There are only a handful of composers for the guitar whose music I inherently trust to be good. I know before I actually play them that I am going to like what I see/hear. Thierry Tisserand is one of them, for I have yet to come across anything of his music that I didn't thoroughly enjoy.
These are two relatively modest pieces for duo that don't require too much technical effort to make them work successfully, requiring only a moderate command of the fingerboard. Both are Latin-inspired, beginning with Milonga d'octobre with its oft-repeated rhythm of 3, 3 and 2 in a bar. With only a couple of exceptions the top part consists of a single line melody, which does however need to run around the fingerboard with apparent ease, underpinned by a second part that is sometimes an arpeggiated pattern and sometimes a harmonic foil for the top part. It has an instantly memorable melody and has a forward thrust throughout that is utterly compelling and successful.
Its companion Rumba Marica is in a similar 3, 3 and 2 pattern but with a slightly more complex top part, but not too much so; it is still pretty much single notes again. The music is lots of fun, like its companion and relatively short at only 54 bars but makes a lively companion piece to the Milonga and would be ideal for a reasonably talented duo. As usual, this is effortlessly wonderful stuff from Tisserand and needs to be played and enjoyed by vast amounts of people.
Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar Magazine)
