Sunday, Apr 20, 2008

Posted on Sun, Apr. 20, 2008

Classical guitarist exceeds high expectations

By PUNCH SHAW

Special to the Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH -- The guitarist strummed the blues with authority, made faces as he played and really sold I Only Have Eyes for You.

So what else is new, you might ask?

This was a classical guitar concert.

American six-string master Eliot Fisk displayed an amazing range of skills and musical personalities in a concert presented by Guitar Fort Worth at Martin Hall on the Texas Wesleyan campus Friday night.

Fisk has long been one of the most respected players and teachers in his field, so you might expect his recitals to be somber and reverent affairs where intellect trumps passion.

But once he begins a piece he quickly displays a boyish enthusiasm, seeming like a gifted adolescent who is amazed and delighted by his own blossoming talent.

Where most guitarists begin a recital with near endless tuning and needless fussing with their chairs and coats, Fisk strode on stage and was playing the opening notes of a set of short pieces by A. Barrios Mangoré before he was fully seated. This was just the first indication of the level of comfort and ease in his approach to his instrument.

The next was the impeccable quality of his playing. With Fisk, every note -- whether major or minor -- has an obvious integrity and purpose. Nothing is wasted.

The guitarist was still more impressive with his transcription of the Bach Cello Suite No. 6. It is difficult to say what was more spellbinding -- Fisk's playing or his insightful arrangement of the Baroque work. Few of his peers can articulate contrasting voices in a work as clearly and effectively.

But the most memorable moments of the concert came in a set of four popular songs arranged for classical guitar by American composer George Rochberg. It was almost magical to hear the melody of I Only Have Eyes for You float up out of an astonishingly dense framework of guitar virtuosity.

And much the same could be said for Deep Purple from the same set. But the most fun was to be found in Notre Dame Blues which dropped the classical guitarist squarely into the Mississippi Delta -- where he had a great time.

No wonder Rochberg dedicated this work to Fisk.