KCMETROPOLIS.org
Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

In addition to the excellent musicianship, each member of LAGQ is an accomplished arranger in his own right, starting with member John Dearman’s arrangement of Rossini’s Overture to Il barbiere di Siviglia, which opened the concert. Immediately displaying the equal treatment of each guitar, the beloved and recognizable Rossini melodies appeared in layers across the ensemble—traded, in octaves, and harmonically. Dynamics were pleasantly contrasting and rhythms were tight across the group.

Following the Overture, LAGQ performed two sets inspired by Spanish stories, arranged by members William Kanengiser and Scott Tennant. Music from the Time of Cervantes is a collection of short works that Cervantes may have heard as he was writing the Spanish Golden Age-adventure Don Quixote de La Mancha. Each work “describes” a scene from the book, and El amor brujo, the ballet composed by Manuel de Falla. Their arrangements captured the essence of gypsy music, using the flamenco techniques golpe (tapping fingernails on guitar body) and rasgueado (rhythmic right-hand strumming) recurrently. Palm muting, sul ponticello, matching wide vibrato, and alternate tunings created pleasing and variable timbres throughout both pieces.

The second half of the concert began with an arrangement of Stravinsky’s brief Circus Polka. The askew rhythms and frequent dissonances proved well suited for guitar quartet and infused a shot of humor into the program.

An arrangement by newest LAGQ member Matthew Greif, Three “Post-Bop” Classics followed the polka. More creative inspirations than faithful transcriptions, the Miles Davis tunes “So What” and “Blue in Green” featured rich harmonies and lyrical, expressive melodies, contrary to their described “minimalistic” nature. The notoriously challenging John Coltrane tune “Giant Steps” began with disjointed snippets passed throughout the group, which gradually become more frenzied before culminating in a satisfying full statement of the original theme.

My favorite piece on the program was Paisaje Cubano con lluvia composed for LAGQ by the contemporary guitar master himself, Leo Brouwer. The idiomatic piece began with a simple and lovely opening—clear-ringing pitches one after another, emulating gentle raindrops. Growing textures with ebb-and-flow dynamics and tremolos built tension in the second section, driving towards a veritable “hailstorm” of syncopated Bartók pizzicatos, dissolving into a recapitulation of the raindrops theme and fading to silence.

LAGQ concluded the evening with an arrangement of the enduringly popular Bizet’s Carmen Suite and an encore of Peter Maxwell Davies’ steady and folksy Farewell to Stromness. Throughout the concert LAGQ displayed a high level of professionalism and musical expertise. Especially impressive was LAGQ’s equally sensitive and energetic playing, focusing on each of their individual parts while still acutely aware of the others. This talented foursome’s fresh interpretations of music from the past were deservedly well-received and immensely enjoyable.

REVIEW:
Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Yardley Hall, Carlsen Center, JCCC Campus
12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS

For more information, visit http://www.jccc.edu/theseries

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.