Abstract
Guitar Concerto (2012) Stephen Goss (b. 1964) 1 Bold and bright 2 Adagio sostenuto, homage to Elgar 3 Finale: Allegro molto After the success of his Albéniz Concerto, released in 2010 on EMI Classics, Stephen Goss has written a brand new guitar concerto for Northampton-based soloist Graham Roberts. Steve and Graham have played together in the Tetra guitar quartet for more than 20 years, so they know each other well. ‘Graham is a remarkable player’ Steve says, ‘there are certain things he can do which are pretty much unique to him. His repertoire of rasguados (strumming), tremolos and other tricks is second to none. I have tried to exploit his specialisms in this new concerto’. The concerto is cast in the traditional three movements: the outer movements fizz with rhythmic vitality and breathless virtuosity, but the concerto’s heart is a beautiful, romantic slow movement. ‘I asked Steve to write a British alternative to the Aranjuez slow movement’ Graham explains, ‘he has come up with something really special for his Adagio, quite Elgarian in mood, tone and harmonic language.’ The concerto starts boldly, with a short, arresting tutti that heralds the entrance of the guitar. After some lively interchanges between soloist and orchestra, the tempo relaxes and the guitar introduces a new, more lyrical theme. An energetic toccata follows, before the slower music reappears in the orchestra. The cadenza leads to a return of the opening material, bringing the movement to a rousing conclusion. The central Adagio begins with an introspective guitar solo, introducing an Elgarian theme that recurs in different guises later in the movement. Each statement of the theme is separated by highly contrasting episodes. The finale is a tour de force for soloist and orchestra, drawing on Latin-American rhythms that drive inexorably towards a frenetic conclusion. Stephen Goss’s Guitar Concerto was commissioned by Graham Roberts with the generous support of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton.