Six Folk Melodies

In the Preface to this work, composed in December 2007, the composer states that it is «quite easy technically«. Anything that begins on the guitar with a set of rasgueados in alternating 6/8 and 5/8, and chords that stretch 5 frets, and change every 2 or 3 chords together with an instruction to play one of them whilst dampening the 5th string with the 3rd finger, and all in the first 4 bars is most definitely not «quite easy technically«. It would seem that Pasieczny is an exceedingly good player and has perhaps forgotten what «quite easy« means! Moreover the violin player has quite a lot to do in most of this set. Witness the opening «Up There Near The Mill Rowan Grows« with its two, three and four-note chords in quick succession and its alternating pizzicato, and arco instructions.That said the music is charmingly done with lots of biting harmonies and the aforesaid time changes adding certain piquancy to it all. «On The Green Boundary Strip Birds Eat Oats«, is next (what a title!) The guitar begins with a chromatic semiquaver idea before continuing under a jumping violin melody full of energy and an excitement that never lets up, and completes with an accelerando to finish. «On The Dry Poplar a Bird Sat Down«, slows the tempo considerably for a melody that is largely the domain of the guitarist, with the violin (forgive the pun) for once playing second fiddle.The remaining three items are equally exciting and moving by turns and indeed the final «The Furious Polka« really lives up to its name. So all in all this is a fine set that is great fun to play and whilst the harmonies are slightly biting at times, they are nonetheless friendly enough and any lovers of folk-orientated music need have no qualms.
(Chris Dumigan, Classical Guitar)