Guitarist Jason Vieaux

GRAND GESTURES IN VIEAUX'S WEILL HALL GUITAR RECITAL

Weill Hall is an imposing building situated on the Sonoma State campus, and still has that “new car smell” about it. I was looking forward to hearing guitarist Jason Vieaux’s performance October 18, not only to hear the artist but to experience the acoustics of the hall about which I have been hearing so much. The acoustics are very good, but not astounding. I was seated in the second row center, but the stage is so high that most of the sound projected above my head. The stage is large and the guitarist was situated well back from the front, resulting in a disconnected feeling from the performance.

Mr. Vieaux is a virtuosic and accomplished guitarist, and his exquisite instrumental touch produced one the best quality sounds I’ve ever heard from a plucked string. His tone quality is bell-like, and its beauty is consistent throughout the length of the fingerboard. His technique is awe inspiring. His phrasing and dynamics were consistently well thought out and effective. He engages the audience and his commentaries on himself and the music were informative and entertaining.

The concert opened with Giuliani’s Grand Overture, Opus 61, followed by Bach’s E Minor Lute Suite (No. 1), BWV 996. In these pieces the performances gave me pause. Mr. Vieaux is given to the grand gesture as became popular in the Romantic era, and Giuliani’s Overture is a piece solidly in the classical era and Bach, of course, is the definitive baroque composer. My feeling is that this music is most effective when it is understated. If the accelerando, ritardandos, crescendos and decrescendos are very broad, the music can easily sound studied and melodramatic. There is an expression in acting used to describe an actor who overacts: “chewing the scenery.” Though Mr. Vieaux’s rich tone quality and technical gifts were always impressive, I felt the tempos in the Bach were a little fast. The Allemande should be slower than the Courante, and the playing gave the impression the Mr. Vieaux was trying to get the Bach over as quickly as possible.

The third piece in the first half of the concert was Britten’s Nocturnal, Op. 70, played brilliantly. Here Mr. Vieaux’s grand gestures were put to richly expressive use.

After a brief intermission the guitarist opened the second half with Albeniz’ Sevilla from Suite Española, Op. 47, from 1887. Mr. Vieaux’s grand gestures were most at home here, and his performance of the Albeniz was one of the highlights of the evening. This was followed by Mr. Vieaux’s own elegant arrangement in G major of Ellington’s In a Sentimental Mood. As beautiful as his arrangement is, this sort of thing always leaves me a little unsatisfied. These jazz pieces were composed to be springboards for improvisation. To play them as concert (classical) pieces I feel the performer should either venture to improvise on them or compose some variations on the theme to give the impression of improvisation.

Following the Ellington Mr. Vieaux played Dan Visconti’s The Devil’s Strum, composed for the guitarist. Devil’s Strum has reference to the so called “Crossroads” legend about blues virtuoso Robert Johnson meeting the devil at the crossroads and acquiring his virtuosity at the price of his soul. Visconti’s piece is very abstract and incorporates many blues idioms and grunts, foot stomping, and other effects. They were all played with great skill and enthusiasm.

This was followed by Paulo Bellinati’s Jongo, incorporating much of the flavor of traditional Brazilian folk and street music. Jose Luis Merlin’s Suite del Recuerdo, i.e. “Memory Suite” or “Suite of Remembrance,” written as a memorial to the victims of the “Dirty War” in Argentina (the composer’s homeland), closed the program.

Mr. Vieaux played one encore after a standing ovation, Pat Metheney’s “Letter From Home.” The guitarist is releasing a CD of Metheny’s music in January, entitled “Play.”

Mr. Vieaux is an artist with a captivating sound and a paragon for those who play and love the guitar.