MARCO SMAILI : La Frontera Alucinada : DOz

Marco Smaili

Les Productions D’Oz : 4 pages

Spanish composer Smaili has here written a piece as a tribute  to the late American avant – garde composer George Crumb, and indeed this piece is very much in the avant – garde style throughout its 5 minutes duration.

The time signatures used are many and varied and it probably goes without saying that a key signature is not in evidence Moreover the rhythmic diversity of the notes is immense, to such an extent that you wonder just how important the rhythms , as written on this score, are. Harmonics are often used, often mixed in with ordinary notation, and the player has to have an extremely good technique to get the best of the music here, for he has to be in a constant flow throughout the six strings and the 19 frets in patterns that will definitely not be known beforehand.

So in summation, if you like your music very modern and can cope with difficulties in rhythms and notation, then this piece might appeal to you.

Chris Dumigan