much more dignified and noble affair than that description makes it out to be. If played in a «regal« manner it becomes quite a nice piece.
This is followed by Nulle Fleur, and Beaute Pareille, the liveliest one of the set containing some nice chord sequences with a hint of Espana at times and a nice dialogue between treble and bass mid-way through.
The most austere piece comes with Chanson d'Automne, a plaintive and nostalgic little ditty with the sparse melody line being in the bass throughout.
The set ends with the most harmonically-interesting work in the book, Après la Pluie, a piece which explores the fingerboard in much more detail than the other three and with this shifting into higher positions, use of harmonics and several places where campanella is called for, this makes this the most demanding, but satisfying, to play.
All in all I found this to be a most agreeable set of student pieces. Well worth a look at.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar Magazine)
