Work Overview
Concerto for Guitar is a vibrant 24‑minute concerto that celebrates the guitar as both a lyrical and percussive instrument. Written for virtuoso guitarist Andrew Blanch, the work unfolds in four contrasting movements, each inspired by the rich tapestry of Latin American musical traditions.
The opening movement evokes the rhythmic energy of Argentine gauchos, Colombian/Venezuelan llaneros, and Mexican cowboy music, with driving hemiolas and galloping vitality. The second movement is a poetic reflection on the milonga campesina-the soulful, countryside form of the tango-featuring expressive arpeggios and subtle 3‑3‑2 rhythmic patterns. The third movement is a playful scherzando, with lively references to Afro‑Cuban rhythms and shifting modal colours. The finale is bright and celebratory, with hints of Chilean nueva canción, bringing the concerto to a triumphant and dance‑like close.
The concerto engages in a cultural dialogue between Latin American traditions and the Western orchestral tradition, offering performers and audiences a work that is virtuosic, evocative, and rhythmically vital. It is ideal for adventurous guitarists and orchestras seeking to expand the contemporary guitar concerto repertoire with Latin American vibrancy, energy, colour, and expressive storytelling.
Work Details
Year: 2023
Instrumentation: Solo guitar (amplified), flute (doubling piccolo), oboe, clarinet in B flat (doubling bass clarinet in B flat), bassoon, horn in F, trumpet in B flat (harmon & straight mutes), percussion (2 Players), strings.
Duration: 24 min.
Difficulty: Advanced
Commission note: Commissioned by Andrew Blanch.. Commissioned by Andrew Blanch with thanks to Create NSW and individual donors through the Australian Cultural Fund.
The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc in relation to this work:
Related Influences: Latin American classical, Argentine gaucho music, Colombian llanero, Mexican cowboy music, milonga campesina, tango nuevo, Afro‑Cuban rhythms, Chilean nueva canción, contemporary classical, intercultural orchestral music, 20th and 21st‑century concerto Related Works: Elena Kats‑Chernin – Spanish Rhapsody, Mythic, Charleston Noir Nigel Westlake – Antarctica Suite, Shadow Dances Daniel Rojas – Marimba Concerto, Piano Concerto No. 1 Alberto Ginastera – Estancia, Guitar Sonata Heitor Villa‑Lobos – Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, Bachianas Brasileiras Leonard Bernstein – West Side Story George Gershwin – Cuban Overture, Rhapsody in Blue Astor Piazzolla – Concierto para Bandoneón, Histoire du Tango.
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