voice and guitar
“As the above title aptly describes, these three poems in English try to describe the emotional journey taken when a relationship finishes. Things I Never Said is the title of the first song, which describes how with foresight things could have been different. Dark Night’s about the loneliness of loss. The third song, In My Town is about inhabiting a space that is no longer filled by the presence of a lover.
In his songs there is a good balance between the vocal line and the guitar accompaniment, and he successfully reuses a lot of his motifs to good effect, repeating them frequently. This repetitive writing for the guitar helps to create a hypnotic effect at times, and keeps the flow of the music moving on effortlessly. He also maximises the use of an interesting chord once found. The songs create an atmosphere and show an intimate emotional world, The verse is simple direct and engaging, drawing the listener in. The poets name suggests she is female, but the verse is written from a male perspective, the songs are for a medium low voice, using a range of notes just under an octave and a half.
Dusan Bogdanovic was born in Yugoslavia in 1955; he has to his credit over 50 published compositions, works for guitar, piano chamber and orchestral ensembles, as well as almost 20 recordings ranging from Bach through to contemporary music. He has moved around extensively throughout Europe Asia and the United States absorbing different musical cultures and styles. His more detailed biography appears on the first page of the book.
The cover is stiff white card with a mid brown trim featuring a photo of Dusan Bogdanovic in sepia tones, not smiling but with a downcast expression. The music is clearly printed and well laid out. Some left hand fingerings, positions and dynamics are given. As the text is an important part of these songs, the poems are also presented on a separate sheet. Both the poems and the music are written in a contemporary abstract style.
The standard is around grade 5 for both singer and guitarist. Although for a medium voice, occasionally the tessitura sits rather high, located where a break naturally occurs between the middle and higher register of the voice.
Dusan Bogdanovic leaves enough flexibility in the music so that both artists can find their own creative voice.”
Sandra Hambleton Smith (Classical Guitar Magazine)
