Les planêtes
niveau 3, 52 pages
Mercure
Vénus
Terre
Mars
Jupiter
Saturne
Uranus
Neptune
Pluton
"Les Planètes is a nine-movement work, each
movement representing a major planet from our own Solar System and appearing in
the suite in order of distance from the Sun. Each one of the individually
published pieces which make up this edition have all received separate reviews
in the past from either myself or my colleague Chris Dumigan and as far as I can
recall they have all been blessed with favorable reviews. Suffice it to say that
here is a large-scale work for solo guitar containing some fine, clever,
descriptive and inventive writing for the instrument and one which could provide
one of the high-spots of any recital if played with enough conviction. Slight
problems may arise in a couple of places due to the preparation involved.
Jupiter for instance requires an “open” tuning of, from bass upwards, D, A, D,
A, A, D (for ease of reading the piece is also given in Tablature) then it’s
back to standard tuning once again for Saturn, a percussive piece requiring ten
notational instructions. For the final movement, Pluto, the guitarist needs to
insert a matchstick underneath the strings near to the bridge.
Is it all
worth the effort? Well, yes it is. Compared to the soundscape which Gustav Holst
created with his masterpiece for orchestra, Les Planètes doesn’t come close, but
taken simply for what it is, a solo instrumental, the piece makes for highly
entertaining listening/playing.
It is nicely presented with clearly printed
notation, well fingered and an attractive front cover. Buying this complete
album of the pieces rather than the individual productions will give you a
saving of approximately 36 Euros.
Not to be sniffed at!"
Steve Marsh
(Classical Guitar Magazine)
