I have seen the Future of the Guitar and its name is “Caballero”
Rosewood Guitar/Seattle Guitar Society
July 1, 1997
By: Mark Wilson
I can’t tell you how excited I was when I heard about Jorge Caballero’s program. I’d been talking with a good friend in the San Francisco area when he asked “Have you heard about Caballero’s program?” Ponce Folia Variations, Bach Sonata 1034, Giuliani Rossiniane, Carter Changes – Oh My God! There was more! This is the toughest programming I have ever seen. Who is this guy? Who has the guts to not only play some of the most intellectually complex music, but program piece after piece of this technically monstrous material? Who? Jorge Caballero. This guy has redefined guitar virtuosity and programming…and he just turned 20. Ok, ok…How was the recital? Did he pull it off? Did I hear any mistakes, did he have good tone, could he play with feeling, did he have soul? If you heard the recital you would find these questions insulting. This concert was one of those rare concerts where the last thing on your mind was the mechanics of moving fingers. This concert was about that rare wedding of superb interpretation of music that is not a candy coated insult to the audience’s intelligence, but an invitation to transcend the mundane and experience the jewels of the guitar repertoire, the expression of beauty through sound. Music. Where the austere beauty of Da Milano’s Ricercar could prove to be an anticlimactic opening in lesser hands, Caballero handled the renaissance composer’s other worldly counterpoint with clarity and charm (without excess). Following that with Bach’s Sonata BWV 1034, again, could have been tedious were it not for his apparent ease and wonderful phrasing. I say “apparent” because I know this sonata in particular to be one of Bach’s more technically challenging sonatas. It was so nice to sit back and enjoy the undulating 16th note phrases ebb and flow without a worry in the Allegro. The preceding Andante was breathtaking. A perfect example of grace in order, both in composition and Caballero’s playing. The first half ended with Mauro Giuliani’s unabashed pyrotechnic medley of the hits of Giacomo Rossini’s operas. Where Caballero exhibited an astute appreciation of the sophisticated and understated elegance in the renaissance and baroque pieces, he succeeded in displaying all of the flash and flare necessary for this 19th century showcase piece. The second half opened with a beautiful set of Barrios pieces. The set was played with polish and ease. A high point here was when Caballero returned to the original then in the Choro da Saudade with impeccable pacing. It is a rare performance when a player can play the second theme so well that I forget about the initial theme. When Caballero wound down the second theme with the 16th, dotted 8th, 16th rhythm that introduces the whole piece it was quite moving to find myself back at the first theme. Of course Barrios wrote a great piece and had a moment of inspiration with that passage, but great passages are often merely passed by in the hands of less aware players. Great music can only achieve its potential in the hands of careful and astute performers. The concert concluded with a very convincing performance of Elliott Carter’s esoteric Changes. I have to admit I would have to study the piece to be able to offer any opinion, but I feel l have begun to understand some of the structural elements in the piece thanks to Caballero. The last piece on the program was the Sonata Op. 47 by Ginastera. Fantastic! I don’t know how Ginastera could make hitting the guitar, strumming the open strings seem like so much fun but Caballero convinced this audience. Often I think of esoteric 20th century music as adult subject matter, this due to the complex nature of the emotional content of this noisy era. Well, the Ginastera was noisy but Caballero’s mastery of this piece made this fierce music almost seem like the rambunctious fun that a kid would have: a genius kid. The concert concluded with Leo Brouwer’s Ojos Brujos as an encore. What more is there to say? The audience left the concert in awe, energized, and a bit drained. I wish I could elaborate on the Berg Operas I heard him play on the piano before the concert, and our conversations when we shot pool the next day. Suffice it to say, this is a very dedicated and focused young man. Jorge Caballero is finishing his studies in New York at the Manhattan School of Music. Last year he won the coveted Naumburg Prize, beating out many of the country’s best players. Congratulations and thanks to the Seattle Classic Guitar Society and Rosewood Guitar for presenting this rising star at the very beginning of what will certainly be an illustrious and long career. Back To Reviews |
