Any guitarist who begins his program with Bach's Sonata in C major for Solo Violin clearly has supreme confidence in his technical ability. This is because the C major Sonata contains Bach's longest Fugue, a 354-measure four-voice fugue so broad in scope it contains 32 thematic entrances, though it is based on only a single theme! As expected, Barrueco's formidable technique was in full force. The opening Adagio begins on a short, moderately paced, dotted rhythm motif that expands into predominately three-voice writing. Barrueco's interpretation combined proper forward motion, clear definition of voices, and the right amount of vibrato. In the monumental Fugue, Barrueco provided a true sense of the piece's broad structure while achieving a feeling of lightness. He brought out the all-important middle voices and the full intensity of the two pedal-point sections. After the Fugue, it is easy to slight the idyllic Largo. But Barrueco gave it the same attention to detail, resulting in a soulful reading with a full, warm sound. The concluding, animated Allegro seems to consist almost exclusively of rapid sixteenth notes. At once both solid and fluid, Barrueco's performance of the Allegro was nothing less than astounding.

    In the past, Barrueco has focused on the Baroque and Spanish repertoires. More recently, he has branched out in more contemporary directions. One catalyst for this broadening has been the music of Toru Takemitsu. Several years ago, I was fortunate to be part of a Barrueco master class in which a performer played Takemitsu's "Folios". Barrueco's understanding and passion for Takemitsu's music, particularly the tonal colors and shadings, came across strongly in that class as he spoke about and performed sections of "Folios". So it was with great anticipation that I awaited Barrueco's New York premier of Takemitsu's "Equinox". This medium-scale work is a logical extension of Takemitsu's previous works for the guitar, perhaps closest in character to "All in Twilight". "Equinox" was inspired by a painting of the same name the Catalonian artist, Joan Miro. Barrueco realized the wide variety of tonal shadings with great care as he brought out the essence of the composition.

    The last piece before the intermission was "Valses Poeticos" by Spanish composer/pianist Enrique Granados. It consists of seven waltzes from the collection "Cartas de Amor", along with an introduction and coda added by the composer. A definitive recording of "Valses Poeticos" can be found on John William's disc Iberia (Sony, SK 48 480). The pianistic origin of Granados' works make them extremely challenging to perform on solo guitar, so it is not unusual for them to be performed by a guitar duet. For the most part, Barrueco's solo performance succeeded admirably, although the introduction lacked the fluidness of the Williams recording. The rest of the piece was delightful, ranging from exquisite beauty in the slow waltzes to a playful bounce in the lively ones. Barrueco was at his most eloquent in his soulful interpretation of the coda. The first half of the program was a success, with the contrasting pieces working well together.

    Barrueco's explorations into American music have led him outside the artificial boundaries of classical music to Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett. Both of these composer/pianists combine classical sensibilities with jazz-the quintessential American musical form. Some might think it a bit risky to put two such composers on a New York classical program, but Barrueco has always been a passionate advocate of music in which he believes. He showed that he was more than up to the challenge of communicating this distinct style of music to his audience. Chick Corea's "Sometime Ago" is an 11 minute piece that, like "Valses Poeticos", has its roots in the piano. It works well on the guitar--structurally free, and as such characterized by what may seem to traditional ears as "wandering" around the theme. By exploiting the additional tonal colors possible on the guitar, Barrueco compels us to listen to "Sometime Ago" from a different perspective, making it seem at once new and familiar.

    Although Keith Jarrett's "Koeln Concert, Pt Iic" is much more technically demanding than "Sometime Ago", Barrueco managed to make it sound smooth and natural. The audience response was very enthusiastic. As composers like Jarrett continue to draw upon larger and more formal structures in which to improvise, they provide classical musicians with an opportunity to rediscover the lost art of extemporaneous performance, an important part of the early classical tradition. Both "Koeln Concert" and "Sometime Ago" appear on Barrueco's recent disc, "Sometime Ago" (Angel CDC 7243 5-55039-2 3)

    Barrueco ended the program with "Cordova" and "Asturias" by Albéniz. Having once played "Asturias" in the back seat of a Lexus sedan for a television commercial, Barrueco proved that he did not have to be traveling at high speed to give a lively performance of this fast-paced work. The performance was vintage Barrueco, much to the delight of the audience.

    The first encore was a transcription of Lennon/McCartney's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", from the John Bayless arrangement, which proved to be both musically interesting and popularly entertaining. The second encore was two of Chick Corea's "Children's Songs". The first of the two songs was quiet and introspective, while the second was outgoing and intense. In that way, they symbolized the essence of Barrueco the musician.

    Manuel Barrueco could have continued to have a very successful career by concentrating on the Baroque and Spanish repertoire that has been his forte for the last twenty years. His recent foray into new areas is proof that great artists view learning and exploring as something to be done for as long as they continue performing. We are fortunate that Barrueco shares his new discoveries with us through his recordings and concerts.