adrian
12-12-2003, 11:39 AM
Guitarist Dennis Koster shows us why flamenco music is so appealing
By SARAH BRYAN MILLER
Post-Dispatch
12/08/2003
CLASSICAL
The origins of flamenco, the distinctive music of Andalusia in southern Spain, are debated. Was it brought by Gypsies? By Arabs? By the Flemings? Scholars can discuss it endlessly, but for most of us, the artistry and appeal of this music and its accompanying dance are what really matter.
On Saturday night at the Ethical Society - which, mercifully, had heat this week - guitarist Dennis Koster (of exotic Queens, N.Y.) demonstrated that he had the artistry to bring out the appeal in this music. His program for the St. Louis Classical Guitar Society mixed flamenco with other examples of classical guitar repertoire. Stocky, his graying hair swept back, and dressed in the seemingly inevitable all-black shirt-and-trousers ensemble, Koster has presence, humor and a gift for gab.
Although not as note-perfect as some artists - particularly in the second half, when he seemed to tire - and decidedly idiosyncratic in some respects, Koster won his audience, in part with his stream of spoken program notes. They included points about styles, anecdotes, self-deprecating observations (his "Gypsy name" translates to "Little Fat Boy from Queens") and comments on the tendency of guitar tunings to "go haywire" when confronted with temperature changes. It was warm in the auditorium, but apparently things are still chilly backstage.
The most memorable moment in the concert was Koster's remarkable impersonation of a trumpet and snare drums - using only his guitar, two hands and 10 fingers - in "Siguiriyas in the style of Sabicas and Escudero," a musical representation of the Holy Week parades in Seville. As the piece begins, the drums march in; as it ends, they fade away. And in between, there were opportunities for all sorts of interesting effects.
There was also tremendous virtuosity in the closing number of the first half, "Sonata para Guitarra," a 1988 composition written for Koster by Samuel Zyman (b. 1956). Before beginning, Koster told how Zyman wanted to find a way to imitate on the solo guitar the sound of Bruckner's agitated orchestral strings. It was a tall order and, well, there's definitely a hint of it. The second half began with two-and-a-half transcriptions of miniatures by Brahms. The first, the "Romanze," Op. 118, No. 5, was lovely and delicate, and full of "instrumental colors," as the performer promised. The second suffered from some sloppy fingerings. The third, a not-quite-transcription adapted by Koster as a "study," worked beautifully.
A pair of Beethoven bits were plagued by tuning issues. But the final work on the program, Koster's "Zambra Granadina Homenaje a Carmen Amaya," was a rich and varied piece, full of spirit and sonic delights.
By SARAH BRYAN MILLER
Post-Dispatch
12/08/2003
CLASSICAL
The origins of flamenco, the distinctive music of Andalusia in southern Spain, are debated. Was it brought by Gypsies? By Arabs? By the Flemings? Scholars can discuss it endlessly, but for most of us, the artistry and appeal of this music and its accompanying dance are what really matter.
On Saturday night at the Ethical Society - which, mercifully, had heat this week - guitarist Dennis Koster (of exotic Queens, N.Y.) demonstrated that he had the artistry to bring out the appeal in this music. His program for the St. Louis Classical Guitar Society mixed flamenco with other examples of classical guitar repertoire. Stocky, his graying hair swept back, and dressed in the seemingly inevitable all-black shirt-and-trousers ensemble, Koster has presence, humor and a gift for gab.
Although not as note-perfect as some artists - particularly in the second half, when he seemed to tire - and decidedly idiosyncratic in some respects, Koster won his audience, in part with his stream of spoken program notes. They included points about styles, anecdotes, self-deprecating observations (his "Gypsy name" translates to "Little Fat Boy from Queens") and comments on the tendency of guitar tunings to "go haywire" when confronted with temperature changes. It was warm in the auditorium, but apparently things are still chilly backstage.
The most memorable moment in the concert was Koster's remarkable impersonation of a trumpet and snare drums - using only his guitar, two hands and 10 fingers - in "Siguiriyas in the style of Sabicas and Escudero," a musical representation of the Holy Week parades in Seville. As the piece begins, the drums march in; as it ends, they fade away. And in between, there were opportunities for all sorts of interesting effects.
There was also tremendous virtuosity in the closing number of the first half, "Sonata para Guitarra," a 1988 composition written for Koster by Samuel Zyman (b. 1956). Before beginning, Koster told how Zyman wanted to find a way to imitate on the solo guitar the sound of Bruckner's agitated orchestral strings. It was a tall order and, well, there's definitely a hint of it. The second half began with two-and-a-half transcriptions of miniatures by Brahms. The first, the "Romanze," Op. 118, No. 5, was lovely and delicate, and full of "instrumental colors," as the performer promised. The second suffered from some sloppy fingerings. The third, a not-quite-transcription adapted by Koster as a "study," worked beautifully.
A pair of Beethoven bits were plagued by tuning issues. But the final work on the program, Koster's "Zambra Granadina Homenaje a Carmen Amaya," was a rich and varied piece, full of spirit and sonic delights.