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"Milonga Oriental" is another example of Carlevaro's compositional style in which he combines so masterfully the folkloric rhythm of the milonga with modern tonality. As I have mentioned in the recent Challenge, this piece was written in the 1960s around the same period that he was writing the "Preludios Americanos," however it was not published until 1994.
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David Krupka Thanks David. This piece was hidden away for many years. Carlevaro did record it in 1965, around the time he composed it, and included it in his Vincente Vallegos album, but as I understand, he misplaced the score and only rediscovered it in the 1993. While not part of a larger piece, it is very reminiscent of the style and structure of his "Preludios Americanos" which were written around the same time and, in my humble opinion, could easily have been a sixth preludio. BTW, I noticed that you wrote previously that you studied with Maestro Alexandre Lagoya. Did I remember that correctly? I was fortunate to have met Maestro Lagoya in 1989 when I was managing the Chamber Symphony of San Francisco and he joined us during our European tour for a performance of the Concerto Aranjuez. He was very much the gentleman, and it was a great honor to meet him. He also did a masterful performance of the Concerto.
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Dale Needles I hope to catch up a bit this month, last one was an unexpected tough one. Estudio #5 will be a great addition to both the challenge and this forum section!
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Blaise Laflamme Totally understand. Also, hope you are doing ok with all the smoke. Did it effect you much?
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Dale Needles by chance not really here, we're far from them, but last week on a day just before the rain, there was a smell of burning wood in the air... it was a bit disconcerting
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Dale Needles It was a teacher of mine who had studied with Lagoya, not me myself. But because of this, I learned to play guitar using the somewhat unorthodox approach to the right hand that Lagoya favoured. (This involved bending the wrist to the right and plucking from the right side of the finger.) Although I didn't study with Lagoya, I did get the chance to meet him, at a gathering following a concert here in Toronto some years ago. As you say, he was a true gentleman! Lagoya had a surprising influence on the guitar community of southern Ontario. In the early 1970s (as I understand it) he used to spend a week or two in Stratford (our Stratford, not the famous one!) as artist-in-residence at the Festival Theatre. It seems every young guitarist in the region attended his master classes, and select groups were given the opportunity to participate in extended workshops. (Most significantly, a young Liona Boyd wound up studying with him for two years in Paris.) Lagoya's charm and charisma (not to mention his musicianship!) made a lasting impression here. A generation of guitarists came under his spell, and passed on his ideas to their own students.
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Blaise Laflamme We noticed it here in Toronto too! It seems to have dissipated now, though.
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David Krupka Thanks for sharing that story. It is amazing how the great guitar masters of the 20th Century had such important influence on the generation of guitarists coming up in the 1970s and 1980s. It is so important to keep their memories and ideas alive today. In a small way, that is what Blaise Laflamme , Moyses Lopes and I are trying to do with the Carlevaro Discussion Forum.
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David Krupka good news... according to the news here the current fire won't be stopped until September, while getting under control in the upcoming days/weeks.
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Dale Needles David Krupka absolutely, while I haven't studied directly from Master Carlevaro as Dale, I think I inherited his teaching from Master Pierri and since he forged my way of playing I have a kind of implicit duty to propagate his way
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Blaise Laflamme It will continue burning until September - despite being 'under control'!? I sure hope our forestry officials know what they're doing!
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Microestudios No.12
Last week, I posted a video of this etude in the monthly challenge thread, but I didn't notice that the basses in the last few bars should be played staccato! So, I decided to make another video this week and played those basses correctly (playing a run on the melody part and muting the basses simultaneously was harder than I thought). The string noises are still there, sorry, Dale.
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Wai Very nice, Wai. It is sounding really good, and I like that you added the staccato and damping of the bass notes. As far as the reducing the string squeaks, that comes in time and repeated practice with Carlevaro's left hand technique in order to develop the muscle memory in your arm, hand and fingers. As you know, Cuaderno No. 3 is dedicated to this. Just remember if you decide to practice the shifts in Cuaderno No. 3, start very slow and focus on the subtle use of the arm to lift the fingers off the strings. In any case, I am very impressed with the outstanding progress you are making in going through the Microestudios. Your next one, #13 is very beautiful and I am sure you will really enjoy it. The most challenging ones are #18, 19, & 20. Cheers!
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Microestudios No.14
This piece isn't terribly challenging, but for some reason, I always seem to make mistakes when recording it (This version I recorded yesterday morning is the best one I could manage). From a technical standpoint, I believe it's an excellent exercise for the left hand. And musically, the interplay between the pedal note and various other notes creates a dreamy soundscape that I find quite beautiful.
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Wai Great, Wai! Good job, it's sounding really good! We can listen to the layers very clearly, you got this 'dreamy soundscape'! Thanks!
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Moyses Lopes Thank you, Moyses!
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Wai That was very well played, Wai. I liked how you maintained the drone in the treble voice. You also made the shifts by jumps very cleanly with little to no string noise. The slurs were also done well, although Carlevaro would have suggested using a little arm in your slurs which you might try in Microestudio 15. In any case, very impressive with what you have accomplished thus far.
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Hello, everyone! After months of silence, I'm coming back. My wish was to re-record the Scherzino, but I'm not practicing nowadays. So, I'll post my last recording. Thanks!
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Moyses Lopes great to see you back Moyses! You can use the latest challenge of Unfinished Business to record your new version of this fantastic Prelude! Looking to hear you in the upcoming weeks!!
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Moyses Lopes Great job, Moyses! Your movements were incredibly smooth and synchronized with the music. Your dynamic and rhythmic control was also exceptionally polished. Watching you play was truly a treat. Thank you!
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Moyses Lopes So glad to see you back and to have your recording of the Scherzino posted. Beautifully done!
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Blaise Laflamme Wai Dale Needles Hey, guys!! Thank you for your kind words! I'll do my best to collaborate in this session, it's a great opportunity to be in touch with Carlevaro compositions! Regards!
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Microestudios No.15
It's clear that this particular practice is aimed at refining your slur technique. At first, I found myself making a lot of string noises when playing slurs with horizontal shifts. However, after practicing for about a week, I was able to reduce most of the noise, although not completely. I've found that playing fast with horizontal shifts can be quite challenging when it comes to eliminating string noises.
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Wai this is sounding great Wai, you're right about shifts at faster speed and you're doing well here. You're progressing well over those studies, do you observe a better control, clean and ease in some aspects of your playing as you work on those?
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Wai Excellent, Wai. I can really see improvement in your left arm/hand. Definitely, much reduced string noise. I also agree that those horizontal shifts can cause problems with string noise, therefore, the focus needs to be on the using the arm to lift off the strings. However, you are doing well and making great progress. Also, one minor suggestion, be sure to hold the G# on the first string in the second to last measure for its full value. Use your fourth finger as a pivot or axis in order to position your arm/hand accordingly so that you can place the barre on the second fret. Congrats on completing the first three books of Microestudios!
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Blaise Laflamme Thank you, Blaise! Honestly, Dale's feedback was more helpful to me than the studies themselves. Whenever I made a mistake (or string noise), I would imagine Dale standing behind me with a whip, giving me a disapproving look. This motivated me to improve my work before submitting it.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
