[.ca] Guitar Recital By Denis Azabag

superb playing:
Naxos's "Guitar Laureate Series" is something special that all guitar enthusiasts should look into. My favorites in the series are Jason Vieaux's and Ana Vidovic's recitals, but Azabagic's runs a close third. What I like most about Azagabic's playing is the sense of command that he has over his guitar which allows him to place his personal stamp on these Spanish/Latin-flavored compositions. I think one would be hard pressed to find someone more technically capable than Denis, but at the same time he uses his spare energies and thoughts to add passion and feeling to all the pieces. I have a few other recordings of Torroba's "Sonatina", and prefer Azagabic's because of his passionate that is felt throughout. For me that is the difference between a recitalist and an artist in the true sense who claims ownership of whatever he or she is playing, yet still maintains the integrity and identity of the piece.

lacking interpretation:
It is true that there is a marked difference between competition laureates and the completely average player or untrained listener. It is therefore understandable that the latter persons may hear a performance such as the one recorded here and be highly impressed, being capable of and/or knowing no better. However, there is also a further difference, that between truly great musicians and merely technically proficient players. Denis Azabagic falls into the latter category: His performance - far from being truly expressive and profound - is composed largely of the mechanism of playing the guitar together with moments of what seems misguided or forced attempts at interpretation. Antonio Ruiz-Pipó's "Estencias": The work consists of three movements (3 dwelling places, depicted in sound). In a good performance the slow outer movements convey a haunting sense of nostalgia and depth. In contrast, the middle movement should be vigorous, almost violent. Mr. Azabagic's rendition does not achieve this successfully. Firstly, one has the impression he simply goes through the motions mechanically, finishing the first (slow) movement an entire minute quicker than an emotionally fulfilling performance would last. Hereafter one would assume that at least his speed would serve him well in the fast movement. Not at all. (When speed is used in a performance, it must be there as a means to a musical end, not as an end in itself. Speed should serve the music, not the musician.) Mr. Azabagic does play the second estencia fast, and yet for all the speed, the musical end is not achieved. There is not enough depth, mostly fretwork. Overall this performance of "Estencias" does not 'sing'; it is not spacious enough, not colorful enough, and it lacks the necessary phrasing and delineation of the different structural elements within the three movements. The result is monotonous and superficial. Manuel de Falla's "Homenaje (Le tombeau de Claude Debussy)": As anyone may infer from the title (Homage - The Tomb of C. Debussy), this work is intended to be elegiac in character. One would thus expect an emotionally laden lament, yet Mr. Azabagic (like many other guitarists) delivers a perfunctory, rushed, and jerky performance. Furthermore, it lacks the necessary contrast between the melodic line (which ought to be executed 'tenuto' - with somewhat sustained notes) and the staccato (detached) accompaniment. Mr. Azabagic's technique is solid and he does attempt to 'interpret' some works, but these attempts at imbuing the pieces with an emotional dimension ultimately lead to some truly bizarre performances (like that of the Asencio Sonatina on another of his recordings).

• Sonatina: Allegretto
• Sonatina: Andante
• Sonatina: Allegro
• La Catedral: Preludio -
• La Catedral: Andante Relgioso -
• La Catedral: Allegro Solemne
• Sonatina Meridional: Campo
• Sonatina Meridional: Copla -
• Sonatina Meridional: Fiesta
• Son: I. Allegro Moderato
• Son: II. Minueto
• Son: III. Pavana Triste: Lento
• Son: IV. Final: Allegro Con Brio
• 3 Estancias: I
• 3 Estancias: II
• 3 Estancias: III
• Homenaje, Pour Le Tombeau De Claude Debussy
• Whirler Of The Dance: Prelude
• Whirler Of The Dance: Evocation
• Whirler Of The Dance: Dance