Ana Vidovic Mini-Review
Steve Perry
classical guitar store in Milwaulkie, OR, this evening, in conjunction
with her master class this weekend.
While I was taken to task for fuzzing the difference between a
"classical" guitar and an "acoustic" guitar whilst reviewing Michael
Chapdelaine's performance at the same venue a few weeks back, I think I
can avoid that here. Ms. Vidovic had but one guitar with her, and while
she didn't leave it onstage during the intermission for us to ogle, it
was not a steel-stringed instrument. Supposedly, she uses Jim Redgate
guitars -- certainly she had no trouble coaxing enough volume from it to
fill the room, and it was a cedar-topped and sweet-sounding instrument.
She deviated a bit from the printed program, starting with Bach instead
of Torroba, though she did get to him later. Also "Sonatina Meridional,"
by Ponce, Stjepan Sulek's "Troubadours Three," Barrios's "La Cathedral,"
and after a standing ovation by a sold-out house (only about a hundred
or so people could fit in the place), she did Albeniz's "Leyenda," (or
"Asturias," if you prefer.) I dunno if she does it as well as Pepe,
having never seen him play in person, but she impressed the hell out the
audience, who stood up to cheer again when she was done.
I thought her intonation was superb. Her wrist seemed pretty straight.
I'm not qualified to speak to the position of her fingers, which were
usually moving fast enough that I had trouble tracking them, but she
didn't hit any clams I could hear. Not much in the way of string noise,
either.
More, she was gracious, complimenting the audience several times, and
thanking us for attending.
You probably have shoes older than she is, but if you have a chance to
see her play, go.
Jackson
Roscoe Heywood
Jackson wrote:
> Were her eyes fixed on the fretboard?
slumped over her guitar between pieces.
She did a great show. I haven't seen Pepe. but I can guaranty that she
is way the hell better looking. Go see her if you get the chance, she
has complete controll of everything she's doing
Kent Murdick
I'm not qualified to speak to the position of her fingers, which were
usually moving fast enough that I had trouble tracking them, but she
>>>>>
I'm sure her intonation was fine since she plays a fixed pitched
instrument. She was a long term student of Ray Chester who is an
extra chromosome Shearer guy. She has near perfect technique and plays
very musically.
Steven Bornfeld
Thanks Steve.
I'm wondering about her pacing, particularly in the Bach. She's
obviously got the chops, but what I've heard of her (particularly Bach)
sounded very rushed.
Steve
Horace "Kicker" Vallas
video of her playing - a very enjoyable performance - but do you
know if there are any others online - or will there be one
produced from the performance you reviewed? I'd really like to see
her play La Catedral because I'm dinking around with that myself now.
--
Horace ...once known as "Kicker" :-)
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Steven Bornfeld wrote:
> I'm wondering about her pacing, particularly in the Bach. She's
> obviously got the chops, but what I've heard of her (particularly Bach)
> sounded very rushed.
Hi Steve
Are you making that statement on the Kennedy Center video .I feel she
was having a bad day ( we all have them) and that's what the Kennedy
Center video caught.
Ed Bridge
2890 N. Franklin st.
Christiansburg VA
24073
www.bridgekaldromusic.com
www.bridgeclassicalguitars.com
r...@ku.edu
>She was a long term student of Ray Chester who is an
> extra chromosome Shearer guy. She has near perfect technique and plays
> very musically.
Kent,
Are you sure about this ? AV was an established concert and
recording artist in eastern europe before she came to the U.S.
She participated in Peabody's `Artist Diploma' program in the early
2000's, working with Barrueco. As you know, the Artist Diploma
program at Peabody is for established musicians and is not the
same as traditional degree studies at the Conservatory.
-- D. Katz
edspy...@yahoo.com
Shearer started the guitar department at Peabody.
Ed S.
edspy...@yahoo.com
Kent,
She also worked through the four Carlevaro Cuaderno books. She was at
the 2005 Stetson Workshop and she is almost Zen. For someone with her
talents and standing in the CG community it was interesting to see no
oversized ego, no arrogance. A true Artist.
Ed S.
Mark & Steven Bornfeld
All I remember about that video was the red dress. ;-)
Well, yeah, the audio wasn't too great. Actually, I think there was
also a cut on the cd included in one "Fingerstyle" magazine last year
which also had me wondering if we needed to do some kind of blood test.
I'm inclined to cut her some slack considering her tender years.
But there are SO MANY great young players out there. She must have a
great publicist out there to cut through. She may be outstanding even
in the field of great young artists, but I can't tell. Or maybe it's
the red dress.
Sorry to sound like a grumpy curmudgeon this morning.
Steve
--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001
bcl...@earthlink.net
Mark & Steven Bornfeld wrote:
> >
>
> All I remember about that video was the red dress. ;-)
HA. .THAT RED DRESS . . .not only do you sounding grumpy but maybe a
little horney too :>)
your brother
Ed
( I'm sitting in my shop laughing at myself when I should be getting
getting soemthing sold !! )
forlorn hope
"Horace "Kicker" Vallas" <h...@hav.com> wrote in message news:BLSVf.14773e -
or will there be one
> I'd really like to see
> her play La Catedral because I'm dinking around with that myself now.
Horace
There's a video of La Cathedral being played very nicely by Shin Ichi Fukada
on YouTube, if you haven't seen it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf86OOZcwXE
I am also working on it, I've seen your video and I think your playing is
very good, far better than mine!
Huw
Kent Murdick
technique. Is she married?
I think she got her artist diploma with Chester. Of course she worked
with Barrueco as well.
Steve Perry
"Jackson" <jackso...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Were her eyes fixed on the fretboard?
Her gaze was. (Her eyes remained firmly in their sockets. Sorry, I have
a thing about eye-metaphors.) Now and then, she would lean over the
guitar enough so that her hair would sometimes brush the lower bout. She
was paying full attention to the fretboard -- she didn't work the
audience, looking away from the guitar only between sections and when
she stood to take a bow after each piece. She seemed to take a real
delight in the applause.
Of course, we all sat there as silent as we could be. Every time
somebody coughed I think we all clenched up. Most of the coughing was
done between pieces as people worked to keep from making noise until
then. Never heard a cellphone or pager go off, nor any talking while
Vidovic was onstage.
Some of the audience were students, some members of the local guitar
society, some were luthiers. Jeffery Elliott sat at the other end of the
row I was on, though I didn't get a chance to talk to him. The room was
fairly large, but not designed originally to be a theater -- the stage
was as one end, the floor flat, and chairs lined up in rows from a few
feet in front of the stage all the way to the back of the room. It was a
chilly night, but a hundred people put out a fair amount of heat and it
started to get pretty stuffy -- a door was opened during intermission
and aired the place out a bit.
For the fashion conscious, Ms Vidovic wore a sleeveless shirt and pants,
both black, and what looked to be an emerald necklace. I didn't catch
the shoes. She looked physically fit.
The first thing I heard her play (on a recording) was a Bach piece, the
Prelude to the 4th Lute suite, in E, I think, and she does burn through
that at a speed I found breathtaking. I didn't think the pace for the
Bach she did last night was too fast.
Regarding the intonation, she tuned the guitar, adjusting it a bit
between pieces, and at least two of which were in dropped-D tuning.
Horace -- I saw your vid with the pipe and all, and congratulations for
having the courage to put it out there for this group to hammer. Without
any offense intended, Vidovic's version was, um, better ...
She is indeed an attractive young woman, but playing as well as she did,
she could have looked like a toad and it wouldn't have mattered. I
haven't seen that many great players live. I have seen a few
up-and-coming players who are outstanding (in my view). Isaac Bustos
comes to mind. Ana Vidovic is as good as any I've seen and heard, and
better than most. Her technique is clean and certainly as musical as
any.
bcl...@earthlink.net
Hi Steve
I put this guitar on e bay after think about the guitar with the red
dress :>)
Larry Deack
> I haven't seen that many great players live. I have seen a few
> up-and-coming players who are outstanding (in my view). Isaac Bustos
> comes to mind. Ana Vidovic is as good as any I've seen and heard, and
> better than most. Her technique is clean and certainly as musical as
> any.
Nice writing for the review. I really felt was there...
Did she say anything musically in the pieces that you were familiar
with that was interesting and different from what others had done with
the same music? Like watching actors say familiar lines I love to hear
original conceptions of the notes I know well. IMO that's where a
'classical' piece is individual and my picture of her is not very clear
about the music she presents live.
Mark & Steven Bornfeld
You naughty boy!
Mark & Steven Bornfeld
Thanks for the elaboration. I'm more than willing to give the young
lady a chance.
For that matter, I think it would be great if Isaac gets to tour this way.
edspy...@yahoo.com
Carlevaro's Cuaderno books are method-neutral. You can do the RH
exercises in book 2 using Shearer's method, Pujol's method, or Joey
Bag-a-donuts' method and the results would be a non-Carlevaro. BTW, as
a student of Shearer's method, Shearer has nothing to compare with the
Carlevaro's RH book 2.
>From an interview (see link following).
"Leon: Could you tell us something about the methods you used in the
beginning?
Ana: I remember that my teacher always encouraged me to do Carlevaro
studies. I did all the four books and I think that was one of the
reasons why I developed a technique quite early. It was very useful, I
always recommend that for people to learn. Because Carlevaro has so
many good studies for both hands. That's the main thing I did."
http://www.cithara.lu/vidoint.htm
Ed S.
Steve Perry
Larry Deack <cg...@mindspring.com> wrote:
She looked to me as if she could have been playing in her own living
room and just went off into the music. It didn't look effortless, there
was a concentrated intensity, but she was in control and doing
something she really knows how to do. The pieces she played that I have
heard before were clean and expressive. Her trills were sharp, vibrato
was, well, vibrant, her tremolo was with two fingers, nearly as I could
tell, i and m, though she didn't do but a tiny bit of that.
When Michael Chapdelaine played, he was looser, more relaxed, and he
had a patter that invited the audience onstage with him. But he was
also playing one guitar directly plugged into an amp, and the other
into a mike, and the sound was loud enough so the audience wasn't doing
collective breath-holding. It's an interesting difference. Chapdelaine
can knock out Bach with anybody, but his manner was very informal and I
enjoyed the hell out of his performance. During the break, he came out
into the audience, leaned against a wall, swapped stories, signed CDs,
and sounded very much like a guy who'd be fun to sit and have a beer
with. Plus he played some pop and rock pieces that were real toe
tappers.
Vidovic's performace was arresting, and more formal. She announced the
change in the program, thanked us for coming, and played. She would
bow, thank us again, and go back to playing. A couple of times, she
offered brief comments about the composers or the piece she was about
to play, especially her countryman Sulek, whom she wished had composed
more for the guitar. He must have died when she was in her early teens,
and she spoke of him with obvious affection.
I confess to something of a conflict. When I closed my eyes or looked
away and my full attention was on the sound, it seemed fuller, somehow,
than when I was caught up in watching her hands. (Because she was
looking at her fretboard and her fingering, that was the way my gaze
was directed, and sitting there open-mouthed watching those long, thin
fingers dance was educational, but it did split my attention. I was
interested in her technique, where she plucked the strings, rest-stroke
versus free, all like that. It was distracting.)
When I saw Issac Bustos win the Portland Guitar Competition a few years
ago, I was mightily impressed when he played some of the most
technically difficult passages in his performance leaning back slightly
with his eyes closed. This might have been calculated to demonstrate
how skilled he was, and it did, but that's not how I thought of it. It
looked and sounded to me as if he had gone off into the Void and he
took us with him. My wife liked the guy who came in second. He was in a
tux, and she thought his technique was slightly better. Musically,
however, Bustos hooked me because he looked and sounded as he was
having a great time. At that level, all the players had chops, but
Bustos had *soul.*
Vidovic's concentration was different, but similar. She was there with
the guitar and it was if we were standing in the hallway of her house
watching her in the next room and she didn't know we were there. I kind
of got the impression she might look up and blink: Oh, hello. I didn't
see you there.
"La Cathedral" was lovely, and she varied the volume and held notes for
what I thought was exactly the right amount of time.
The encore piece "Leyenda" was one that everybody recognized. When she
announced it, I didn't hear her and missed the title, but there was an
"Oh, boy!" response from the audience, kind of an involuntary "Yay!"
and "Oh!" I turned to look at faces when she started and there were a
lot of smiles. She obviously loves the piece. She did it as well as
I've heard anybody else do it technically, but it had a musical quality
I'm not sure I can describe, save to save it seemed so essentially
Spanish. I realize it started out as a piano piece, but boy, it sure
sounded like it was made for the guitar the way she played it.
--
Steve
John Rethorst
Steven Bornfeld <dentalt...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> I'm wondering about her pacing, particularly in the Bach. She's
> obviously got the chops, but what I've heard of her (particularly Bach)
> sounded very rushed.
In the Kennedy center video, I thought her phrasing of the Bach was unusual at
times. Everything else about that concert, including the red dress, is just
great.
--
John Rethorst
jrethorst at post dot com
r...@ku.edu
First you said that AV was a `long term student of Ray Chester'
(and this was not the first time you've said it) and then qualified
your statement by saying `I think she got her artist diploma with
Chester'. What is your source of information ? I audited the
Barrueco masterclass in '02 and was told she was at Peabody
to work with Barrueco.
I have nothing against Shearer's view of guitar technique, but I doubt
she'd come from Croatia as an accomplished concert artist just to
learn Shearer technique or to work with Ray Chester for that matter
no offense to AS or RC).
If someone knows for sure otherwise, I'm happy to be corrected.
Dan Katz
Horace "Kicker" Vallas
Hey Huw and thanks - yes - very nice one!! He just plays the HE!!
out of La Cat - yes??!! I'd still like to see/hear AV play it as
well (in case they make a vid of her recent performance) - having
several perspectives always seems to help me
Horace "Kicker" Vallas
<snip>
> Horace -- I saw your vid with the pipe and all, and congratulations for
> having the courage to put it out there for this group to hammer. Without
> any offense intended, Vidovic's version was, um, better ...
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA - NO offense taken at all HA HA HA HA HA HA
I really would love to see a vid of her playing La cat!!
edspy...@yahoo.com
Dan,
Here's a bit more detail.
>>>>>
Ana Vidovic is an extraordinary talent with formidable gifts taking her
place amongst the elite musicians of the world today.
Ana comes from the small town of Karlovac near Zagreb, Croatia and
started playing guitar at the age of 5, and by 7 had given her first
public performance. At the age of 11 she was performing
internationally, and at 13 became the youngest student to attend the
prestigious National Musical Academy in Zagreb where she studied with
Professor Istvan Romer. Ana's reputation in Europe led to an
invitation to study at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, USA, with
Manuel Barrueco, from where she graduated in May 2003.
At the age of only 23 Ana has won an impressive number of prizes and
international competitions all over the world. These include first
prizes in the Albert Augustine International Competition in Bath,
England, the Fernando Sor competition in Rome, Italy and the Francisco
Tarrega competition in Benicasim, Spain. Other top prizes include the
Eurovision Competition for Young Artists, the Mauro Giuliani
competition in Italy, the Printemps de la Guitare in Belgium and the
Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York.
Ana has given over one thousand public performances since first taking
the stage in 1988. Her international performance career includes
recitals in London, Paris, Vienna, Salzburg, Rome, Budapest, Warsaw,
Tel Aviv, Oslo, Copenhagen, Toronto, Baltimore, San Francisco, Houston,
Austin, Dallas and St. Louis.
Equally impressive is the fact that she has already recorded 5 CDs, and
she will be releasing her 6th CD with the Naxos label in 2006. As well,
Ana has a new performance DVD filmed by Melbay Productions, to be
released in 2006.
In Croatia she has performed with the Zagreb Soloists and the Zagreb
Philharmonic Orchestra and with Symphony Orchestra of the Croatian
Radio and Television, as well as having been featured in three
television documentaries by the eminent Croatian film director Petar
Krelja.
Ana continues to broaden her repertoire and maintains an ongoing
performance schedule. Please refer to upcoming concerts for more
details.
>>>>>
Ed S.
Kent Murdick
Chester'. What is your source of information ? I audited the
Barrueco masterclass in '02 and was told she was at Peabody
to work with Barrueco. >>>
I saw her resume somewhere (her web site?) and it said Chester.
(Where is her web site anyway, I can't see to find it, ) It seemed to
me that I read that she got her degree at Peabody with Chester. I could
be wrong. Chester is not someone you cross the ocean to study with; he
doesn't play and he has never published anything that I've heard of.
If she studied with him, it was probably through the school in athe
artist degree program.
Tommy Grand
Kent Murdick wrote:
> >>>I think she got her artist diploma with
> Chester'. What is your source of information ? I audited the
> Barrueco masterclass in '02 and was told she was at Peabody
> to work with Barrueco. >>>
>
> I saw her resume somewhere (her web site?) and it said Chester.
> (Where is her web site anyway, I can't see to find it, ) It seemed to
> me that I read that she got her degree at Peabody with Chester.
I think you're referring to this:
http://www.anavidovic.com/pdfs/Ana_Vidovic_resume_concerts.pdf
My guess is, international sex goddess or not, it's hard to get face
time with Barreuco. Probably she picked his brain as much as possible
for technical advice, and spent the rest of her time working on
musicianship with Chester.
bcl...@earthlink.net
Steve Perry wrote:
> The lovely Croatian lady played in the little theater behind Wm. Jenks's
> classical guitar store in Milwaulkie, OR, this evening, in conjunction
> with her master class this weekend.
It's seems like many of the "great" player have good parents or
brother (mr.v) or a sister who they really learn from .. . not
Peaboby.. .or MSN. .
Ed
Kent Murdick
for technical advice, and spent the rest of her time working on
musicianship with Chester. >>>
It looks like she is still studying with Chester and Barrueco.
r...@ku.edu
ES : I knew most of what you posted about AV. Consequently,
she's not really a long term product of the Shearer method. Eastern
europe has been producing world class guitarists for decades, though
AV is clearly special.
TG : You're probably right, with MB frequently on tour, guitar time
with him is probably limited.
KM : Yes, that was one of my points. She wouldn't cross an ocean
just to work with Chester. Barrueco has attracted a number of
talented, young, accomplished guitarists to the Artist Diploma
program (Franco Platino, to name just one). But again, if he's not
there much, then Chester probably takes over.
But hey, if she puts it on her resume, who am I to disagree !
-- Dan Katz
Steve Perry
<r...@ku.edu> wrote:
>
> But hey, if she puts it on her resume, who am I to disagree !
>
> -- Dan Katz
>
What I find interesting is how important it seems to be in classical
guitar to have the right kind of resume. If the idea is that a great
player was willing to take you on and keep you as a student, I can
understand it. It offers a credential that is quickly recognizable. If
Segovia thought you deserving, then maybe you might be worth a listen.
Of course, it sometimes seems that if you were once on the same train
with Segovia you can claim him as a teacher ...
Given Vidovic's skill and talent, all she needs do is show up and it
doesn't matter where she learned what she knows, far as I am concerned.
I suppose the pre-sale value of a well-known teacher can separate you
from the pack, but so does winning every competition around.
--
Steve
pedro
r...@ku.edu escreveu:
> Kent,
>
> I have nothing against Shearer's view of guitar technique, but I doubt
> she'd come from Croatia as an accomplished concert artist just to
> learn Shearer technique or to work with Ray Chester for that matter
> no offense to AS or RC).
>
> If someone knows for sure otherwise, I'm happy to be corrected.
>
> Dan Katz
Hi
I agree. A croatian player former colleague of Ana Vidovic at Zagreb
Academy told me that she was such a strong player that Barrueco would
have very few things to teach her.
The success of students from Zagreb Academy as prize winners is due to
Darko Petrinjak, the most important guitar teacher in the academy.He
studied with Carlevaro and others and pick the best from each one.
Carlevaro books are often used as source of technical exercises.
Philip Smith
Conservatoire before going back to Zagreb after the break-up of
the former Yugoslavia. He is also an accomplished double-bass
player (do any other guitarists double on another instrument?)
pHILIP
John Nguyen
I clipped this from Vidovic web site:
====
Ana comes from the small town of Karlovac near Zagreb, Croatia and
started playing guitar at the age of 5, and by 7 had given her first
public performance. At the age of 11 she was performing
internationally, and at 13 became the youngest student to attend the
prestigious National Musical Academy in Zagreb where she studied with
Professor Istvan Romer.
====
I think her teachers back in Croatia deserved some credit for her
success too, don't they?
BTW, she's coming to Philadelphia this Sunday, and I'm not gonna miss
that.
Cheers,
John
edspy...@yahoo.com
John N.
Ana Vidovic will be at the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Festival April
09. She will teach a masterclass at 5:00 PM and perform at 8:00 PM.
ALSO - Ana Vidovic will be at the Moravian College Bethehem (PA) Guitar
Festival Saturday June 03, 2006. This festival is a small, intimate
venue. The theme this year is "Women and the Guitar". Ana's
masterclass is at 1:00 PM and performance at 8:00 PM.
www.GuitarFestival.moravian.edu.
Of course I have to miss it this year because of a family wedding. I'm
hoping I can get there if just for the morning events and rush to the
wedding. My wife just rolls her eyes. Life is short and there is
never too much guitar.
Ed S.
pedro
John Nguyen escreveu:
>
> I think her teachers back in Croatia deserved some credit for her
> success too, don't they?
>
> John
They deserve all the credit. She didn't went to the States to get
advice on guitar technique for sure.
jeff carter
r...@ku.edu wrote:
> TG : You're probably right, with MB frequently on tour, guitar time
> with him is probably limited.
I've spoken with Asgerdur Sigurdardottir, Manuel's manager/SO about
this very subject, and Manuel's students are guaranteed a minimum of 8
lessons per semester. And apparently more often than not, he teaches
all 14 lessons per semester.
--Jeff
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
my soundclick:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/4/jeffcarter_music.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Nguyen
Phew! I miss it by a week! Thanks, Ed, for the correction. You're
absolutely right that life is short and there is never too much
guitar.I'll drink to that.
Cheers,
John