Gabriel Bianco, guitar

March 20, 2010

Edmonton Classical Guitar Society

Muttart Hall, Alberta College

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The old saying goes that pets frequently resemble their owners; the same is often true of musicians and their instruments.� When Gabriel Bianco walked on stage at Muttart Hall with his classical guitar, my first impression was that either could easily be swept away by a brisk Chinook wind.� As he took a seat and got his fingers moving with Fernando Sor’s Variations on a Theme of Mozart, however, I was reminded that size doesn’t predict sound.� Bianco’s playing was anything but unsubstantial.� His music was warm and clear, filling the small auditorium and keeping us tuned in for the next two hours.

Classical guitar players face an interesting choice: they can play only the music written for their instrument, which limits them to a fairly small range of styles and composers, or they can explore the entire scope of music by playing compositions for other instruments on the guitar.� Many performers succeed at translating music for their own instruments, and Gabriel Bianco did a superb job of this.� Franz Schubert’s Lob der Tr�nen was originally written for piano and voice but fit well within a guitar arrangement.� A highlight in the first half was J.S. Bach’s a minor sonata for solo violin, which Bianco played without losing any of ideas in the violin part.� The Bach was a little fast throughout for my taste, but the quick tempo wasn’t a problem for Bianco’s agile fingers.

One thing stuck out for me throughout the concert, as the music shifted from Spain to Germany to Paraguay and back.� Gabriel Bianco has a great feel for the intensity of each piece and managed to draw the audience in by building tension and waiting just long enough before letting us relax again.� We were led through the highs and lows of the music carefully, drifting from suspension to resolution at precisely the right time.

I always like it when performers are comfortable enough to chat between sets; it’s not necessary, but when musicians can set up a good relationship with their audience it creates a great mood.� Gabriel Bianco was clearly relaxed on stage and took time between pieces to explain what was coming next.� After finishing the program with Giulio Regondi’s virtuosic and sparkly Introduction and Caprice, Bianco returned for an encore, announcing with a small grin that he would end the evening with “something a little slower”.� Once again, after building the excitement of the music gradually through the entire evening, Bianco knew exactly how to let us relax and unwind.� Perfect timing.

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