Clin d'oeil au bal de quartier

This piece was written by someone who obviously knows the guitar well and has a great belief in the instrument's capabilities; it really stands out. The music has shape, style and melody. The parts are beautifully written and at times stand on their own and at times interlock. The music has a lovely feel of forward motion but the composer never hurries us from the section we are listening to. I can't wait to play this on one of my courses, I'm sure the players will love it. However I know that I will have to put in a lot of work on the parts before I can use the piece with students, the dynamics and articulation are given in a very slipshod manor. A competent quartet would work things out for themselves but why not let us see what the composer has in mind?
(John Arran, Classical Guitar Magazine, Marsh 2003)