Suite Tricastine - Vidala y Chacarera

This is for four guitars (or preferably a larger ensemble) and comprises two sections - Vidala and Chacarera - which flow from one to t' other in a seamless transition from 3/4 to 3/4+6/8. Why “preferably a larger ensemble”? Because there is an optional (fifth) strumming line for a single guitar and the melody would appreciate some extra strength to balance this additional part. Dedicated to Brigitte Repiton and Bernard Piris (I've reviewed and performed some of the latter's ensembles) and written for the students at the Conservatoire where he teaches, this is a work conceived specifically to inspire the next generation of classical guitarists with the rhythms and structure of some Argentinean Folk Dances. The Vidala - a lilting melody (shadowed by a countermelody a third below) - is accompanied by a simple bass line and a more percussive line using the right hand heel to slap the strings while the fingers pluck. Just 24 bars long there is a restful simplicity and modest pace that cannot fail to delight. I'm struggling a bit to put over how it sounds, but the melody is in the style of El Noi de la Mare. The Chacarera, if I can generalise again, is not unlike a Malageuna, and we know how gloriously those fit onto the guitar. But it's much more than that, with two threes set against three twos and tied notes which take us over the bar line. The optional strumming pattern here is more complex too, as are some of the chords that are called up. Nothing is impossible, but some chords will require a few seconds thought before the shape becomes clear. Some of the rhythms will seem a little harder than might be expected and there are some rapid ligados where the fingering is blessedly easy, though the timing might still prove a bit elastic in its precision. In the same vein, the more traditional classical player will find the use of chord names as complex as Bm7b5 a little intimidating. But this is, after all, a piece which is designed to teach, educate and broaden one's knowledge and technique. In that sense, it's a miniature masterpiece that rewards one's efforts with a delightful sound and texture. There is no fingering and no dynamics, but technically it's Grade 5-6 and rhythmically just a little harder, so it's not intractable. I like it.

Derek Hasted (Classical Guitar Magazine)