Concert Review: Milos Karadaglic,Wigmore Hall,London 15-4-11

[John O]

Guitarists don't have to play mind-bending new pieces in order to broaden their repertoire! There are plenty of renaissance and baroque pieces that don't get played as often as they should, and most would make a welcome change from "Cavatina" or other pieces of its ilk.

[hellow326]

Sticking to tried and tested popular repertoire that everyone knows is a tactic employed by musicians who want to be popular and curry favour with the public. It also smacks of dictat from a major record label.
In my opinion this is an artistic error. Musicians should play the music that really means something to them personally, in their hearts and in their heads.
Perhaps the old warhorses like Recuerdos and Cavatina have this significance for Milos, but I doubt that.

It is true what you say, and I agree with you to an extent. I think we have to balance what is wanted by the public and what will sell, and what you feel you can play and really give something to. Someone like Craig Ogden imo has gone way too far into the popular "classical fm" type repertoire with his last cd, but on the flip side you could say that this type of cd that reached a huge audience will get people into the guitar, and introduce them to the guitar and the less cheesy type of repertoire.

[Denian Arcoleo]

Someone like Craig Ogden imo has gone way too far into the popular "classical fm" type repertoire with his last cd, but on the flip side you could say that this type of cd that reached a huge audience will get people into the guitar, and introduce them to the guitar and the less cheesy type of repertoire.

That is logical but I don't believe it to be true. I think it just makes the average unadventurous music listener acquire a taste for cheesy music on the classical guitar as well as on other instruments.
Without beating around the bush, Craig Ogden has made that CD to get some SALES! Which is fair enough, man does not live by great music alone.

[LVR]

I agree with Denian.

I think it just makes the average unadventurous music listener acquire a taste for cheesy music on the classical guitar as well as on other instruments.

.
Guitarists should play whatever they think they need to in order to build their careers, but it's only fair to announce the program when tickets go on sale so I don't have to attend any cheesy warhorse concerts.

[Damian Lodge]

When you give a concert you play pieces that:

1. The audience knows
2. Give you a spark when you play them
3. Are on your album you are touring with

Not necessarily in this order.

Audiences for classical guitarists are mostly full of guitarists unfortunately when you go to see the less famous players. So you are playing to the converted, guitarists who appreciate the old warhorses but also like to hear something new.

A full program of new pieces I find hard to get through but if you throw in a couple from Albeniz etc you can get a feeling of how good the actual player is. Milos was brave to play a program that most guitarists are familar with, allows for more criticism and comparison.

[seanstshibe]

When you give a concert you play pieces that:

1. The audience knows
2. Give you a spark when you play them
3. Are on your album you are touring with

Not necessarily in this order.

Audiences for classical guitarists are mostly full of guitarists unfortunately when you go to see the less famous players. So you are playing to the converted, guitarists who appreciate the old warhorses but also like to hear something new.

A full program of new pieces I find hard to get through but if you throw in a couple from Albeniz etc you can get a feeling of how good the actual player is. Milos was brave to play a program that most guitarists are familar with, allows for more criticism and comparison.

although I get your point, I play music that is good/I can do something with. I will never build a programme around the audience's knowledge.

[philparker]

I saw Milos in concert last year - and it was a fantastic concert; he is a great player, with feeling and interpretation. I can't even remember the program now, but I can remember I had a great evening.

I saw Craig Ogden last night and he mixed the traditional with some more modern, contemporary music - and again, a fantastic concert and a fantastic experience.

The great thing about the classical guitar performers is you can go to see a concert in UK for less than the price of a CD Album!! When you buy a CD Album, it is a commercial offering that has to appeal to a wider audience than the classical guitar aficionados who attend the concerts. They have to make a living and it can be a hard-working (teaching, composing, performing, appearing), time-consuming and at times austere existence.

Even if I have a propensity for for modern, inventive and esoteric compositions, I still believe the gifted players appealing to the majority audience, still deserve our support!

[jimmyblues]

...Even if I have a propensity for for modern, inventive and esoteric compositions, I still believe the gifted players appealing to the majority audience, still deserve our support!

Well said, Phil

[19thcenturyguitarist]

I've read nothing but rave reviews of his playing, but really, he has GOT to come up with some better programming! I don't care how well he plays those pieces--THERE IS OTHER REPERTOIRE OUT THERE! To invoke Bill Maher, NEW RULE: No more than one warhorse per program.

I agree ! ! ! Although, he is playing material that people know and that is a benifit to non guitarists. But who usually show up at a guitar concert? Guitarists! I would liked to have seen him play the Granados. I am a sucker for Granados for some reason i cant explain.

Franz Liszt, the inventor of the Solo Concert even said One War Horse per program. Maybe Maher is a Liszt fan?

I picked this up from the thread, "Professional guitarists: their guitars"

Miloš Karadaglić, Montenegro -
Greg Smallman, Autralia

[James Lister]

Just picked up this review via Twitter:

http://www.classicalguitarreview.com/mi ... ic-review/

I have to say I agree with the sentiments in the second part of the article. You may not like his choice of repertoire, but if he gets non-guitarists going to concerts, then I think that's good for everyone.

James

[19thcenturyguitarist]

just because we dont agree with his program doesnt mean that his program isnt a good one or a correct one. Maybe he loves that program and each and every piece in his program is special to him. Or maybe he chose it because it is just that, crowd pleasing. Who are we to criticise his choice of porogram anyways? Who knows? Well, at least he is gigging...Who amongst us can say they are gigging at better venues that this guy? Maybe he is on to something. I play obscure 19th century repetoire that i really love. Maybe i need to reconsider my programs?

KEEP PLUCKIN!

[seanstshibe]

Ya well I'm not criticising his programme choice I hope, all I meant to criticise was Damian Lodge's idea of what we should play in concert (no hard feelings).

[TsarL]

Just picked up this review via Twitter:

http://www.classicalguitarreview.com/mi ... ic-review/

I have to say I agree with the sentiments in the second part of the article. You may not like his choice of repertoire, but if he gets non-guitarists going to concerts, then I think that's good for everyone.

James

I totally agree with this article, it expresses an excellent point of view.
Regards,

[NylonStrung]

I realise this is an old thread but, as I am going to see him play tomorrow night, I thought I'd throw in my opinion. I think that one way of introducing people to new or 'contemporary' composers and pieces of music is to first get them interested in the instrument itself and if you are playing a program to an audience that will contain those unfamiliar with CG repertoire then you have a chance of sparking that interest. To be honest, I was only familiar with half the pieces named in the review (and some of those I only knew because I bought his album). They might be "warhorses" to many people on here but to the vast majority who are new to, or unfamiliar with, classical guitar they are actually "new" pieces of music...even if not contemporary. It is only when you get people interested that they then go searching for other music within that genre to listen to and, in my opinion, this is better done by getting an album and listening to it more than once. Hearing something played one time at a concert means you have only got your initial reaction of that piece to judge it by. I've lost count of how many times I've haerd a piece for the first time and not liked it but after several listens I start hearing things in it that make me feel that I didn't give it a chance the first time etc.

The other thing you have to consider is that a lot of the audience will go to see him because they bought the album and they would be the ones complaining if he didn't play anything from it or didn't play enough from it etc. If you you were going to see (for example) U2 or Coldplay in concert then you would expect to hear more than a few tracks from their latest album but you would also get the popular singles because it's what people know. Just an opinion.

[PaulHardy]

NylonStrung you are right of course these "old warhorses" to us are new material to many people. There is however a huge dilemma; Wigmore Hall is the No.1 chamber/instrumental venue in the UK -- it hosts series such as Beethoven string quartet cycles etc. Against this the programme discussed above is poor not because the pieces are predictable & well-known, but because they're so lightweight. Everything bar perhaps the Rodrigo (which I don't like much myself, but acknowledge is somewhat more ambitious than the rest) is mostly charming and superficial and does the instrument's reputation no good to an audience weaned on more substantial piano fare etc.

For a normal Wigmore Hall recital I feel it would be vital to include at least something of more serious intent (there's a false dichotomy being promulgated here that you either have cerebral, serious music for the mind or beautiful. poetic music for the soul. I think you need both -- a diet entirely of the former is dry and astringent, and a diet entirely of the latter is just bonbons, and bad for your teeth!)

But this probably wasn't a normal Wigmore audience; I think NylonStrung is right that the audience here has a greater proportion of Wigmore first-timers (perhaps only-timers) who are expecting to hear most of the tunes from the latest album and would be disappointed with anything else. It's just a shame that a talented player didn't also have something in there for the seasoned regulars to get their teeth into.

But above all enjoy the concert -- he will be very good (at whatever he does on the night!)