This piece has been composed to commemorate the thirty years of the Domaine Forget's Summer Guitar Workshop in 2009.
In relative terms, there are not too many worthy, substantial contemporary and impressionistic works for guitar available for the Grade 4-5 player. Chemins des Bains, written by the Canadian guitarist Denis Poliquin, is definitely a creditable contender for anyone seeking an unknown modern composition. The atmospheric «free-time« introduction features brushed chords, changes of timbre and echo effects and in turn leads onto a short-lived ten-bar rhythmic section where every bar changes time-signature.
Finally we get to the main characteristic of this composition which takes the form of a quick waltz. A few more technical effects are employed such as glissandi and right hand harmonics before a slow and gentle interlude comes mid-way through, but this is short-lived and soon the piece gets back on track with the speedy dance once again taking over before an even quicker Coda brings the piece to a majestic conclusion.
Chemins des Bains is great fun to play through, has several places of unpredictability where the music moves to quarters one doesn't expect and makes the ideal candidate for the enthusiast of modern music which doesn't stray too far into the avant-garde.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar Magazine)
