Duerme Martina

This Italian composer has produced much good work, and here we find a modest little piece with the 2nd string at C, and the 6th at F, which is a tad unusual for guitar pieces, giving the guitar a quite different sound when allowed to ring out.
The piece’s key is a little vague, right from the start with its chords of fourths, and with the main theme having an opening chord of a chord of C with an F bass, you realise that this enigmatic harmony is all part of the mood of the piece. As with any piece using a scordatura, one spends a fair amount of time just getting used to the unusual places for the notes on strings 2 and 6, but having done that the piece gets a little easier, although with its cadenza-like passages of small notes that crop up throughout its length, it is never an easy piece to play.
This was an interesting little piece that took some time to get to the bottom of but with all good pieces, the effort is worth it. Recommended for the moderately advanced guitarist.

Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar Magazine)