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The artistry was perfect throughout … the audience was ready to follow them anywhere

Shaldon Festival, Richard Lamming

The opening concert of the 2024 Shaldon Festival season treated the audience to the delights of two guitar virtuosi, Goran Krivokapić and Danijel Cerović, who perform together as the Montenegrin Guitar Duo. This was the first time that the Festival had featured a whole evening of guitar music and it proved to be an enormous success.

The artistry was perfect throughout: at times breath-taking, at others, soothing. They played with panache and accuracy, always maintaining a modest pose and warm connection with the audience.

The programme began with Bach’s English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808 (1713), originally intended for harpsichord. The duo’s own transcription for two guitars provided all the intensity and intricacy of the original and enabled the audience to ‘tune-in’ to the rich sound of the two instruments. Krivokapić explained that the transcription was an ‘on-going journey’ and constantly evolving, requiring him at one point to refer to his score. It was an inspired choice for a scene-setting opener.

The pair then moved to Astor Piazzolla’s 1984 Tango Suite for two guitars. As well as the welcome swell of the ‘nuevo tango,’ for which the Argentinian composer is renowned, the piece included some surprises and unusual motifs, interspersed with reflective passages.

The clear tone and sureness of their playing carried the audience through a beautifully expressive piece, mixing energetic and delicate themes.

After the interval we returned to Piazzolla, this time in another unusual piece, Suite Troileana (1976), which was written for the composer’s own electronic octet, comprising his beloved bandoneon, two electric pianos, guitar, electric bass, drums, synthesiser and violin, flute or saxophone. Krivokapić and Cerović once again brought out everything on their two guitars.

The programme concluded with two pieces by the Andalusian composer Manuel de Falla (1876 – 1946), often referred to as Spain’s greatest composer. Both were from de Falla’s ballets: the Danza del Molinero (Dance of the Miller) (1919) from the ballet The Three Cornered Hat and Danza Ritual del Fuego (Ritual Fire Dance) from El amor brujo (1915) (The Bewitched Love).

It was a joy to be ‘back in Spain’ and the lively flamenco influences were enhanced with bold percussive playing. Again, the ability of the guitar to move easily from passion to pathos was evident and well used. The second of the brief pieces was a familiar dance tune, providing a rich Spanish flavour as a finale.

But the guitarists were not finished yet!

Returning after a rapturous ovation, they introduced what was to be a delightful encore.

This was Circus Music Op.54a for 2 guitars by Italian guitarist Carlo Domeniconi. It was a rapid journey through nine brief pieces, each displaying extraordinary guitar skills and wonderful sense of humour: ‘The Argentinian Knife thrower’; ‘Spanish Riders on Greek Horses’; ‘The Wax Museum’; ‘Plik, the Flea of the Andes’; ‘Ural Magic Voice and the Don Cossaks’; ‘Fire Brigade “On Ice” ‘; ‘The Yogi who Disappears through the Key Hole’ and finally ‘The Orchestra Says Good-Bye.’

At times it was difficult to believe what was being played but by now the audience was ready to follow them anywhere.

A perfect end to a wonderful evening.

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19/02/2025