We get so much sheet music sent to us by various publishers year ’round—literally hundreds of pieces in every setting imaginable (solo guitar, multiple guitars, guitar-flute, guitar-harp, etc.)—but we don’t have the space to write about the great majority of them in our four quarterly issues each year.
So, just as we are now listing new classical guitar CD releases every other Tuesday here, we now use the Tuesdays in between those to announce new print music releases. As with the CDs, these are not reviews per se (some will be reviewed in the magazine, but frankly most will not), but we think it’s important to at least get the word out about what’s being offered to guitarists out there. Where possible, we’ve linked the titles to the publisher’s website or some other outlet where it can be purchased, and stated the degree of difficulty (if provided by the publisher or it’s obvious). —Blair Jackson
Here is a link to our previous listings from October 25, November 8, November 22, December 6, December 20, January 3, January 17, January 31, February 14, February 28, March 14, March 28, April 11, April 25, May 9, May 23, June 6.
Napoléon Coste
The Guitar Studies: 25 Études from Opus 38
Edition Chanterelle im Musikverlag Zimmerman, 88 pp.
This extremely impressive, nicely designed, easy-to-read volume presents Coste’s famous 25 Études de genre in a new edition prepared (and copiously annotated) by Michael Macmeeken; as well as Coste’s Six Studies from the Sor Méthode. Macmeeken writes that these Coste works “are presented here complete and exactingly prepared from the source closest to the author. For more information, the player always has the option of exploring the ‘Commentary,’ but this is not essential, as this edit has a clear, unambiguous ‘ready to play’ edited text which is ‘de-bugged’ and incorporates all editorial decisions transparently.” There are appendices that talk about earlier editions, as well as plenty of historical context. Coste is one of those composers who seems to becoming increasingly appreciated by guitarists, so this tome is coming along at a very good time indeed. If you’re a Coste admirer, it might well be essential. Macmeeken states that most these are advanced, but a few could possibly be managed by more intermediate players.
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Below, George Sakellariou plays No. 20. This will not reflect any differences in the Macmeeken-edited version, but at least it gives you a sense of Coste’s beautiful writing.
Hagen Barz
Berlin Sketches Vol. 1 (for solo guitar)
Edition Dohr
German guitarist/composer Barz (b. 1953) studied both jazz and classical guitar (the latter with Thomas Offermann). He has written pieces for film, songs for children, and also his own etudes for his guitar students. In this book he offers a set of 11 short pieces or miniatures that attempt to capture the spirit of various Berlin characters, places, and moments: Happy Hour, Mama Maloo, Baker Master Ben, St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, Wedding in the Old Town Hall, etc. Sadly, we have no aural or visual examples to share with you, but the link on the title above will show you a page of music.
Yves Carlin
3 Duos
Les Productions d’Oz, 12 pp (plus part)
The prolific Belgian guitarist/composer Carlin (b.1966) here serves up three short intermediate pieces that are sure to please many players. The first, Only for Your Fingers, sounds like a classic French café tune; the second, Voyage sur l’anatole manouche, has some Gypsy Jazz vibe to it; and you can hear the melodic third piece, What Did You Expect?, played below by Carlin and Maxime Dellaert. To hear audio samples of the first two pieces click here.