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NX 4199
J.S. Bach, Britten & Others: Guitar Works
Label Catalogue Number:
8.574199
8.574199
Running Time: 01:00:23
Release Date: June 2020
Originally recorded in 2019
Originally recorded in 2019
Genre:
Classical
Guitar
Classical
Guitar
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About
Johan Smith, 2019 winner of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America Competition, presents his dream programme in this recital. Bach’s Toccata for harpsichord ‘borders on the unplayable’ for the guitar, especially in its final double fugue, while Manuel Ponce’s Variations on La folía de España and Fugue is one of the most challenging peaks of the repertoire. Mertz’s celebrated virtuoso Concertino is followed by Britten’s Nocturnal after John Dowland, renowned for its blend of Elizabethan melancholy and contemporary strangeness. The recital concludes with a world premiere, the evocative Sables Stellaires by Josquin Schwizgebel, dedicated to Johan Smith. We are continually in awe of the remarkable musicianship of each new generation of classical players, and as a result our Guitar Laureate series goes from strength to strength with every season. Named the ‘Classical Guitar Revelation of 2017’ by French Guitar Classical Magazine, Johan Smith has been invited to perform in renowned festivals as soloist and in concertos with orchestras such as the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, and the Verbier Festival Orchestra.
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Reviews
“…Swiss guitarist Johan Smith, winner of the 2019 Guitar Foundation of America Artis Competition, opens with an excellent transcription and performance of Bach’s four-movement Toccata in E minor, S 914. The centrepiece of the recording is Manuel Ponce’s 22 minute La Folia Variations. Smith plays every variation with care and artistry, bringing out the contrasting moods with alacrity, giving this creative and substantial work by the Mexican composer the respect and care it merits… The rarely-recorded and fanciful Guitar Concertino by romantic period composer Johann Kaspar Mertz glistens in Smith’s hands, with soaring, pristine filigrees played so well that it is difficult to imagine anyone playing the music better… This is a recording from an excellent musician …”
James McCutcheon – American Record Guide – May/June 2021
“… Recorded in fabulous sound at St Paul’s Church, Newmarket, Ontario, Smith delivers a massively enriching program with all the panache of a master.” Colin Clarke
“… As one listens to Johan Smith play, it’s manifestly obvious why he won the 2019 GFAC. Here is a tremendously gifted guitarist and musical artist, and his Naxos album … compels hearing by all guitar lovers.” Jerry Dubins
Fanfare - September/October 2020
Editor's Choice - Instrumental
"On paper, the 2019 GFA Competition winner Johan Smith's recital programme looks unremarkable; a classic mix of old and new, familiar and unfamiliar, designed to showcase the guitarist's technique and musicality. But if the playing in the first few bars of Bach's BWV914 Toccata isn't enough to dispel such preconceptions, by the time you reach the last bar of the closing work, Josquin Schwizgebel's expansive SAbles stellaires, you'll understand just how sophisticated Smith's approach is..." William Yeoman - Gramophone magazine - September 2020
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