Musique de Salon, Troy King, Guitar

Troy King (Performer, Composer), Iznaola, Biberian, Garcia, Brouwer Dyens (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Troy King, Iznaola, Biberian, Garcia, Brouwer Dyens
• Composer: Troy King
• Audio CD (September 9, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Eroica Classical Recordings
• ASIN: B00005RD7K
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #616,256 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Musique de Salon: Classical Guitar Music for a New "Belle Epoque" includes World Premiere Recordings of works by Ricardo Iznaola and Gilbert Biberian, as well as music by Leo Brouwer, Gerald Garcia, and Roland Dyens (including Dyens' arrangements of songs by Aznavour and Piaf). The recording was featured on Minnesota Public Radio's "New Releases with Michael Barone" and has received critical acclaim.

La Belle Epoque (The Beautiful Epoch) was the period from 1895 to 1914 characterized by a general feeling of optimism and hope within society. The world was changing rapidly with new inventions designed to make life easier and to allow diverse peoples easier access to new ideas and philosophies. Nowhere was this feeling of anticipation about the possibilities of the future more prevalent than in the salons of France, where people gathered to socialize, dance, and listen to music. The French composers of the time were searching for a unique, national style and used as their influence the popular music of the cabaret, American musical trends such as ragtimes and cakewalks, and dance hall music including the waltz and the newly arrived Argentine tango, which at that time shared the rhythm of the Cuban habanera. Today these elements are inextricably associated with French music and it is from this tradition that the composers of the works on this recording have drawn. They are all! performing guitarists and their knowledge of the many possibilities of the guitar is artfully displayed in these beautiful and entertaining compositions.

The first and last pieces on this program are composed or arranged by the only French composer represented on this recording, Roland Dyens. Dyens has garnered considerable acclaim in recent times as an extremely original and adventuresome composer and performer. Valse en Skaï and Tango en Skaï (Skaï meaning a cheap, imitation leather) also demonstrate his humor and wit, not to mention his great flair as a guitarist. Both pieces pay homage, in the style of a caricature, to the waltz and tango dance forms and are filled with musical "winks" to each. The two French songs, L'Hymne a l'Amour (Hymn of Love) and Sa Jeunesse (Her Youth) were written by the famous French singer/songwriters Edith Piaf and Charles Aznavour, respectively. However, Dyens "the arranger" definitely leaves his mark on these beautiful, harmonically rich renditions.

The distinguished Cuban-American guitarist, composer, and pedagogue Ricardo Iznaola has been hailed as "one of the most seminal players, teachers, and thinkers of the guitar scene today". He says the following about his Musique de Salon, Suite No. 5 for solo guitar: "Musique de Salon pays homage to the end of the century... the l9th century, to the spirit materialized in the Parisian end-of-the-century salon where friends gathered to share the good times making music in an intimate atmosphere o f beauty, elegance, and wit. A hint of sadness transpires at moments. It speaks of that sweet melancholy in which we indulge when we reminisce of past moments of joy no longer available to us." The style here evokes the Impressionistic and post-Romantic flavor of Debussy, Scriabin, and Ravel. Musique de Salon exists in five different versions, with different movements, for guitar duo, guitar and string orchestra, and two versions for guitar and various other instruments.

Four Waltzes for guitar were composed between 1981 and 1985 by the renowned British guitarist and composer, Gilbert Biberian. While he has written for many instruments, Biberian's works for guitar form a substantial and important repertoire for the instrument. These waltzes are very romantic in character and with their rapidly changing moods, from wistful nostalgia to overwhelming angst often within each waltz, hark back to the French cabaret style of "heart-on-the-sleeve" drama mixed with a carefree spirit. The Autumnal months titling the first three waltzes represent the storminess of these pieces set wit

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Some of the best playing I've heard on CD, September 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Musique de Salon, Troy King, Guitar (Audio CD)

I was so pleasantly surprised by this recording. the repertoire is so unique compared to other guitar CD's I own. The pieces are really wonderful. The playing is so expressive. This guy is amazing. Does he have other recordings? This the most expressive playing I've heard in some time. Bravo!