Search - John W. Duarte :: John Duarte: Guitar Music

Very good.

Ghost(Ghost(M)) | 07/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This I got for the sakes of music, but the performance didn't disappoint: it is confident, exact, and nuanced -- very, very good; impressive and enjoyable. Music-wise I liked the record too: though not entirely free from hocus-pocus, Duarte is melodic, tasteful, and energetic. To my taste, the pièce de résistance here is the English Suite op.31 -- it is probably the most evenly well-composed thing on this record; I liked it so much I even ordered the music for it. The first track -- Suite Piemontese Op. 46 -- is nice too, as are the Catalan folksong and the three homage-to-Lauro pieces. Musikones and Birds I didn't like much, too much hocus pocus, and by that I mean a lifeless feel, as if the pieces were artificially constructed and equipped with something definitely noticeable, if you know what I mean (mostly in harmony).



Bottom line: both the musical selection and the performance are first class here: this is a good record that I'll return to many times. Recommended."