Borodin arr Burley
Les Productions D’Oz: Score and separate parts ( 32, 11, 10, 10 and 10 pages respectively )
Alexander Borodin’s oeuvre is not huge, but what there is, is absolutely wonderful stuff. His largest and most well – respected piano work is this seven piece suite which has some beautiful music in it. Back in 2004 Lathkill Music Publishers, produced my version of this suite for two guitars, but here Ray Burley has transferred the music onto four guitars making the whole suite that much simpler to play, but just as satisfying in the end result.
The first movement is Au Couvent and of necessity is a grand piece and a fine opener with many accented notes that add to the grandeur of the movement. There are a few two and three note chords but mainly the four parts are single noted.
Intermezzo, which has a Minuet style to it has a lovely melody on guitar one and a nice lilt to the feel of it. Again all the parts are nearly all single notes.
Mazurka I is an Allegro with guitar one sitting largely on the higher portion of string one for much of the time ( as is the case with the other movements) and a lovely strong accented feel to much of it.
Mazurka II is an Allegretto with the melody in guitar 4 at the opening, switching to guitar one a bit later on. The use of some emotive grace notes makes this another superb melody with wonderful harmony work.
Reverie is the slow movement and indeed one of the shortest too, and leads on to the Serenade which was one of the many tunes used in Kismet, the musical, as The Night of my Nights, one of those tunes that once heard is never forgotten. Again this is a lovely arrangement from Ray.
The final movement is Nocturne, but has a lilt to it that makes it a lovely closing movement to what is a simply beautiful suite of pieces that, if you haven’t heard of, then you really should give it a listen, and if you are part of a guitar quartet then this only moderately difficult suite should be one that you try out as it is music that should be known by everyone!
Chris Dumigan
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