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Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
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Reviews

Tom Salvatori — The Nylon String Guitar in Ensemble
(Bandcamp Salvatori Productions no#, 2010/2023, CD / DL)

Tom Salvatori — La Bella Vita
(Salvatori Productions No #, 2024, CD)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2024-12-09

The Nylon String Guitar in Ensemble Cover artLa Bella Vita Cover art

What we have here are two recordings by Tom Salvatori, whom we have covered in these pages before several times. La Bella Vita consists of five short guitar pieces for solo classical guitar, two of which are adaptations of classical pieces, and three others that are originals; The Nylon String Guitar in Ensemble extracts thirteen reworked cuts from the two albums Salvatori recorded with the late Iris Litchfield in 2007 and 2010: When Evening Falls and Ever Ever On —but on these Litchfield’s piano is absent, and only feature orchestrations. Beginning with La Bella Vita, the entire disc is over and done in a mere fifteen minutes, the two classical covers “Mendelssohn’s Andante” and “Silvestrov’s Serenade” are front loaded, staying very respectful of the form and structure of the originals, though both were originally intended for violin, not guitar, with the three Salvatori originals following after that. The first of the three new compositions “To and Fro” serving as a bridge between the classical leanings of the two openers and the originals. “Lullaby for Henry” is a warm and emotional effort that closes the album nicely. My only gripe is that a fifteen minute CD is just too short, it’s all over before it really gets going.

With The Nylon String Guitar in Ensemble we are treated to thirteen classical guitar compositions, each with a compliment of strings (violin, viola, cell and double bass), and / or double reeds (oboe, oboe d’amore) filling in behind the guitar, giving these pieces a neo-classical feel (or some might say new age) — though what we have here is very precise and delicate, not so dreamy or pretty, but all thoroughly enjoyable. Some of the standouts include “Escher’s Lullaby,” “Quiet Reflections,” “Reflecting Absence,” the opener “Sleepy Eyes Lullaby,” and the closer “Folk Dance,” but honestly there is wonder and beauty to be found in every one of these pieces, and the arrangements are exquisite and refined. And this time you get a full 47 minutes of majestic classical guitar, no shortchange on this one. Hear them both at the links below.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases, 2010 recordings, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Tom Salvatori

More info
http://salvatoriproductions.com/album/2956797/la-bella-vita-ep
http://salvatoriproductions.com/album/2426703/the-nylon-string-guitar-in-ensemble-2023-c-salvatori-productions-inc

 

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