The programme reflected the depth and diversity of our society’s talent:

• Cari and Thorben performed 5 short South American pieces arranged by Yvon Rivoall, and Carolan’s Concert by Turlough Carolan (Arr. Gerald Garcia).
• Tim and Tony L gave a lively set: Scherzo Sobre la Sonrise de un Niño (Arr. Barbosa/Rojas), Fantasia for 2 Lutes (Thomas Robinson), and Tango No.2/Suite España (Albeniz).
• Katherine D played Canarios by Gaspar Sanz
• Paul H brought us Ernest Shand’s Il Pensieroso.
• Andy W closed the first half with Philippe Drogoz’s Prélude à la Mise à Mort – a hugely entertaining and theatrical percussion piece that, remarkably, calls for the use of 12 knitting needles!
• Lewis T played Antonio Lauro’s El Niño
• Vince and Tony M delivered Milan Tesar’s Suita Karrusel.
• Steve W presented Recitativo from Mompou’s Suite Compostelana.
• Tony E played his own evocative composition, Bu Farw Cathod.
• The BCGS Ensemble, under the direction of Francisco, delighted the audience with Valenciana (Arr. Helen James) and Ostinato from St Paul’s Suite by Gustav Holst (arr. Alan Rinehart).

Here are some photos from the night:

Here’s the programme and quiz from the night:

Each performance brought its own character, from Renaissance lute duets to contemporary compositions, from vibrant ensemble playing to intimate solo pieces. The range of styles – classical, romantic, folk-inspired, and modern – showcased just how much richness there is within the guitar repertoire.

A special thank you goes to Francisco for directing the ensemble with such energy and skill, and to all our members who contributed their music to the evening. The concert was not only a celebration of classical guitar but also of community – proof again of how much joy shared music-making can bring.

We wish everyone a wonderful summer, and we look forward to seeing you all again at our autumn meetings and events.

NOTE: Our next meeting will be September.

Composed in 1774, just prior to the birth of the first great classical composers for the guitar, such as Fernando Sor and Mauro Giuliani, the opening piece of this recital provided a fine example of how beautiful music written originally for the piano accumulates new dimensions when performed on guitar.

Mark Eden’s transcription of Mozart’s Sonata No. 4, together with Eden–Stell Duo’s performance of it, made vivid the music’s strongly dialogical character, wherein each voice is pitted against the other in a — by turns — loving, dancing, teasing, and competitive match.

Composed in 1962, almost two hundred years after Mozart’s Sonata No. 4, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Les Guitares bien Tempérées (1974) is a masterwork of composition for two guitars. Inspired by, and a tribute to, J. S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, it has been described as the longest and most important cycle of works ever composed for two guitars.

In the piece as a whole, there are 24 prelude–fugue pairs, and tonight we were treated to the initial six. If Eden–Stell’s opening piece brought out the dialogical character of Mozart’s Sonata, in this series we had an intense, searching conversation, wherein the two voices were engaged in an almost continuous interlacing, interpenetrating, harmonic exploration and development.

Given that Les Guitares bien Tempérées was written for the Duo Presti–Lagoya, it is fitting that it was followed by a piece composed by Ida Presti. As well as being celebrated as a virtuoso performer, Presti is also considered a first-rate composer for the guitar. Eden–Stell’s wonderful performance of Étude Fantastique intimated both: not only is the music fantasia-like, fascinating for its constant shifts in rhythm and changes in melody — whilst integrating a range of stylistic influences — but it also required, and exhibited, a flawless interweaving of playing wherein the musicians seemingly merged into one living, breathing source of sound.

Eden–Stell opened the second half of their recital with the oldest piece in their program. The Concerto in D is of both eminent and unique provenance: J. S. Bach’s 1715 composition for harpsichord was in fact a transcription of an Oboe Concerto by his contemporary Marcello; which Chris Stell, in turn, arranged for guitar duet.

The long journey this music took to the guitar was worth it:
the Andante was played with a gorgeous alternation of firm touch and singing lightness (spiccato);
its haunting Adagio was imbued with a profundity due to the extent of colour contrast offered by two guitars (one of which — Chris’s — has a deep bass provided by a 7th string);
and its Presto rang out and flowed with the wonderful resonance of sound that is unique to spruce-topped guitars.

Turning to a very different sound world, Eden–Stell’s next offering was a selection of pieces by the 20th-century Armenian composer Arno Babajanyan. From Bach’s formal, Western European Baroque, we were invited into a quiet reflective space, rich in human emotion and Middle Eastern culture.

The pieces selected were from the beginning (Prelude, Impromptu) and end (Elegy) of Babajanyan’s output. Although each of these short pieces was meditative and hypnotic, the last one was filled with a powerful sense of loss and mourning.

To end their program, Eden–Stell stayed within the 20th century, but this time within the atonal sound world of André Jolivet. With their program nodding once again to their esteemed forebears, Sérénade pour deux guitares (1956) was commissioned by Duo Presti–Lagoya.

Eden–Stell described the Sérénade as “unique in its sonic originality, showcasing Jolivet’s command for the guitar’s harmonic scope, tone colour, texture, and articulation … in short, it is a masterpiece of extraordinary originality.”

The deep respect Eden–Stell have for both Jolivet’s composition, as well as Duo Presti–Lagoya’s contribution to the history of the guitar, could be seen, heard, and felt in every note of their performance of the Sérénade.

Indeed, Eden–Stell’s rendition of Sérénade constituted the final part of a masterclass concert of exceptional skill and verve, dedication to the guitar and its history, and teamwork coordinated at the level of breath.

For the audience of this wonderful recital, it allowed for a celebration of enormous musicality.

Programme

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Sonata No. 4 K282 (arr. Mark Eden)

• Adagio
• Minuet I / Minuet II
• Allegro

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895–1968)
Preludes and Fugues from Les Guitares bien Tempérées

• Prelude and Fugue I – G minor
• Prelude and Fugue II – D major
• Prelude and Fugue III – A minor
• Prelude and Fugue IV – E major
• Prelude and Fugue V – B minor
• Prelude and Fugue VI – F♯ major

Ida Presti (1924–1967)
Étude Fantastique

INTERVAL

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Concerto in D BWV 974 (after Marcello, arr. Chris Stell)

• I. Andante e spiccato
• II. Adagio
• III. Presto

Arno Babajanyan (1921–1983)
Three Pieces (arr. Chris Stell)

• Prelude
• Impromptu
• Elegy

André Jolivet (1905–1974)
Sérénade pour deux guitares

• I. Preludio e canzona
• II. Allegro Trepidante
• III. Andante Malinconico
• IV. Con Allegria

Despite being a well known advocate for new music, Pavel began his recital with a cornerstone of the classical guitar repertoire, Villa-Lobos’ Cinq Préludes. Looking at this choice in the context of the concert as a whole, it can be seen that not only did the Préludes provide him with a marvellous vehicle through which he was able to exhibit his flawless touch, assured virtuosity, and mastery of tone, but the Préludes’ stylistic variation are also in keeping with the unique mixture of poetics, tradition, mystique, searching exploration and experimentation that Pavel’s playing communicates.

Moving on from the visionary boldness of Villa-Lobos’s expansive Préludes, Pavel’s natural delicacy of touch enabled him to play Dowland’s intimate and poetic fantasias with a beguiling warmth and sensitivity. Pavel’s conjuring of the imaginative realm of Dowland’s Elizabethan England provided a fitting passage to his next offering, Pure Imagination, a modern fantasia constituted by delicious discordant chords and floating harmonics that hypnotised the audience.

The Italian composer Domeniconi’s Koyunbaba (“Koyun” = “sheep”, “Baba” = “father”) is a piece that is obviously very important to Pavel, not only because it is about a region of Turkey — a country which neighbours his homeland of Bulgaria — but also because it is a work filled with a sense of native tradition and culture, of otherliness, akin to much of the music of Villa-Lobos. And like in his performance of the Préludes, in Pavel’s skilful hands the rhythmic intensity of Koyunbaba evoked a captivating aura of mystery and legend.

Following the interval, Pavel played his own transcription of Bach’s monumental Chaconne from the Partita for Violin. Described by Johannes Brahms as a piece containing “a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings,” Pavel’s performance amply illustrated that he has both the technical ability and musical sensitivity to present Bach’s vision to stunning effect.

Following this Pavel/Bach vision, the audience was treated to another one — this time that of Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint, arranged by Pavel. Relying upon pre-recorded backing tracks against which he played classical guitar, Electric Counterpoint was a truly immersive experience. Indeed, commenting upon Pavel’s recording of his minimalist work, Reich himself praised it for its “combination of clarity and extremely rich ringing overtone texture.”

Pavel closed his concert with one of his own compositions, Wave 1, a piece which, as he explained, was inspired by particle physics — specifically Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, which shows how we cannot know a particle’s position and momentum at the same time; a principle which points to the ultimate mystery and unknowability of matter, of life. Like much of his playing tonight, Wave 1 was thought-provoking and enigmatic, delivered with delicacy and grace.

Given his ability to conjure up worlds through his playing — be they that of the native Brazilian, one of Elizabethan longing, sheep-farming in the rugged landscapes of the Middle East, the pure music of imagination or of Bach, or, indeed, those of synthesised electronics or even vibrating particles — John Williams’ characterisation of Pavel Ralev as “a poet of the guitar” is spot on. Like exemplary poetry, his playing stops us in our tracks, lifts us out of the mundane, transports us to new, other-worldly places, from which we can view, and re-appreciate, both music and life.

Programme

Cinq Préludes – H. Villa-Lobos (1887–1959)

• No. 1 Homenagem ao sertanejo brasileiro
• No. 2 Homenagem ao Malandra Carioca
• No. 3 Homenagem a Bach
• No. 4 Homenagem ao Indio Brasileiro
• No. 5 Homenagem a Vida Social

Awake, sweet love, thou art return’d – J. Dowland (1563–1626)

• A Fancy P5
• A Fancy P6

Pure Imagination (arr. Ant Law) – Newley, Bricusse & Hannon

Koyunbaba – Carlo Domeniconi (b. 1947)

• I. Moderato
• II. Mosso
• III. Cantabile
• IV. Presto

INTERVAL

Partita for Violin No. 2, BWV 1004 – J. S. Bach (1685–1750)

• Chaconne (trans. Ralev)

Electric Counterpoint – S. Reich (b. 1936)

• I. Fast
• II. Slow
• III. Fast

Wave I – P. Ralev (b. 1991)

15 November, 2025 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm GMT

Ian Watt (b. 1991, Aberdeen, Scotland) is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading classical guitarists. Described by Classical Guitar Magazine as “a guitarist of outstanding skill and originality,” he came to international attention at 18 when he won 2nd prize in the prestigious Parkening International Guitar Competition (USA). His other international prizes include the 2010 Vienna “Homage to Karl Scheit” competition, 2010 Westphalian Guitar Spring Competition and 2011 Heinsberg International Guitar Competition.

Since then, Watt has built a truly international profile, performing solo recitals across Europe, East Asia and the Americas. He has appeared as concerto soloist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia and the Scottish Philharmonic, among others. His recordings on Nimbus Alliance have earned praise from BBC Music Magazine, The Herald, and others for their “exceptional range of timbre,” “sublime” interpretation and “dazzling virtuosic” command.

Alongside his performing career, Ian Watt is committed to education and the development of the classical guitar. He gives frequent masterclasses internationally and currently lectures at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. His repertoire ranges from Spanish and British classics to contemporary works, including several premieres of pieces dedicated to him.

See more about Ian at https://www.ianwattguitar.com.

In this BCGS Concert Series concert on Saturday 15 November 2025, 7:30pm, Ian Watt will bring his signature blend of technical brilliance and expressive depth, promising an evening that will both engage longtime guitar lovers and enchant those new to the instrument.

14 June, 2025 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm UTC+1

The Eden-Stell Guitar Duo, featuring Mark Eden and Christopher Stell, is one of the world’s leading classical guitar ensembles, renowned for their exceptional artistry and innovative performances. Hailing from the UK, the duo has dazzled audiences globally with their seamless interplay, virtuosic technique, and dynamic interpretations of a diverse repertoire, ranging from Renaissance to contemporary music. Their arrangements and original works have expanded the possibilities of guitar duo performance, earning acclaim for their creativity and precision. In addition to their concert career, they are dedicated educators, inspiring the next generation of musicians through masterclasses and workshops.

3-for-2 season tickets are valid for this concert. Tickets also available at the door.

Programme:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (arr. Mark Eden)
Sonata no. 4 K282
– Adagio
– Minuet I Minuet II
– Allegro

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
Prelude and Fugues from Les Guitars bien Tempérées
– Prelude and Fugue I G minor
– Prelude and Fugue II D major
– Prelude and Fugue III A minor
– Prelude and Fugue IV E major
– Prelude and Fugue V B minor
– Prelude and Fugue VI F# minor


Ida Presti
Étude Fantastique

INTERVAL

Johann Sebastian Bach (arr. Chris Stell)
Concerto in D BWV 974 minor, after Marcello
– I Andante e spiccato
– II Adagio
– III Presto



Arno Babajanyan (arr. Chris Stell)
Three Pieces
– Prelude
– Impromptu
– Elegy


André Joliet
Sérénade pour deux guitares
– I Preludio e canzona
– II Allegro Trepidante
– III Andante Malinconico
– IV Con Allegria

15 March, 2025 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm GMT

Susani opened the programme with Sor’s well-known single-movement Sonata Op. 15. Here he displayed brilliant control, with effortless, nimble runs, wonderful tension and passion in the development, and tasteful late-classical humour in this refined performance.

Next, we heard Susani’s own composition Fantasia in Forma Lirica (Omaggio a Pasolini), commissioned in honour of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Pier Paolo Pasolini, a famous Italian intellectual and poet. The work is inspired by Pasolini’s lyrical poem Poesia in forma rosa. The performance’s delicate opening harmonics soared up into the church, and Susani used the sustained acoustic of the venue to great effect throughout, with powerful rasgueados at the climax.

This was followed by a piece of profoundly different character: Marek Pasieczny’s Tate Sonata. Susani commissioned this work from Pasieczny after the two met in Poland in 2016, and the four movements are based on paintings and installations in the Tate Modern. In the first movement, Ad un tratto (“suddenly, without warning”), Susani captured the eerie atmosphere of the painting which inspired the movement, representing the moment the viewer perceives the disturbed, unsettling face of the subject. In Furioso (inspired by a painting with groups of coloured horizontal lines with sudden shifts), Susani used the colours of the guitar to excellent effect, guiding the imagination through a convincing auditory description of the painting. Ostinato is inspired by a visual installation in which the light in a room refracts through a slowly a rotating purple and yellow glass disc, which translates in the work into the sound of an insistent, constant open B string grounding a kaleidoscope of surrounding notes. The last movement,Variations and finale was inspired by a large-scale Jackson Pollock work. Vigorous splashes are represented by Bartok pizzicatos, with streaks of rasgueados, spatters of high bright notes and the plinks of strings played to the left of the fingers on the fingerboard, swirls of bass, and clusters of runs mimicking drips running down the canvas. Susani’s almost synaesthetic performance transported the listener along this rich visual experience.

After an interval, we heard Susani’s own arrangement of a short Simple Fugue in D Major by Handel – perhaps simple on the original organ, but less so on the guitar! Susani’s arrangement and performance captured the playful nature of the piece, with clear voice separation and skilful damping of strings allowing the polyphony to shine through.

Next, Susani played another of his compositions: Dialogo (Omaggio a Lauro), which was commissioned during the pandemic lockdowns for a documentary celebrating the influential Venezuelan guitarist composer Antonio Lauro. Susani uses the notes in the open, re-entrant a d f# b tuning of the Venezuelan cuatro (which Lauro played) as a recurrent unifying device. The work’s complicated structure is broadly divided into contiguous prelude, interlude and postlude sections, and is filled with nods to the Venezuelan syncopated rhythms that characterise Lauro’s famous parlour-style waltzes.

Dialogo was followed by the UK Premiere of Pierrot, or Harlequin? by Stephen Goss (Susani’s composition teacher), which Susani commissioned for the 2023 Homenaje guitar festival that he organises in his home town of Padova in Italy. The thematic material is based on the interactions of the stock characters from Venetian commedia dell’arte: Harlequin (the clever, cocky trickster) and Pierrot (his sensible, staid counterpart) compete for the affections of the flirtatious, fickle Columbine. Goss gives each character their own distinctive motif, and interleaves these throughout the piece, allowing the listener to follow the comedy as it unfolds “on stage”. Which character wins the heart of Columbine (or perhaps neither?) is left to the performer on the night in 3 possible endings. After a delightful back and forth, Pierrot won the day for us.

Susani closed the programme with his work The Blue Madeleine, dedicated to David Russell. Familiar Dreams – Arioso with its overlapping overringing harmonics and repeating circular patterns, was followed by an evocative Aria. The concert finished with the joyful last movement Cypresses, where burbling arpeggios and gusting runs remind us of wind through the trees.

This was a wonderful concert with a focus on the contemporary, inviting us to use our hearing to see and feel as well as listen. Giacomo Susani’s masterful playing made inventive use of all the guitar’s many colour devices and used the full dynamic range of the instrument to bring across these challenging works to the audience.

Better Call Duo have won more than 20 International Competitions, and given over 2000 concerts all over the world in  prestigious festivals and halls. In addition to international TV and radio broadcasts, they’ve recorded for important recording label including Brilliant Classics, Bridge Records NY, Nuova Era, EdiPan, Rivo Alto, Sonic View, Niccolò, Guitart Collection, Da Vinci Classics.

Programme available here.

Non-members are also welcome to attend! Tickets £7, payable on the night at the hall (card accepted) or available to purchase at https://buytickets.at/bristolclassicalguitarsociety/1178933 (BCGS Members free)

https://www.bettercallduo.com

16 November, 2024 @ 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm GMT

BCGS CONCERT SERIES 2024