Concerto Barroco, opus 70

Since winning the Chris Kilvington Memorial Prize at Dillington Guitar Summer School in 2000, it seems that Liverpudlian musician Mark Houghton has gone from strength to strength. This concerto is now his opus 70 and he has music published with several different publishers including Mel Bay, Lathkill Music, Corda Music, Chanterelle and of course Les Productions d'OZ. This relatively new work for guitar and string quartet is in the style of a Baroque pastiche with the three movements paying homage to three different Italian composers, respectively, Antonio Vivaldi, Alessandro Marcello and Arcangelo Corelli. In the opening Allegro moderato, without being informed of such, one can hear Vivaldi's style, the playful exuberance and strong melodies permeating throughout this movement recalling the most joyful of the Italian master's compositions. Arguably Alessandro Marcello's most renowned composition is his Concerto in D minor for oboe, strings and continuo, and the second movement of Houghton's work, a Lento, evokes the celebrated Adagio in what for me, is the absolute highlight of this work. The Allegro third movement is very much in the style of a finale to a Corelli Concerto Grosso with once again strong melodic lines, played in a high-spirited flowing style bringing the piece to a brilliant and uplifting conclusion. This is a beautifully crafted gem with great charm and elegance and skilled writing for all involved. Houghton's Concerto Barocco deserves exposure and hopefully will become recognized for what it is, a superb addition to the guitar chamber music repertoire. Guitarist Ray Burley gave the UK premiere in October 2011 Mark Houghton has also done an arrangement for guitar and harpsichord which is due to receive a Canadian premiere in 2012 with guitarist Sylvie Proulx as soloist. The really nice feature of this work is that it doesn't require a virtuosic technique; a good solid Grade 8 player would surely be capable of doing justice to it. The publication comes with complete score and separate parts for each player. Highly recommended.

Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar Magazine)