This three-movement piece is set in the same key as the original and it was fun to play along at sight with an entire orchestra (well a recording if you must know)... until I got to the bits where some fingering would have helped!
That having been said, much of this is definitely sight-readable, and the bits that aren't simply need the positions chosen and the phrases rehearsed a bit. There are a few bits of double-stopping and the need to play some scale-based passages at quite a pace, but if the speed were dropped a little compared to the original this becomes a very accessible and substantial work for players of about Grade 6 standard.
Although set in the same key, it is, of course, an octave down on the original, but the bass sections are spaced far enough apart that the sound is never gruff. Set in D and G, this has mapped onto the guitar in a very pleasing way, and it fits under the fingers gratifyingly well.
The third movement, marked presto, will be a challenge at speed, as it requires complete synchronisation across all four parts. Having said that, it will work well a little slower than the original - a slightly more relaxed pace will give the guitar's unique tone a chance to develop between the changes of notes.
This is a surprising full and impressive sound, given the modest technical challenges it poses, and it will be a popular concert item, in part or in whole, at school concerts, as well as at adult events. The publisher has once again made sure that every page turn is at a convenient point in the score for each player, so there are no problems in performing this substantial work.
Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar Magazine)
