Seascapes

This London-born composer has produced here a two-movement work of substantial proportions. The opening Sunset over Chesil begins Andante con passion with a theme atop a rising arpeggio that is almost pastoral in its harmonies with some delicious slashes between stopped and open strings adding to the mood. This opening section melds into a semiquaver figuration interweaving stopped notes with open strings creating that special sound that works so well on a guitar. A brief revisit to the opening leads into a new Allegro moderato section relying heavily on pulling off a note to an open string amid a semiquaver arpeggio. Things look complex her on the page until you realise that the shape of arpeggio the composer uses moves from one place to another at times, but just looks daunting on the page. So once you get the pattern, you're fine. A contrasting Adagio takes the pace down a peg for a moment before the Allegro resumes almost unchanged. Finally the opening Andante makes a welcome reappearance closing quietly with all passion spent.
The second movement Shifting Sands is in one speed Andante throughout and is made up of another moving semiquaver arpeggio pattern with open and stopped notes. Interestingly the pattern changes every few bars so that it becomes a real workout for the right hand technique.
Nicely printed as always with d'OZ.
Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar Magazine)