The Belfort Guitar Duo
The Belfort Chamber Ensemble
The Belfort Chamber Orchestra
Quartetto Santorsola
Antonio De Innocentis and Nicola Montella
Flavio Nati guitar
Brilliant Classics 96184 / 96510 / 96658 / 2CD 96443
John W. Duarte (1919-2004) was something of a pioneer as British composer writing mostly, if not exclusively for the guitar. Other composers such as Walton, Malcolm Arnold and Stephen Dodgson contributed to the literature, but in his single-minded devotion to the instrument, Duarte was almost unique.
Brilliant Classics have issued a four-disc set of his music including works for solo guitar, guitar duet and quartet and orchestral and concertante works. This gives a very full idea of Duarte’s range as a composer. There are suites of pieces, sets of variations and some very appealing transcriptions.
In terms of musical style, Duarte might be thought of as an eclectic, but this is rather to miss the point. Like other composers, he is capable of ‘putting on’ a style where he considers it to be most appropriate. Here he is in excellent company; Handel is probably the most obvious example, as is Arthur Sullivan. The fact that they both wrote primarily for the theatre is an indication of the need for stylistic plurality.
It is refreshing to find a composer of instrumental and orchestral music adapting the same technique. Thus, there are recollections of the English and French lute schools, the Spanish and Italian literature and in the group of transcriptions, Praetorius, Tchaikowsky and Delius all make an appearance.
Those who may regard the music for guitar as a minority interest will be pleasantly surprised by the broad the appeal of the music. It is not just for aficionados. Perhaps the most revealing area of Duarte’s output is the concertante works. The Concierto alegre Op 101 is notable for the skilful way in which the composer uses the, admittedly, small orchestra, so that the solo instrument is never overshadowed.
A comparison with Rodrigo is probably inevitable, but, to my ears at least, it rebounds to Duarte’s advantage. The Concierto de Aranjuez is the most celebrated work for guitar and orchestra, but Rodrigo was not a guitarist and was not writing for the medium as an insider. I understand that the technical challenges are formidable and in places the music does not lie gratefully for the medium. The impression one receives from listening to these recordings is that the music is never less than thoroughly idiomatic, and because of that, artistically wholly convincing.
From the technical point of view, the sound is excellent, never too close or distant, and where a larger group is involved, the balance is always perfect. To those who may wish to sample one release of the four, I would recommend Volume 2, since it gives a broad indication of Duarte’s high quality as a composer.
Review by Martyn Strachan