San Francisco Classical Voice

Antigoni Goni and Karin Schaupp, two young guitarists who have won early praise in other parts of the world, presented their debuts in Herbst Theater Saturday with mixed results. Antigoni Goni brought formidable technical and interpretive abilities to bear on a substantial program but was plagued by memory slips. Karin Schaupp is an accomplished guitarist with a dramatic even theatrical style that did not always suit the music or the occasion.

Joaquin Rodrigo's Invocation y Danza, a mysterious and complex work, calls for the technical control and musical subtlety that Goni commands. She wove a spell of dark moodiness in the beginning of the Invocation and then inexorably built an atmosphere of great foreboding. This was finally released in the fiery Danza, reminiscent of the last of Falla's Siete Canciones Populares Espanolas.

The demanding tremolo and brilliant runs were performed with ease, the articulation of the dance was always convincing, the fleeting reference to Falla's El Amor Brujo felt like a bittersweet memory. Most importantly, the whole work was performed with an unerring feel for the controlled passion of the Spanish music of Falla and Rodrigo. This was an outstanding performance of a major work.

Carlo Domeniconi's Koyunbaba, a fantasy based on traditional Turkish music, depends on the creation of an exotic and compelling atmosphere. With her guitar tuned in C-sharp minor, far removed from standard tuning, Goni effectively used rhythmic freedom, a wide dynamic range, and ornamentation to create a hypnotic sound. The improvisatory form of Koyunbaba can seem rambling, but Goni's great virtuosity and musical judgment enabled her to build intensity and excitement during the work's four continuous sections.

Problems plagued otherwise-stylish performances of the music of Barrios and Schubert. Barrios' Latin American dances Cueca (Chile), Vidalita (Paraguay), and Maxixa (Argentina) were performed with rhythmic energy and a colorful tonal palette, although the last work was marred by a memory slip.

Three songs of Schubert, arranged for guitar by his contemporary Johann Kaspar Mertz, were performed with an intense intimacy that conveyed the moods of the originals texts, although again memory was a problem. In In Lob der Tranen ("In Praise of Tears"), Liebesbotschaft ("Love's Message"), and Standchen ("Serenade") Goni effectively used vibrato to create a warm tone and rubato to give the impression of a personal communication of deeply felt emotion.

Karin Schaupp performed with technical skill but with uneven attention to the style of each work. John Dowland's Melancholy Galliard was given a Romantic interpretation far from its Renaissance origins. The Allemande, while impressive, lacked a sense of the playfulness inherent in the variations. On the other hand, her performance of Johann Kaspar Mertz's Hungarian Fantasy was exhilarating. The exaggerated rubato, accelerando and syncopated rhythms common to the gypsy fiddlers who no doubt inspired this virtuosic work were conveyed with a playful abandon perfect for the material.

A pair of works by Albeniz and another pair by contemporary composers also elicited mixed results. Karin Schaupp's exquisitely shaped performance of Granada called to mind an idyllic serenade. The opening of Asturias, however, was eccentrically phrased, and the Moorish middle section lacked the necessary sense of introspection. Andrew York's exuberant and rhythmic Sunburst received a strangely rambling interpretation, while Phillip Houghton's brooding God of the Northern Forest, inspired by a Paul Klee painting, was given a dark, focused, tonally beautiful reading.

Schaupp's performance of Agustin Barrios' Una Limosna por el amor de Dios captured the poignant sadness behind the refrain of a beggar referred to in the title, "Alms for the love of God." She played the tremolo melody with infinite care for both dynamics and rhythm. Barrios' Aires Andaluces is a flashy potpourri of Spanish themes and guitaristic effects. Although I did not find this work to be appropriate recital material, Karin Schaupp was equal to its formidable technical challenges and easily presented a flashy conclusion to her performance.

(Scott Cmiel is a guitarist on the faculties of the San Francisco Conservatory and the University of California, Berkeley, SCmiel@aol.com)

©2000 Scott Cmiel, all rights reserved