Vida Guitar Quartet

IRR review VIDA GQ CD

Vida — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:25:23 +0000

International Record Review praise VIDA Guitar Quartet’s debut recording “Love, the Magician” BGS118.

“Their range of timbres and colouration is so broad that one really does forget that there are four identical instruments. The excellent arrangements of Falla’s El Amor brujo by Eden, using techniques such as rapid rubbing of the strings and various scordaturas, approximates the orchestral colours of Falla’s work, assisted by the players’ refined tonal control. Reducing the work to just four guitars brings a level of intimacy to the work, particularly in the poignant ‘The Fisherman’s Story’. Ashford’s arrangement of El sombrero de tres picos is well conceived. As the informative booklet notes elucidate, Diaghilev persuaded Falla to revise his pantomime as a ballet, which was premiered in London in 1919 with sets and costumes designed by Picasso, choreographed by Léonide Massine. Most outstanding are the tonal colours in ‘The Corregidor’.”

“William Kanengiser’s arrangement of the Suite from Carmen does not have the orchestral textures that are so appealing in the Falla arangements. Although the Vida’s playing is measured and understated, it has all the necessary bravura for ‘The Toreador’s Song’ and builds to an exhilarating climax in the ‘Gypsy Song’. Their dynamic control, which ranges from an almost inaudible pianissimo to ranging fortissimos, is impressive. The arrangement of Turina’s impressionistic Oración del Toreo provides a contrast of atmosphere, with its mix of Spanish and jazz-like rhythms.”

“The Vida Guitar Quartet’s ensemble throughout is exemplary and seemingly achieved with ease … their blending of tone is remarkably unified. The recording is well balanced and natural, with a warm tone quality and intimate clarity. This is a thoroughly enjoyable disc.”

Gramophone recommend VIDA magic!

Vida — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:48:03 +0000

“VIDA Guitar Quartet’s debut recording is impressive indeed. Why? Because it’s so easy to imagine you’re listening to an entire orchestra and not merely to four guitars.” Gramophone March 2010 RECOMMENDS the VIDA GQ’s CD ‘Love, the Magician’ BGS118.

“Throughout, the Quartet succeeds in bringing out the narrative and dramatic qualities implicit in the music through a combination of exquisite tonal and dynamic control, super-tight ensemble and unerring musical instinct. Listen to the confident sweep of rapid figures in the frenzied “Danza del terror” from El Amor Brujo and the beautiful transparent “Romance del pescador” from the same; or the beguiling sensuality of the “Habanera” and virility of “Toreadors” from Carmen Suite. There’s only one word for it: magic”

Classic FM give VIDA 4.5 stars!

Vida — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:41:51 +0000

Classic FM (Feb issue 183) magazine has awarded VIDA’s new CD ‘Love, the Magician’ (BGS118) a magnificent 4 and a half stars out of 5.

” The members of VIDA conjure up an orchestral palette of colour and effects from four regular classical models. Sticking to tried-and-tested guitar transcription material, they play with technical brilliance and precise ensemble, creating alternately smoky and glittering colours in Falla’s El amor brujo that suit the gypsy heart of the music so well. They are high spirited in The Three Cornered Hat dances and their Carmen Suite arrangement is done with verve.”

Please listen to sound samples on our media player and let us know what you think.

VIDA at KINGS PLACE Wednesday 28 October 2009

Vida — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:40:07 +0000

VIDA Guitar Quartet’s concert at Kings Place will mark the offical release of their debut CD ‘Love, the Magician’ BGS118. The concert will be on Wednesday 28 November 2009 at 7.45pm in Hall One, and will be part of the IGF ‘London Guitar Festival in the Fall’.

Book tickets on-line here or call the box office on 020 7520 1490.

VIDA stand in at the Canterbury Festival

Vida — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:43:24 +0000

VIDA Guitar Quartet have stood in at the last moment for the Zagreb Guitar Trio at the Canterbury Festival, performing on Monday 26 October at 7.30pm. The concert will take place at Shirley Hall, The King’s School, Canterbury. For information and tickets please call THE FESTIVAL OFFICE 01227 452853.

VIDA Guitar Quartet UK tour

Vida — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:08:56 +0000

To launch the VIDA Guitar Quartet’s debut CD, ‘Love, the Magician’ BGS118, we have lined up a tour over October of some of the UK’s top concert venues. These include The Sage Gateshead on 17 October, Winchester Discovery Centre on 23 October, St George’s Bristol on Saturday 24 October, and London’s exciting new venue Kings Place on Wednesday 28 October, where VIDA will be featured as part of the London Guitar Festival in the Fall.

Our programme will include music from the CD. Take a moment to listen to some sound samples from the media player on vidagq.com. Here are all the dates with relevant booking information.

17 October - The Sage Gateshead, Tyne & Wear (book tickets!)

23 October - Winchester Discovery Centre, Winchester, Hants (book tickets!)

24 October - St George’s Bristol, (book tickets!)

28 October - Kings Place – London (Book tickets!)

Please take a look at our concert schedule or subscribe to the VIDA GQ concert RSS feed.

Gig of the month – Acoustic magazine

Vida — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:22:00 +0000

VIDA Guitar Quartet were reviewed as ‘Gig of the month‘ by Acoustic Magazine (Issue 34 October) for their concert in Exeter this July. The review states …

“Vida Guitar Quartet are the internationally renowned guitarists Mark Ashford, Mark Eden, Helen Sanderson and Chris Stell. In this programme of music by Bellinati, de Falla, Bizet, Turina and Attaingnant they clearly demonstrate their musical maturity and mastery of the medium.”

“The two main works in the programme – Mark Eden’s setting of El Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla and William Kanengiser’s of the Carmen Suite by Bizet – are brilliantly arranged with equal division of the orchestration between the 4 guitars.”

“Vida sparkled with vitality and spontaneity, weaving a rich tapestry of colour and breathtaking range of dynamics and percussive effects that held the audience spellbound. The striking harmonies and textures of the de Falla were beautifully realised and they captured the essence of the Carmen Suite, the visual interplay between them enhancing an already superb performance. These are outstanding musicians, if you can, go hear them play.”

If you would like to hear us live, then please take a look at our concert schedule or subscribe to the VIDA GQ concert RSS feed.

Love, the Magician – VIDA GQ CD

Vida — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:42:03 +0000

Well we’ve waited over a year for this moment, but the VIDA Guitar Quartet are proud to announce the release of our debut recording Love, the Magician (BGS118) this October 2009.

To mark the launch we will be playing up and down the UK at various venues where you will be able to hear us in the flesh (ahh!) and if you like what you hear you can take a little bit of us home with you in the handy shape of a CD!

Dates on the Love, the Magician tour include:

7 October – St Cuthbert’s Church, Durham (1pm)

8 October – The Performing Arts Centre, Stewart’s Melville College, Edinburgh – also masterclass on this day during the afternoon.

9 October – The Saville Exchange, North Shields (1pm)

17 October – The Sage Gateshead, Tyne & Wear (book tickets!)

22 October – East Malling Research Station Music Club, East Malling, Kent

23 October – Winchester Discovery Centre, Winchester, Hants (book tickets!)

24 October – St George’s Bristol, (book tickets!)

28 October – Kings Place – London (Book tickets!)

31 October – Kings Place, London – Masterclass (info from IGF)

All dates are evening recitals except where time is indicated.

Love, the Magician has a distinctly Andalusian flavour with a works by Falla: El Amor Brujo (Love, the Magician), and El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat); Bizet: Carmen Suite; and Joaquín Turina: La Oración del Torero (The Prayer of the Bullﬁghter).

You can have a sneak preview of our Love, the Magician below. Let us know what you think and hope we can catch up with you at one of our concerts soon.

Mark E (aka V1!)

Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!

VIDA GQ at WYGF09

Vida — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:53:59 +0000

The whole quartet will be in residence next week at the World Youth Guitar Festival in Cheltenham, with over 200 participants from the UK and mainland Europe. It’s something we’re all passionate about and preparations have been in overdrive recently ready for the launch on 11 August. V3, also known as Helen Sanderson is WYGF Festival Director and together with the fabulous WYGF team she has been busy organsing an amazing programme of events.

WYGF 2009 is hosted at Dean Close School in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, which boasts state-of-the-art facilities, and also the fabulous Bacon Theatre where the WYGF International Concert Series will take place. VIDA will be kicking-off the whole series on Tuesday 11 August together with renowned Naxos artist Graham Devine. The following evening sees fellow Americans Martha Masters and Brad Richter performing at the Bacon Theatre. Both of these highly acclaimed artists don’t come over this side of the pond that often, so please book your tickets as this will be an opportunity not to be missed – box office. Full details here …

For full details about WYGF please visit www.wygf.org

VIDA at Bath International Guitar Festival

Vida — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:30:18 +0000

The VIDA Guitar Quartet kick off this year’s IGF Bath International Guitar Festival with a Spanish Feast of music including Carmen Suite by Bizet, El Amor Brujo by Falla. The concert starts at 8pm – Friday 24 July, The Michael Tippett Centre, Bath Spa University. For full Festival information please click on the brochure above and download the Festival’s full programme of events and information.