Primavera

According to the preface this work was inspired by the great Renaissance artist, Sandro Botticelli's painting, Il Primavera, The Allegory of Spring. The composer says that the music attempts to capture the 'lyrical beauty and the 'hushed joy' of this perfect moment in time.' This phrase. certainly sums up a good deal of this very interesting and, at times, moving, piece. Primavera is in one movement which is split, without breaks, into several sections creating varying moods of sorrow, happiness, aggression, playfulness. The guitar at first takes on a subsidiary role but as the piece progresses, so does the impetus of the guitar. I found this to be a fascinating and exciting composition, which I hope, will find its way onto the concert platform. Presentation is very good (with a separate part for the flautist, the guitarist having to play from the score, which doesn't really present any problems) and the standard to do the piece justice is realistically around grade 8.
(Steve Marsh, Classical Guitar Magazine, September 2003)