Trois danses capricieuses

L'écriture pour trois guitares est simple et claire... ...pour notre plus grand bonheur. (Hugo Mercury, Les Cahiers de la Guitare) The first two of these three dances follow a similar format: a brief, slow, atmospheric introductory section followed by a lengthier quicker one. The first dance creates a surreal scenario with the clever use of slightly discordant sounds whereas the second one has a naive childlike simplicity in its beauty and is equally attractive. The third dance has several segments of various tempi, beginning with a tranquil minimalist short introduction leading onto two very brief and lively sections. The quicker, march-like main body of this dance has a very oriental flavour to it and concludes with a return to the tranquil opening section. Although not stated in the album, I would suggest that these three pieces are intended to be played as a 'set' rather than individual items. With a little thought regarding the subtle nuances and phrasing of Trois Danses Capricieuses, the set would stand very much as a charming and individual item in any recital. The album is very well presented with a full score and individual parts for each player. The standard required to do justice to this work is of around the grade 6 level. (Steve Marsh, Classical Guitar, 11/2000)