Felicidade by Stephen Robinson

Montes’ compositional style is grounded in the Venezuelan national tradition but is also influenced by the European environment, most notably those of Germany and England, where he resided for many years. Alfonso Montes regularly concertizes with his wife, the German guitarist Irina Kirchner, in the duo Montes-Kircher.

-Libra Sonatine

The Libra Sonatine, (Libra being a sign of the Zodiac and Dyens sign as well), is an original extended three movement work which has become, along with Tango en Skaï, one of Dyens’ most frequently performed and recorded works. The three movements, India, Largo and the final movement Fuoco (fire) are all excellent examples of the fusion of musical styles and techniques for which Dyens is best known. He utilizes a broad palette of techniques from frequent changes in meter (especially in India), syncopation, rasgueado, to percussion and slapping (a technique utilized by electric bass players in funk music), and to conclude the work, Bartok pizzicato (a technique whereby the player must literally and forcefully pull and release the string from the fretboard which produces a violent snapping effect).

Born in Tunisia, North Africa in 1955, French guitarist/composer/arranger and improviser Roland Dyens is no stranger to the guitar community and musical world. Having begun guitar studies at the age of nine with Robert Maison, he later studied with Alberto Ponce at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, France. His compositional studies were with Raymond Weber and Désiré Dondeyne. Dyens was awarded a diploma in concert performance, with high honors, in 1976 and has won numerous prizes including the Palestrina International Competition in Porto Alegre, Brazil and the Villa-Lobos Special Prize at the Alessandria Competition in Italy. A favorite at guitar festivals worldwide, Roland Dyens brings an original and eclectic style of composition and performance that fuses jazz, classical, rock and funk elements. He has been Professor of Guitar at the Conservatoire de Chaville (hauts-de-Seine) near Paris and since 1988, and is currently Professor of Guitar at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris.

-Kinkachoo, I Love You

Born in 1954, Australian guitarist and composer Phillip Houghton, whose training initially was as an artist, began the study of music at the age of 20 with encouragement from the late Australian music educator, radio broadcaster and pianist John Champ. Houghton’s guitar studies with Sebastian Jorgensen, took place in Eltham Victoria at the artists colony Montsalvat from 1977-1981. Self taught as a composer, his works draw from many styles including rock, jazz; classical and world music. Musical influences include Claude Debussy, Miles Davis and Led Zeppelin. Having written for film, dance and the theatre, Houghton’s works continue to reflect interests in mythology, the environment and art. His compositions have been performed and recorded by guitarists John Williams, John Mills, Carlos Bonell, and Nicholas Goluses. Composed in 1998, Kinkachoo, I Love You is a brief, yet beautiful work. Its strength lies in the overall simplicity and gift of melody. In the score, the composer indicates that the performer should tune the sixth string from the normal E, up a half step to F….the Kinkachoo, a mythical bird, once wounded in the Spirit-Realm, heals and flies into the world.

-Songe Capricorne

Songe Capricorne, (Capricorn being another sign of the Zodiac), is also an original composition which, like Houghton’s Kinkachoo, I Love You, requires the performer to re-tune one string, in this case the fifth string up a whole step from the normal A to B.

-Inspiraciones

Manuel DeMurga, born in 1967, studied composition with Samuel Adler, Robert Morris, David Liptak, Christopher Rouse, and Joseph Schwantner, and computer music with Allan Schindler. DeMurga was awarded a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Composition from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Music at Stetson University in Deland, Florida, where he teaches composition and computer music. Among Dr. DeMurga’s numerous grants and awards are the Marimolin Prize, 1990, two Eastman awards (Hanson Orchestral Prize, 1991, and the Gitelman Award, 1995), the Kubik International Prize in Composition, 1998, and the Florida State Music Teachers Association Commission, 2000.

The following is offered by the composer:

“Inspiraciones is a term used to name the improvised phrases found in montuno sections of Latin music. This title reflects the short phrases that repeat with modifications throughout the work to create the melodic material. Additionally, the principal rhythmic material is related to pattern found in montuno sections. During the course of the piece, two melodies are varied and combined in a series of episodes, reappearing at the end of the work in a manner that resembles a dialogue. Ispiraciones was written for guitarist Stephen Robinson, whose expert feedback was invaluable during the editing process.”

-Homage

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1947, guitarist/composer Frederic Hand is known both as a Grammy-nominated and Emmy-winning composer for television and as a recording artist. Hand is noted for his masterful performances of early music with the group Jazzantiqua of which he is the creator and director. Having arranged and performed the theme for Kramer vs. Kramer, the Academy Award-winning film, his following recording Baroque and on the Street became a best seller. Mr. Hand’s compositions have been recorded by guitarist John Williams, and he has performed with tenors Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, and conductor James Levine. Original scorings for television include The Guiding Light, which received an Emmy, As the World Turns and Sesame Street. Frederic Hand’s tours have taken him throughout North America and Europe. He has given master classes at Yale and Emory Universities and at the New England Conservatory of Music among others. A graduate of the Mannes College of Music, Mr. Hand studied with Julian Bream in England on a Fulbright scholarship. He is currently Chair of the Classical Guitar Department at the State University of New York at Purchase and also serves on the faculties of the Mannes College of Music and Bennington College.

The composer has provided these comments on Homage:

“Each of the men to whom the pieces are dedicated has affected my life and has been a source of inspiration to me. Elegy to a King was composed in 1968, in the wake of the sudden loss of a great universal and humanist spirit. Vaughan Williams’ music has had a great influence upon my own style, as evidenced by these three pieces. John Dowland was extremely fond of dedicating his works to his friends, employers and otherwise favorite people. In the same spirit, I dedicate A Dance for John Dowland to one of my favorite composers.”

-Farewell

John Doan, born in 1951, is one of the few masters of the twenty-string harp guitar. He has performed and collaborated with a diversity of artists including pop star Donavan, jazz guitarist Larry Carlton and folk legend Burl Ives. Mr. Doan has been interviewed on national and international radio including NPR’s “All Things Considered-Evening Edition” with Noah Adams. Additionally, Doan has been featured in numerous publications including the Washington Post and Billboard Magazine as well as staring in two much-loved television specials produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting: "A Christmas to Remember with John Doan" (seen on PBS) and his Emmy nominated "A Victorian Christmas with John Doan." His latest recordings on Hearts O' Space Records have been nominated for "Best Celtic Album of the Year," and Doan’s most recent video is a ninety minute documentary that he wrote and starred in entitled "In Search of the Harp Guitar.”. Doan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music/ Performance Guitar from California State University at Northridge and a Master of Music Education from Western Oregon State University. Currently, John Doan is Associate Professor of Music at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

-John Doan’s work “Farewell” (from “Celtic Twilight” on Hearts O’Space Records), received a “Visionary Award.”

Program Notes: Andrew Linton

Guitar: 1982 Thomas Humphrey

Strings: D’Addario J-45 Pro-Arte

Producer and Engineer: Stephen Robinson

Final Mix: Karl Wolff, Clear Note

Recorded in Elizabeth Hall, Stetson University, August 20-22, 2006

This recording was made possible by a Stetson University Hand Faculty Grant established through the generosity of Dolly and Homer Hand.

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