Rare pairing closes out chamber recital series

David Grainger Brown never set out to be a professional musician. But the classical guitar quietly took over his life and today it’s his main focus.

This coming Saturday at the final recital of the St. Albert Chamber Music Series, the Edmonton-based guitarist joins forces with oboist Hiromi Takahashi for a dynamic repertoire rarely performed.

It is uncommon for classical composers to write works specifically for oboe and guitar, and this may be one of the more offbeat pairings recital director Nancy Watt has produced.

“The guitar with another instrument can be overshadowed. But the guitar and oboe have distinct sounds and can shine on their own,” says Grainger, primarily a self-taught guitarist.

The one-hour program illuminates one of the earliest compositions for guitar and oboe – Le Montagnard Op. 34 by NapolĂ©on Coste, the great 19th century French guitarist. Also showcased is a full-bodied work from the 20th century, Ferdinand Rebay’s Sonata for Oboe and Guitar.

Brown met Hiromi, conductor of McDougall United Church’s At Noon Concert Series. After performing together several times they initiated discussions for a future project.

The classically trained oboist, who performed with the New York Orchestra, has also performed with several western Canadian orchestras and is much in demand.

“Hiromi is a superlative oboe player. He is very much in demand and he has a large musical output. He has a clear vision of how he wants music to sound and he articulates it clearly in rehearsal,” says Grainger.

The duo performs six works in total including Benedetto Marcello’s four-movement Sonata (Op. 2 No. 12), an 18th century Baroque piece with a bright tempo.

A second sonata, Domenico Cimarosa’s Sonata II, was originally written for harpsichord and re-arranged for the two instruments.

Heitor Villa-Lobos, known for his sultry Brazilian rhythms, instead brings a Greek influence in Distribution of Flowers. A second piece with Greek motifs is Erik Marchelie’s Aulos, originally written for flute and guitar.

Joel Kristiansen, a local emerging guitarist with an education degree from the University of Alberta, opens the concert with Sunday Morning Overcast, Candambe en mi and Tempestad.

The concert at Don’s Piano Showroom starts at 7:30 p.m.