Classical guitar concert

Press, 18 November 1989, Page 10

Classical guitar concert

Jonathon Harper, classical guitar, in the Rothmans Foundation lunchtime concert series, Great Hall, November 17, at 1.10 pan. Reviewed by Philip Norman. This recital looked interesting on paper, and began promisingly. Jonathon Harper, classical guitarist, presented a programme that traversed the major style periods of Western music. The chronological course of the potted aural history was neatly paralleled by an overview of related visual artworks and architecture. These were presented by slide projection. Thus, for example, the audience was able to appreciate the timeless beauty of Tarrega’s “Recuerdos de la Alhambra" and the Alhambra Palace itself — the

source of Tarrega’s inspiration. The florid lines of Vivaldi’s “Sonata in D major” neatly mirrored the lavish ornamentation of Bernini’s “The Chair of St Peter.”

Intelligent juxtapositions such as these ensured the recital sustained a high level of educational content.

Indeed, the only quibbles I have with Harper’s selection of material lie in the representation of the closing half of the twentieth century. On the art side, we were offered only Warhol’s “Self Portrait” and snapshots of contemporary scenes from Rome. As accompanying music, Harper’s own “Dances” (for the pop-art) and Vendetti’s “Roma Capoccia” suggested little of the amazing diversity of sound these

decades have produced. If the scholarship of the recital nose-dived in the closing items, so too did the quality of the performance. In particular, Schoenberg’s "Musette” was given a perfunctory airing and Weill’s “Mack the Knife” lacked a cutting edge. These deliveries stood in marked contrast to earlier items.

Harper has an obvious affinity for music of the Renaissance and Classical periods. This was ably demonstrated in the neatly polished and committed performances of Sor’s “Andante Largo (Op. 5)” and a selection of Italian lute dance music. From Romantic times, Tarrega’s “Recuerdos” was aired with commendable sensitivity and expression. '