Impressive command of classical guitar in show

Dunedin Arts Festival presents Braden Southee

Thursday, April 3 - Errick’s

Review by SAM HENDERSON

 

Agile fretwork and a quietly confident stage presence elicited sincere admiration during an intimate performance last night at Errick's.

 

Dunedin musician Braden Southee’s exploration of the classical guitar took the form of a Spanish-themed evening of gentle music performed with simplicity and virtuosity.

 

The evening’s programme began with La Paloma (The Dove), originally by Sebastian Iradier, arranged by Spain’s Francisco Tarrega, whose contributions helped establish the modern approach to classical guitar as a concert instrument.

 

Southee then introduced a series of compositions: Five Preludes by Brazilian composer and guitarist Heitor Villa-Lobos. Partly sweet and straightforward, partly elegant and alluring, the pieces had depth and emotion in Southee’s confident hands.

 

The technically challenging La Catedral (The Cathedral) by Paraguayan guitarist Agustin Barrios was received with enthusiasm and then Southee returned to Spain for a series of pieces by Isaac Albeniz: Granada, Cadiz and Asturias.

 

A more modern piece by Cuban composer and classical guitarist Leo Brouwer followed — the contemplative and melancholy Un Dia de Noviembre (A Day in November), originally written for the post-revolutionary 1970s Cuban film of the same name.

 

The penultimate performance of Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories of the Alhambra) by Spanish composer Francisco Tarrega was a showstopper, with the audience delighting in Southee’s deft mastery of the tremolo technique employed in the piece.

 

Before concluding with Fernando Sor’s Gran Solo, Southee shared it had been a difficult year with some personal tragedies and expressed gratitude to the audience for its support and encouragement.

 

Southee's impressive command of the classical guitar and passionate love for his craft were evident in every note he played, enhanced by his conversations between compositions that provided illuminating context for each work. The evening was a magical moment of music and imagination.