reviews

Eos Guitar Quartet: Live
EOS Guitar Quartet, Musikkollegium
Winterthur (Leo Brouwer, conductor)
Eos Guitar Edition
Swiss quartet, orchestra shine on
Gismonti and Towner
Guitars and orchestras do mix, and here to
reinforce that statement is a brilliant example
of strings, bowed and plucked, emanating
from the heart of Switzerland by that
country’s “oldest” orchestra (formed 1875)
and the relatively newer (but celebrating
25 years of performing) Eos Guitar Quartet,
whose members are Julio Azcano (replacing
original member Martin Pirktl in 2013), Marcel
Ege, David Sautter, and Michael Winkler.
It is a sumptuous menu. With Leo Brouwer
as guest conductor, we have the stunning
Gismontiana, Brouwer’s arrangements
of six of Egberto Gismonti’s most distinctive
pieces: Frevo, Água e Vinho, Baião Malandro,
A Fala da Paixão, Cadenza, and Loro. The
eight hands of the quartet swirl among the
maelstrom of the orchestra—often manic,
then playful and suddenly plaintively lyrical;
Gismonti’s distinctive music, defying easy
categorization, is consistently joyous.
A world premiere delights—a piece
dedicated to the Eos Guitar Quartet titled
Confl uence, by Ralph Towner, a record-label
mate of Gismonti’s, who helped to shape the
distinctive sound of Manfred Eicher’s ECM
records from the company’s earliest days.
The three movements—“Waltz,” “Slow,” and
“Allegro”—make for a substantial work at
just under 20 minutes. Towner’s idiomatic
sound world is explored here in dark hues
of musical mystery. Always accessible but
not “easy,” Towner never fails to take the ear
and mind on a captivating journey.
Recommended! —TP

Eos Guitar Quartet - Live
(Eos Guitar Edition)


A fine classical guitar quartet playing the music of two of the most brilliant composers for classical guitar in the modern era – sounds like the recipe for a breathtaking musical experience. "Eos Guitar Quartet Live" is just that – filled with crisp, lyrical playing, seamless parts, and inventive compositions. The quartet is: Julio Azcano, Marcel Ege, David Sautter, and Micheal Winkler, based in Switzerland. The disc contains just two pieces: Leo Brouwer's "Gismontiana," which is Brouwer's exploration of themes from the music of the famous Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti, and "Confluence," by Ralph Towner. But don't be fooled – the recording is 55 minutes of complex yet inspiring music. The piece by Brouwer was recorded live with the Musikkollegium Winterthur, conducted by the composer himself. The opening movement of "Gismontiana," is Brouwer at his most skilled – dense chords that drive the tune, while the orchestra complements and introduces the underlying melody. The third movement entitled "A Fala de Paixao" leads with a single guitar playing a gentle melody line, then joined by the other guitarists and the orchestra, a magical, flowing movement that enchants the listener, shifting subtly to other themes, then returning to the main melodic idea. The next movement, "Cadenza," is just that in the spirit of classical music – a section where the guitarists explore all kinds of ideas, revealing the command of their instruments. The American guitarist/composer Ralph Towner has been a prodigious creator of intricate, sometimes dense, and usually challenging music. His "Confluence" – a world premiere commissioned performance on this record – is just three movements: "Waltz," "Slow," and "Allegro." "Waltz" is a brilliant exploration of that form, though I would find it difficult to keep in step during some sections that move freely in and out of that rhythm. "Slow" takes the listener on a semi-minimalist journey, repeating key phrases that drive the movement in a hypnotic stillness. The CD and this composition end in "Allegro," marked by rapid sections of arpeggios that whirl and tumble. It is an ecstatic conclusion to an excellent tribute to two giants in the world of guitar composition, played by four men who are masters of their instruments.
© Kirk Albrecht

"Eos is the rosy-fingered goddess of dawn. Forget all about early morning sleepiness: when the
four gentlemen of the Eos Guitar Quartet start stroking the strings, the sun comes up and the
temperature rises. Far away from any Aranjuez-style schmaltz lies the exciting no man's land
between jazz, tango and the so-called serious music - this is where the Eos guitarists feel at
home.
...If you think you could do with a musical surge of adrenaline, do not miss this concert."
Tages-Anzeiger, Zurich, 26-3-99

Ralph Towner & Eos Guitar Quartet "In Guitar" Festival Winterthur