The young guitarist
Raphael Feuillatre
has stirred up a good deal of interest, and he landed on classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2023 with
Visages Baroques
, his debut release. This may be due in part to his unusual background (he is originally from Djibouti), and in point of fact, in a marketplace of individualist Baroque guitar performances,
Feuillatre
is distinctly old-school. He is of the never-let-'em-see-you-sweat persuasion, and for listeners of a certain age, he may bring to mind the Baroque playing of
Julian Bream
.
explains that his
also include the shadings of his guitar, but as far as compositions go, there are only two "Visages,"
Bach
and music of the French Baroque. Most of the music is arranged for guitar, from the pens of various artists. For most of the
Partita in B flat major, BWV 825
,
's tempos are rock-solid, and he only gradually and lightly allows himself to take time and add ornamentation. The virtuoso aspects are reserved for the French pieces, and a bonus here is that some of these -- by
Joseph-Nicholas-Pancrace Royer
and
Jacques Duphly
-- are pretty obscure, at least outside of France.
gets ideal support from
Deutsche Grammophon
's engineering team, which delivers clean, quiet studio sound that matches
's aims. A promising debut indeed, even if it will not be to every taste, this album makes one want to hear more from its young creator. ~ James Manheim