BWW Reviews: ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL 2014: PEPE ROMERO AND YAMANDÚ COSTA WITH THE ADELAIDE ART ORCHESTRA

Reviewed Friday 18th July 2014

Two big names came together in one concert as the incredible Brazilian guitarist, Yamandú Costa, made a welcome return to Adelaide to share the bill with the great Spanish classical guitarist, Maestro Pepe Romero. Either of them would have been able to fill the Adelaide Festival Theatre, and so, with the marvellous Adelaide Art Orchestra as an added attraction, this was guaranteed to pack the auditorium. Variety came from the structure of the programme as Yamandú Costa began with solo pieces, before the orchestra appeared to join him and, in the second half, Pepe Romero began by playing with the orchestra, to then end with solo pieces.

Yamandú Costa's selection of solo pieces were all his own compositions, exploring his Brazilian background and with influences of other Latin American music with which he has come into contact. The sounds that he extracts from his seven string guitar leave everybody amazed at the phenomenal technique and speed that he has which allow him to fill his playing with fireworks, bursts of lightning, huge chords, inventive melodic lines, and great gentleness and subtlety, sometimes singing or whistling along.

His solo pieces are not merely demonstrations of his mighty technique, however, as his playing is also filled with passion, from the most delicate passages to the bravura sections. It is no wonder that Adelaide audiences have fallen in love with his music since his first visit in 2010, the year that Slava Grigoryan took over as Artistic Director and began introducing Adelaide to the very best guitarists from all over the world.

For his work with the Adelaide Art Orchestra he turned to Fantasia Popular, a piece in three movements written by himself and Paulo Aragão, paying tribute to three composers: Radamés Gnattali, Baden Powell, and Antônio Carlos (Tom) Jobim. This is a marvellous piece that makes full use of the available orchestral palette and full of rich harmonic comment, leading the orchestra into unfamiliar territory, a challenge that they relished, judging by the performance. Costa brought out a wide range of emotional content trhough some extremely lyrical passages and the audience showed there appreciation fully.

Pepe Romero opened with Joaquín Rodrigo's famous Concierto de Aranjuez, and you are unlikely to hear it played better than this. His playing is electric and the clarity that he brings to this piece sheds new light on the work. Although he is seventy this year, his youthful appearance and exuberant playing make that hard to believe. He seemed to give an added lift to the Adelaide Art Orchestra, sweeping them along with him, and their conductor, Brett Kelly, responds to Romero's interpretation by evincing some excellent playing from the ensemble. Romero breathed new life into this concerto, putting back the excitement that is so often missing.

For his solo pieces Romero turned first to Isaac Albeniz and the popular piece, Layenda (Asturios), followed by the gentleness and open structure of Fantasía Sevillana, by Joaquín Turina, then the lively, rhythmic Capricho árabe, by Francisca Tarrega and, finally, the excitement of Fantasía Cubana, by Celedonio Romero, the father of Pepe, and founder of the family guitar quartet, which also featured his other two sons, Celin and Angel. The contrasts between these four pieces permitted us to engage with various aspects of Romero's playing and resulted in massive applause and a demand for an encore, which he delivered, to close of a magnificent concert.

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