Midnight Pavane
Don MacDonald
(www.donmacdonaldmusic.ca)
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The Canadian guitarist Don MacDonald says that the COVID pandemic and lockdown afforded him an enormous amount of time to concentrate on composition, and his consequent search for inspiration is reflected in the three pieces on his new classical guitar CD Midnight Pavane (www.donmacdonaldmusic.ca).
Hex Suite is a set of four movements – including the title track – based on a six-note scale, while Night Visions is a group of seven pieces, alternating in tempo, that use varying moods and textures. Zephyrs, the longest and most interesting piece, was inspired by Britten’s Nocturnal after John Dowland, a theme and variations work where the theme unfolds at the end of the piece, and not at the beginning.
The compositions employ standard classical guitar techniques and have a real sense of exploration. The playing is beautifully clean, and perfectly captured by the recording engineer, the legendary Anton Kwiatkowski.
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