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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

The Kansas City Guitar Society presented formidable classical guitarist Ana Vidović at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in the second concert of their season this past weekend. The nearly 100-strong audience of devoted guitar music enthusiasts was not disappointed, as Vidović is a high-caliber performer who offered up standards and popular arrangements Sunday afternoon.

Vidović’s finely tuned talent was immediately shown in the concert’s opening Astor Piazzolla standard, Four Pieces. She played the recognizable movements with controlled rubato, appropriate phrasing, and dexterity in both hands. Vidović utilized the entire dynamic range of her guitar on these pieces, however at only five rows from the stage, I found myself straining to hear the quietest parts and harmonics. St. Paul’s is a beautiful space, however perhaps less than ideal for solo acoustic guitar. The acoustics of the room made every slight sound audible, and the vent system was distracting, but Vidović’s audience was impressively attentive, quiet, and respectful.

The first half of the concert also included three short and sweet pop song arrangements by Tōru Takemitsu: “Secret Love,” “Over the Rainbow,” and “Yesterday.” Vidović expressively and gracefully executed these heart-felt tunes with calm yet focused accuracy. Her face was perfectly serene, yet her body language was involved and emotive. While her nimble fingers flew over the fingerboard and quickly contorted for complex chords and patterns, her playing still looked and sounded effortless. She is undoubtedly deeply connected to her instrument.

Closing the first half were two short but important works in the repertory, Francisco Tárrega’s delicate, gentle Recuerdos de la Alhambra and Isaac Albéniz’s dark, dramatic Asturias. Both of these are challenging exercises in right hand precision—the thumb plays a bass line or melody alternating on the low strings while the fingers rapidly tremolo on a single higher pitch, producing a mandolin-like effect. Vidović’s tremolo was consistent, with equal clarity and strength among all fingers and thumb. Her forceful chordal accents which burst through the tightly controlled high tremolo on Asturias were especially piquant. Vidović received an early but deserved standing ovation before intermission.

The second half of the program was a continuance of the brilliant guitar technique that had been on display from the beginning. Federico Moreno Torroba’s Suite Castellana had Vidović’s left hand adding just the right amount of vibrato in just the right spots. Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Sonata in D Major, Op. 77 and Agustin Barrios Mangoré’s La Catedral were a little bit of everything; at times spirited, stately, melancholy with sensitive pauses, well-balanced range and counterpoint, and both with dense finales similar to the Tárrega and Albéniz.

The audience offered their appreciation once again with a standing ovation after the final piece, and Vidović warmly obliged us with a favorite piece of hers for an encore, the touching and sentimental Stanley Myers’ “Cavatina,” made famous as the theme from the film The Deer Hunter.

This was an excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon and I highly recommend checking out the next Kansas City Guitar Society concert in March.

REVIEW:
Kansas City Guitar Society
Ana Vidović, guitar
Sunday, November 14, 2010
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
40^th and Main, Kansas City, MO
For more information visit www.kansascityguitarsociety.org

Photos by Michael Benabib

By Kristin Shafel Omiccioli

Editorial Assignments Executive Editor; Traditional and New Classical Contributor

Kristin Shafel Omiccioli, a native of Madison, WI, holds composition degrees (M.M., B.M.) from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. Kristin's compositions have been performed at national and regional new music festivals and conferences throughout the United States. During her time at UMKC, Kristin also focused on double bass performance and arts administration. She was a student leader and performer in many of the Conservatory's student organizations and ensembles, including Musica Nova, Composers' Guild, the Conservatory Student Association, the orchestras, and Wind Symphony. Her composition instructors were James Mobberley, Paul Rudy, Zhou Long, and Chen Yi, and her bass instructor was Sue Stubbs. Formerly a guitarist, Kristin performed with big bands and her own jazz combo in Madison, WI, having studied jazz guitar and theory with Roger Brotherhood in Madison and jazz voice and theory with Hal Melia in Kansas City at UMKC.

Kristin enjoys being active in the performing arts community. She has volunteered with the Chamber Music Society of Kansas City and Charlotte Street Foundation, and has played in the bass section of the Northland Symphony Orchestra, among other bass gigs around the metro. Kristin currently serves as principal bass for the Kansas City Civic Orchestra and Heritage Philharmonic, and is a section bassist for Kinnor Philharmonic. She joined the writing staff of KCMetropolis.org in February 2010 and has been KCM’s executive editor since July 2011. Read her blog at mylittleheartmelodies.com.