2 espaces

Both these pieces have an air of «innocence« permeating through the music; the opening bars of the first one, titled Rosace begins in a somewhat deadly lacklustre fashion with its nursery-rhyme-style tune presented by one player and equally dull counterpoint played by the other. However, this is a misleading opening and things soon get underway in a much more interesting fashion, this simplistic tune being varied and shared between the instruments with ever-increasingly odd accompaniment creating dissonance between the parts and giving a slightly bizarre flavour to the piece. The second one, titled Éclisse, is a fast-flowing work in a perpetual motion style. Once again, a childlike theme infuses the music but with the dissonances created between the two parts this tune becomes part of a strange sound-world the overall ambience becoming slightly surreal (anyone who can remember the tune from the classic BBC television programme for children The Magic Roundabout but played with jarring harmony, will get the picture). Initially, I didn't think I would get much pleasure from these two pieces but having gone through them several times they have definitely grown on me. The standard to do them full justice is of around the grades 6-7 mark. Presentation is good with full score and separate parts for the players.
Steve Marsh (Classical Guitar Magazine)