Wolfgang Muthspiel © Laura Pleifer
Wolfgang Muthspiel solo
»Etudes, Quietudes«
Wednesday
4
December
2024
19:30 – ca. 21:00
Mozart-Saal
Performers
Wolfgang Muthspiel, Gitarre
Presented by
Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft
Strength lies in tranquillity
In his new solo program, Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel celebrates a new phase in his turn to the acoustic guitar, the instrument to which he switched from the violin at the age of 13 and on which he was classically trained. The core of the program is a collection of concert etudes that Muthspiel composed for his instrument. Each of the nine etudes explores a particular aspect of music composed for the guitar and is simultaneously influenced by a range of specific atmospheres, from the highly virtuosic and effervescent to the poetic and reflective. These etudes are joined by improvisations on lute music by Johann Sebastian Bach, a tribute to the pianist Bill Evans and explorations of themes by the percussionist Paul Motian.
With »Etudes, Quietudes«, Wolfgang Muthspiel effortlessly builds a bridge between the two musical worlds that have played a decisive role in his career: the classical guitar and the art of improvisation derived from jazz. Nevertheless, this program cannot be described as a crossover project, as both poles are simultaneously alive in the artist and there are therefore no barriers to overcome. The lightness with which Muthspiel plays allows the technical demands of his craft to recede into the background, thus placing a constant musical parlando in the foreground.