Midnight Train

This is a dramatic piece of descriptive writing based on a poem by Victor Toledo titled Moscow - St. Petersburg. With dropped D tuning, the opening depicts the train in a repeated syncopated 123-123-12 accompaniment figure used to drive the music forward between short melodic fragments of semiquaver runs and accented chords. This texture changes to running semiquaver ostinato passages (oscillating between strings), and strident accented chords lead to a return of the opening rhythmic idea, The next contrast in texture employs tremolo passages, animato in 3/4, slowing down to a pause before the opening rhythm again, a tempo, where accented chords and ostinato figurations lead to a crescendo on A across four octaves which marks a return to the opening, The piece then repeats to a coda consisting of repeated sextuplet figures in a long diminuendo, slowing down to a Tranquillo section (including drum effects produced by crossing the fourth and fifth strings) and the piece closes at the original tempo with an adaptation of the opening rhythmic idea in another long diminuendo, repeating a figure in harmonics. Demanding to play in all aspects (some very difficult stretches) this requires an advanced technique and a great sense of drive. It is, however, remarkably effective and rewarding to play, and with the appropriate requirements in place this could be a witty and spectacular addition to a concert programme.
Linda Kelsall-Barnett (Classical Guitar Magazine)