Most of the seven pieces in this volume are impressively sophisticated for what is essentially a book of grade five (or thereabouts) standard music.
The collection is sandwiched by two waltzes, opening with Vacances and closing with Manege.
The former is reminiscent of one of Satie's famous Gymnopedies in style if not overall theme. It follows a basic ternary structure with a Coda where the A section, which moves mostly in crotchets, is contrasted by a busier, more chromatic middle part with some clever use of open strings in the chords. The key is a pleasant G major.
Manege, in A major, is the lightest (and probably least effective) work, built on a casual - almost filmic - jazz theme that is far less engaging than the rest of the selection, and definitely renders this one a background number!
Legende, the second piece, in A n-Anor, on the page looks like one of Lauro's simpler works, and indeed the contrapuntal style is fairly reminiscent of the aforementioned.
The clear melody is supported by a lively accompaniment line which is always pleasantly obvious in the scheme of things, and which occasionally assumes greater importance than the top line, creating variety within a uniform structure.
Other pieces are: Rondes, a study-like work (not, however, devoid of musical qualities) in compound quadruple time that moves exclusively in quavers: Sieste, whose dropped D tuning lends extra depth to an already sonorous, slowmoving piece built around a single repeating rhythmic figure which utilises some nice campanela effects: Chinoiserie, an assortment of effects, tempi and style centering around a pagan-like dance rhythm and Reves, where an F tuning in the bass is used to excellent atmospheric effect in a piece which, in the first of its three-page duration at least, contains some lovely harmonic writing, after which a rather less adventurous melodic figure predominates.
This is an effective, guitaristic collection with sufficient diversity and musical interest to attract even those of a standard much higher than that required to perform the pieces.
(Joe McGowan, Classical Guitar, 12/2000)
