What a lovely piece this is. But how does it fare on guitar?
The evocative original relies on sustained strings, flutes and horns to create a timeless spacious canvas onto which glorious melodies are painted. The feeling of open space is compelling.
When played by guitars, we are constrained by limited sustain, diminutive forces and two basic timbres. It's not a level playing field and this isn't going to have the power of the original, nor the feeling of unconstrained freedom that so pervades this work.
So are there any positives? Well, accessibility for a start - carefully written to suit intermediate players, here's a chance to enjoy the lush writing of a great composer without breaking out in too much of a sweat.
There is a lot of pizzicato in Guitar Four where it imitates a plucked string bass, but nothing else to cause grey hairs, and that's why intermediate players will love it. When the tune goes onto the body of the guitar, it is invariably slow and easy to manage. The occasional bouts of double stopping are well fingered whenever they move from first position, and dynamics and tempi are clear and comprehensive.
There are a number of key changes, but most are handled with accidentals rather than an actual change of signature.
The countermelodies are shared between all the players and some of them will really come alive if taken up the neck to imitate a cello sound.
The arrangement is very nicely done.
Derek Hasted
