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Review: Denian Arcoleo at the Bristol
Music Club
A very full and eager audience turned out on Saturday November 15th
2008 to listen to the Classical Guitarist Denian Arcoleo, and I think all would agree
it was one of those evenings you wouldn’t have missed.
With a quiet yet warm stage presence, Denian played with a rich, well balanced,
commanding sound that, in particular, suited the voicing in Bach’s Prelude,
Fugue and Allegro. The clarity and articulation in the contrapuntal lines of
the Fugue were skilfully executed and played with an assurance belying the
technical demands of this work.
The three nicely chosen works by Barrios - Vals op 8 no.4, Mazurka
Appassionata and Maxixe - were
played with character and poise and felt very at home in Denian’s hands, as
did the four works by Dilermando Reis (Se Ela Perguntar, Promessa, Uma
Valsa e Dois Amores and Alma Apaixonanda). The melodic lines in all
these pieces had a relaxed elasticity and charm that tastefully integrated into
the rhythms of each piece.
A composer himself, Denian’s works were received well by the audience – his Samba
Bachianas getting one of the most enthusiastic receptions of the evening,
thanks to its toe-tapping rhythm. His Lydian Lullaby had some distinctive
harmonic shifts that helped to capture its poignant and appealing mood.
Before rounding off with the Fantasie Hongroise op 65 by Johann Kaspar
Mertz and a very fluently played encore of Registro from Lauro’s Suite
Venezolana, Denian played Preludes 1, 8 and 4 by Gilbert
Biberian. These made a refreshing contribution to the programme in their
slightly more complex musical design. The lines and phrases were cleverly yet
clearly developed by the composer throughout each prelude, creating a sense of
musical evolution rather than just an intellectual one.
I’m sure everybody present would agree that it was a pleasure spending the
evening in the presence of Denian Arcoleo. It
is concerts such as this that will hopefully continue to boost the success of
the Bristol Guitar Society and its wonderful supporter, Chris Gilbert of the
Bristol Spanish Guitar Centre.
Hayley Savage November 2008
Thanks to Hayley for the above. It was also nice to see Gilbert Biberian who
was present to hear his compositions being played. BGS