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Duel, by Joan Guinjoan.

It is not easy to express my feelings about so-called Contemporary Music. Oddly enough, it produces quite different feelings when played or when listened to as a member of the public. Just when I had almost finished my studies, I started going to a bar which was right at the centre of hip Barcelona, called Nick Havanna , where every week there was a contemporary music concert. We went there for the sake of being the most modern. Or perhaps, because what I wanted was to play there at any price. In any case, the result is that we heard a lot of contemporary music, to the point where I think we got to be able to know which musicians were interesting, and which were not. It’s very easy. Music, if it is good, always conquests you. In the words of Monique Deschaussés, “Music goes to the ear through sounds that impress man in the depths of their sensitivity, even reaching their nerve centres.” Clearly, I prefer to play Contemporary Music than to listen it. I enjoy it more, because before playing it, it is necessary to interiorise it. It gives a sense of freedom. It reaches my inside by a new path, which has nothing to do with logic, because one never knows what will follow. It always surprises me.

Duel. Guitar duo by Joan Guinjoan (1976)

Here you can listen to the final part of a guitar duet called “Duel”. Somehow, it represents a “clash” between two guitars. I like it a lot, I have such a good time when playing it. While it may seem that we are improvising, everything is written in the score, which is quite different from a conventional one. My partner in this performance was the outstanding guitarist María José Santos.

The composer is Joan Guinjoan, in my opinion, the foremost Spanish musician at present. We were lucky to play this piece for him, in a concert devoted to his works at the Conservatori de Barcelona. While this guitar duo was active, some three years, we played in a wide variety of places in Spain, always including Duel in the repertoire. After every concert, the most frequent comment was “a good recital, except for that really weird piece before the interval…” What do you think about?

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Tags: Guitar session, Joan Guinjoan