Con-tem-po

version pour bandonéon, guitare et violoncelle aussi disponible (DZ 1159)

This duet was written in 2002 by this 56-year-old Frenchman and is Latin in style. Originally a trio with a part for bandoneon and recorded by the dedicatees Roberta Roman, Marisa Mercade and Isabelle Sajot on their CD «Angeles y Demonios« in 2007; this betrays the composer's love of all things Piazzolla!
It starts with syncopated cello harmonics before the archetypical minor 6th chord appears on the guitar. The chord structure wherein the 6th (C#) drops to a C natural is lifted straight from one of Piazzolla's standard openings that a sense of dislocation briefly occurs as to whose music you are listening to. The introduction carries through into the next few bars until the first real theme appears on the cello with the guitar continuing its syncopated bass note/chord idea. The mood remains the same until a con fuoco e ritmico section where the guitar has a tricky semiquaver figuration atop a rocking cello line. This develops into a 5/8 section leading in turn to andante espressivo given first to the guitar as a solo for the first ten bars. After the cello's return the tune is given over to the guitar with artificial harmonics before a D.S. returns us to the opening speed for once more through the main ideas until a 5/8 coda gradually winds down into a glissando sweep from the guitar and trills from both instruments.
This was quite a nice duo, not really spectacular and could have been written by Piazzolla himself.
Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar Magazine)

Winning several international guitar competitions and teaching his instrument at the Conservatoire de musique et de danse du Tarn à Albi, Gilbert Clamens has also become a prolific composer and arranger, with great passion for world music. As the author states, Spain is the particular land of his predilection. To date, Clamens has composed over forty works for different media (theater, film, CD recordings, radios, concerts, etc.). His guitar and violoncello duet, Con-tem-po, written in 2002 reflects a Latin style, and shows the composer’s passion for Piazzolla’s music. The composition was originally a trio for guitar, bandoneon, and recorder, and was recorded in 2007 by Roberta Roman, Marisa Mercade, and Isabelle Sajot on their CD, Ángeles y demonios.
In this duo version, the piece starts energetically and rhythmically with syncopated cello harmonics before the archetypical minor sixth chord appears on the guitar. The chord structure wherein the sixth (C-sharp) drops to a C-natural is taken straight from one of Piazzolla’s standard openings, so a sense of dislocation briefly occurs as to whose music you are hearing. The introduction carries through into the next few bars until the first real theme appears on the cello, with the guitar continuing its syncopated bass note/chord figuration.
The mood remains the same until a Con fuoco e ritmico section where the guitar has tricky semiquaver motifs atop a rocking cello line. This develops into four bars of 5/8, leading in turn to Andante espressivo given first to the guitar as a solo for the first ten bars. After the cello’s return, the tune is given over to the guitar with artificial harmonics before a repetition, which returns us to the opening speed for once more through the main part. Finally a 5/8 coda gradually winds down into a glissando sweep from the guitar and trills from both instruments. The total duration of this pleasing duet should be a bit less than seven minutes. 

Uroš Dojčinović, Soundboard 2013