Ballade

Intense is the first word to come into my mind on playing this remarkable new work by Zohn. With a 6th string on C sharp you may be initially put off by trying to negotiate notes three semitones higher than normal on your fingerboard's sixth string, but fear not as the effort required is so worth it. Written in memory of Aaron Brock, one immediately feels the power, the grief and the stark beauty at work here.
Beginning with a 15-bar Liberamente introduction that uses upward moving arpeggios in various patterns as its basis, it leads to a Molto adagio 5/4 descending bass line that underpins a sad little idea largely in sixths. The harmonies throughout are striking in their power and general avoidance of the obvious; everything here is tonal but unusually so. Later on in this extended first section two ideas, one a rocking idea in two voices, with the melodies in contrary motion followed by a startling four-against-three idea bring about the main climactic section before a poco mosso ostinato heralds a new and more restless idea. Again after a considerably extended time a grief stricken largo section intervenes which leads to a return to the molto adagio first section and a reiteration of all the slow material up to the poco mosso (but not including it).
A brief Largo coda reminds us of several of the motifs before closing on an altered C sharp major chord. I cannot praise this piece enough. Highly original, utterly compelling, moderately difficult only to play and with an intensity that caught me completely unawares. This is a wonderful example of modern guitar music at its very best. Don't miss trying it out.
Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar Magazine)