John W. Duarte (1919-2004)
Works for Solo Guitar
Flavio Nati (guitar)
rec. 2022, Chiesa di San Maurizio, Collegio Rotondi, Gorla Minore, Italy
Brilliant Classics 96658 [76]
The repertory of the guitar is not endowed with compositions from the pens of the great composers. For some, the instrument did not exist during their lifetime; for others, the lowly status of the guitar was relegated to folk music, perceived as an instrument of the streets and not worthy of serious compositional consideration. The early guitar virtuosi were invariably players and composers out of necessity. Among these, including Sor, Aguado, and later Tarrega, we find some exceptionally enjoyable and admirable compositions, even if they are overshadowed by the works of their acclaimed contemporaries.
During the 20th century, composers of a higher calibre began to write serious music for the guitar.
Some were spontaneous, motivated by its unique qualities, others responded to the special requests of guitarists such as Segovia and Julian Bream. The greatest of all guitar concerti was written by Rodrigo during this period. Spanish composers including Turina and Torroba, along with a number of other outstanding composers, responded to the promptings of Segovia. Some of the finest guitar music of the era was composed by the Paraguayan guitarist Agustin Barrios – unfortunately not widely recognized until the 1970s. British composers Alan Rawsthorne, Benjamin Britten, William Walton, Richard Rodney Bennett, among others, responded to requests from Julian Bream for new works to expand the guitar repertory.
Another British composer of guitar music from this era is John Duarte. A professional chemist by trade, he abandoned this career to dedicate himself to music. Duarte was a jazz musician specializing in trumpet and double bass. His association with the guitar came via jazz guitar lessons with Terry Usher, and continued at the Spanish Guitar Centre, established by Len Williams, father of John, where Duarte taught. He had a close collaboration with eminent players of the day, including Segovia, Alexander Lagoya and Ida Presti, for whom he wrote music.
Duarte was a prolific composer and wrote a substantial amount of music mostly for guitar(s), or combinations with the guitar, such as his Op.142(a) for guitar and string orchestra; some of this music remains incomplete and unpublished. Although prolific, he is not the composer for guitar most frequently recorded; that aside, entire discs of his music have been recorded by guitarists such as Antigoni Goni, along with the review disc. Duarte’s name was not included in the aforementioned list of British guitar composers because of hesitancy in justification. While he wrote music for, and dedicated to Julian Bream, it was never played or recorded by him; his extensive discography contains no works by Duarte. – but it must also be acknowledged that Op. 51 by Cary Blyton, suggested by Bream and dedicated to him, was never performed or recorded by the guitarist.
Duarte’s snide comments about the compositional prowess of Regino Sainz De La Maza garnered no favour among aficionados of the Spanish School of composers for the guitar. His ambivalence regarding whether the revered Recuerdos de la Alhambra was modest music, or just a finger exercise, may have caused some to question his judgement in such matters. For those wishing to evaluate his concepts as an arranger, compare Duarte’s version of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes with that of Laurindo Almeida; both are readily available on social media.
What must be acknowledged is the diversity of style in Duarte’s compositions. In some works, one witnesses a tonal language, frequently influenced by folk music of various nations, and romantic in mood. In others, the Renaissance style of lutenist John Dowland is evident. The following observations have also been noted: ‘[they]alternate in style between aleatory, atonal and graphic, contained within a conventionally notated framework and allowing spontaneous reaction between performers’.
Flavio Nati graduated with Honours in 2012 from the Conservatorium Santo Cecilia, Rome under the guidance of Arturo Tallini. At the Conservatorium of Maastricht, The Netherlands, he gained a Master’s Degree in classical guitar performance. He has subsequently continued studies with renowned artists, such as Giuliano Balestra, Judicael Perry and Zoran Duric, among others.
While the œuvre of Duarte contains unfinished and unpublished works, it also contains a number which have never been recorded. This review programme appears carefully constructed, avoiding the over- recorded workhorses such as English Suite Op 31, but also including six items not previously recorded. The liner notes give comprehensive details about each of the programme items, and the prevailing circumstances under which they were composed. Particularly interesting is Fantasia & Fugue on Torre Bermeja Op.30 (15), inspired by the piano music of Albeniz. Within the programme, music of longest duration (15:58) is Op. 100 (8), and the shortest Op. 138 (12), the duration of which is 2:43.
Both the guitar playing and musicianship of Falvio Nati are of a particularly high standard.
Because six of the items have never been previously recorded, comparative renditions are a challenge. Having listened to a wide range of music played by Nati on social media, one receives confirmation of initial impressions of excellence initiated by this recording. The playing is very secure, the tone rounded and the volume extracted from the guitar he uses, made by Mikhail Robert, a hallmark of sound technique.
There are so many outstanding players among the younger generation of guitarists that one begins to contemplate sub-divisions in ‘excellent’ and ‘outstanding’ to accommodate and proportion their capabilities. The guitar is not unique in this aspect, but it is unique in that only several decades ago there was just a handful of players who could exhibit performance of these standards.
Zane Turner
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Contents
Partita Op.59 *
Variations on an Italian Folk Song Op 139
Valse lyrique Op 137 *
Valse en rondeau Op 128
Variations on a theme of Stepan Rák Op.100
Three Songs without Words for Carlos Andrés Op.45 *
Danza eccentrica Op 138 *
Fantasia and Fugue on Torre Bermeja Op.30 *
Prélude en arpèges Op 62 *
*First Recordings
