Classical Guitar Magazine of the UK reviewed Smaro Gregoriadou’s “Reinventing Guitar” album in their March 2011 issue. You can find Classical Guitar Magazine online at their website http://www.classicalguitarmagazine.com.
Here are some quotes from that review:
“The reinvention concerned in the title is not the music but the instruments Smaro Gregoriadou uses to play them on.
“Three different guitars are used here: the Scarlatti Sonata (also known as K380) using the single-stringed high-tuned guitar with movable back pedals and scalloped fingerboard; as does the second of the Balkan Dances of the player later in the recital. The main sound element here is the high tuning that makes an attractively open sound that really adds to the listening experience…How hard this is to play, is not made clear but the sound is fascinating and particularly relevant when playing renaissance and baroque; the wide range, and generous tone-colours together with the re-entrant character of the tunings give the Bach a lovely sound that adds a great deal to the piece.
“Gregoriadou’s FirstBalkan Dance is interpreted on the same instrument as the Scarlatti. It is full of complex rhythms and violent outbursts of rasgueado chords. There is a slightly calmer middle section that still sounds busy note-wise that gradually builds up again to an impressive climax.
“This is altogether a most interesting recital and one I would not have liked to have missed. The playing is exemplary and the sounds of the three guitars grip the listener throughout.”
-Chris Dumigan
REINVENTING GUITAR!
Smaro Gregoriadou
New Perspectives in Guitar Sound
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757): Harpsichord Sonata L23
Guitar with scalloped frets & movable back/ high tuning
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Lute Suite BWV 995
Triple-double-single course guitar/ re-entrant tuning (recording premiere)
Antonio José (1902-1936): Sonata para guitarra (1933)
Classical guitar with metallonylon trebles
Yorgos Kertsopoulos (1952): Some Colour’s Rhythms
Classical guitar with metallonylon trebles
Smaro Gregoriadou (1969): Balkan Dances
Balkan Dance No. 1 on a Bulgarian folk theme
Guitar with scalloped frets & movable back/ high tuning
Balkan Dance No. 2 on a Greek epic song
Classical guitar with metallonylon trebles/ low tuning
All works arr. Smaro Gregoriadou
A “must-have” for guitar enthusiasts, Reinventing Guitar brings a rich array of novelties from young Greek guitar virtuoso and composer Smaro Gregoriadou. She plays music from the Baroque to the present on three guitars differing in type, number and material of strings, timbre and tunings, all built by Yorgos Kertsopoulos of Kertsopoulos Æsthetics. Kertsopoulos’ instruments blend exhaustive historical and aesthetic research with practical acoustic applications for current audiences.
Reinventing Guitar is currently on sale at Arkivmusic.com along with the entire Delos Catalog. Click the ArkivMusic button below to view the savings.