Romantic originals and transcriptions

The guitar usually has six strings. But Urs Güntensperger usually plays the romantic pieces on a 13-string instrument. The free-swinging drone strings are particularly noticeable in the full-bodied low notes. But the treble range is also higher than usual: up to the four-stringed D, which is demanded by both Napoléon Coste and his fellow Romantic composer Johann Kaspar Mertz.

At least within an often overlooked guitar community, Coste and Mertz are old acquaintances. Impressive titles like Grande Serenade (Coste) or Grande Fantaisie (Mertz) can hardly hide their weaknesses. Güntensperger speaks of "cabinet pieces". They ignite a virtuoso fire, but the warmth just won't come. Those arpeggios sound stereotypical, along with repetitions, a lack of development and harmonic redundancy. Salon music it may be, but not higher art music.

The guitar literature problem is well known. Even the most diligent interpretation work, which Güntensperger also does, reaches its limits. One way out of this predicament is to make transcriptions, which guitarists generally write themselves. Johann Sebastian Bach's partitas and suites are popular, and many a presumptuous virtuoso has even adapted them. Pictures of an exhibition. Urs Güntensperger demonstrates more taste. He opted for an arrangement of three piano intermezzi from op. 117 and op. 118 by Johannes Brahms. Their lyrical, thoughtful and intimate character nestles beautifully against the guitar. No obtrusive showmanship, but pretty splashes of color, which Güntensperger adds with harmonics. The tone remains consistent, the tempo at a nice steady pulse. In the end, a very ambivalent picture, linked with the question: perhaps more of Brahms or Schubert is suitable for the guitar?

Romantica - guitar music of the 19th century. Works by Mertz, Brahms, Coste and Manjón. Urs Güntensperger, 13-string guitar. swiss pan SP51 733