Modern repertoire for the classical guitar including videos and sheet music articles. From early 20th century composers to contemporary new music.
In a Room by Canadian composer Rodney Sharman (b.1958) – This is a wonderful work that I came to know about through Adrian Verdejo‘s performances. The video above is from Sharman’s YouTube channel where he makes the score available to…
Julia Trintschuk performs Preludios de Primavera by Joaquín Clerch (b.1965). This comes via the excellent Siccas Guitars and their YouTube channel. Great playing by Trintschuk with careful attention to motive detail throughout. Joaquín Clerch (born 1965 in Havana, Cuba) is a classical guitarist and composer and a close friend…
Hamish Strathdee performs Hika (In memoriam Toru Takemitsu) by Leo Brouwer (b.1939) via a live performance, Darmstadt 2021. This comes via Strathdee’s YouTube channel (go subscribe). Cuban composer Brouwer was a close friend of Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu. Hika (In…
Canadian guitarist Emma Rush plays Babbit by Canadian composer Kendra Harder. This comes via her excellent YouTube Channel. Great playing by Rush and a nice little composition. Many beautiful moments with spacious pacing and that little rhapsodic dance in the middle. The Babbit Square is…
Miles Johnston (guitar) and Ji Young Kim (flute) perform Mountain Songs by Robert Beaser (b.1954). This comes via Johnston’s YouTube Channel. Nice to hear this excellent set of works by Beaser and well performed too. Some beautiful moments with wonderfully…
Equinox for Guitar by Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu (1930-1996) – One of the 20th Century’s most influential composers, Takemitsu was also a writer on aesthetics and music theory. Known for his subtle attention to timbre, silence, and fusing tradition with innovation. His music has a…
Fantastic! Canadian guitarist Michael Kolk performs the first movement, Allegro moderato from Sonate in a für Guitarre by Ferdinand Rebay (1880-1953). Audio and video by Henderson. Beautiful playing as usual from Kolk. I love how directional his phrasing is, he always has a clear destination…
ABOVE – Dave Belcher performs the Sarabande from Cello Suite No. 2, BWV 1008 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). This comes via his Youtube channel (go subscribe). Great playing by Belcher with a rhythmic, yet flowing, delivery of the musical…
Peter Graneis plays Pièce en forme de Passacaille by Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986). This comes via Siccas Guitars and their great YouTube channel. I’ve featured Graneis a few times before and appreciate his musical energy and careful attention to motifs and articulations throughout the compositions he performs. Tansman…
João Luiz plays Fandango from Tres Piezas Españolas by Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999). This comes via his YouTube channel. Luiz has posted a number of semi-causal yet virtuosic home performances that I previously featured. Fantastic musicality with sharp articulations and virtuosic figuration and rhythmic drive. His left…
Finnish guitarist Mari Mäntylä plays Orfeo (I.Adagio, II.Allegretto, III.Adagio) by Russian composer Nikita Koshkin (b.1956) on a 10-string guitar (decacorde). This comes via her great YouTube channel. Great playing by Mäntylä with an excellent dynamic range, phrasing, and long form…
Canadian guitarist Michael Kolk performs Sonata para guitarra by Antonio José (1902-1936). This is the first movement, Allegro moderato of the four movement sonata. This comes via his excellent YouTube channel. Audio and video by Henderson. This was José’s only work for guitar,…