Roth Guitar Duo [Review extract] 10th November 2022 In the splendid setting of the Assembly Room, a hushed audience was held spellbound by the magic of two guitars at Grimsby Town Hall, when the Society presented the Roth Guitar Duo. With something for everyone, partners Emma Smith & Sam Rodwell, performed music from the Baroque to Bad Boy (Toru Takemitsu, 1961),. Opening with Farewell to Stromness (Maxwell-Davies), quiet confidence filled the hall, as the duo assuredly played out these beautiful strains. Serenade in A, by the early 19th century guitarist Carulli, represents the ‘heart of classical guitar’. Strongly imbued with the classical genre of the Beethoven period, Sam & Emma revealed its contrasting moods with good interplay between the parts and marked dynamic variations. The wonderfully performed Sonatina Canonica, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, in three movements reinforced the strong association of the guitar with Spain: romancing the audience through Spanish towns and countryside; a soulful, deeply felt, second section gave way to an exciting fiery invocation of Spain in the finale. The musical diversity of the first half was continued in an equally pleasing second half, opening with the exciting Lo Que Vendre, Piazzolla, followed by Maximo Pujol’s Piazzolla-influenced Tres Piezas de Otono. These two compositions moved the audience to a steamy Argentinian café offering coffee and tango. The moving second scene of the Pujol was a delight to the ear: a doleful melody rose from Sam’s beautifully executed rest-strokes, providing full rich tones against Emma’s perfectly balanced accompaniment, before she too took and returned the lead. Sam & Emma’s performance of Marcello’s Concerto for Oboe and Strings was pure joy for the ear. Sam’s expressive melody against Emma’s simple, yet wonderful, chordal accompaniment; both parts swelling and diminishing under great control. A pin-drop would have been heard in the pianissimos. Concluding with a lively Allegro, the Concerto was followed and contrasted by Homecoming, written for Emma & Sam by guitarist & composer Yvonne Bloor. Like a song without words, Homecoming is relaxed, with a sense of the familiar and welcoming. Sam & Emma, who had captured their audience with playing that was confident, yet unassumingly skilful , concluded a wonderful evening with a heartfelt encore, Always Good to Me, also written for them by Bloor. IM
Roth Guitar Duo [Review extract] 10th November 2022 In the splendid setting of the Assembly Room, a hushed audience was held spellbound by the magic of two guitars at Grimsby Town Hall, when the Society presented the Roth Guitar Duo. With something for everyone, partners Emma Smith & Sam Rodwell, performed music from the Baroque to Bad Boy (Toru Takemitsu, 1961),. Opening with Farewell to Stromness (Maxwell-Davies), quiet confidence filled the hall, as the duo assuredly played out these beautiful strains. Serenade in A, by the early 19th century guitarist Carulli, represents the ‘heart of classical guitar’. Strongly imbued with the classical genre of the Beethoven period, Sam & Emma revealed its contrasting moods with good interplay between the parts and marked dynamic variations. The wonderfully performed Sonatina Canonica, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, in three movements reinforced the strong association of the guitar with Spain: romancing the audience through Spanish towns and countryside; a soulful, deeply felt, second section gave way to an exciting fiery invocation of Spain in the finale. The musical diversity of the first half was continued in an equally pleasing second half, opening with the exciting Lo Que Vendre, Piazzolla, followed by Maximo Pujol’s Piazzolla-influenced Tres Piezas de Otono. These two compositions moved the audience to a steamy Argentinian café offering coffee and tango. The moving second scene of the Pujol was a delight to the ear: a doleful melody rose from Sam’s beautifully executed rest-strokes, providing full rich tones against Emma’s perfectly balanced accompaniment, before she too took and returned the lead. Sam & Emma’s performance of Marcello’s Concerto for Oboe and Strings was pure joy for the ear. Sam’s expressive melody against Emma’s simple, yet wonderful, chordal accompaniment; both parts swelling and diminishing under great control. A pin-drop would have been heard in the pianissimos. Concluding with a lively Allegro, the Concerto was followed and contrasted by Homecoming, written for Emma & Sam by guitarist & composer Yvonne Bloor. Like a song without words, Homecoming is relaxed, with a sense of the familiar and welcoming. Sam & Emma, who had captured their audience with playing that was confident, yet unassumingly skilful , concluded a wonderful evening with a heartfelt encore, Always Good to Me, also written for them by Bloor. IM