Known for her utilization of period instruments, Smits performed at this recital on a replica of an eight-string Stauffer romantic guitar, made for her by Bernhard Kresse. The sound of the Romantic guitar is noticeably different from contemporary versions. The tone is more liquid and vaporous, and at times the delicate timbre almost seemed to be suspended in mid-air. Like the oboe d'amore, a beautiful, soulful instrument not common today, the Romantic guitar has a special warmth and mellowness of expression that invites closer scrutiny.
Smits possesses a powerful technique, and is certainly able to bring out the rapid-fire, flying techniques that capture the attention of an audience, but she also has a clean command of soft and lyrical passages. The second half of the program, which featured Fernando Sor's Fantasie elegiaque, Three Studies and Introduction and Variations on a Theme of Mozart, gave ample opportunity for Smits to exhibit both these qualities. In these works she also demonstrated a sensitive balance of melody against harmony, as well as a keen sense of phrasing. The concluding works on the program, La vallee d'Ornan" and Les soirees d'Auteuil by the French guitarist and composer Napoleon Coste, whose music is not nearly as well known as it should be, also showcased Smits' formidable talents. Perhaps the highest compliment we can pay her is that she seems to view technical prowess not as an end in itself, but as subservient to the needs of the music.
The first half of the program included works by Johann Kaspar Mertz, who, following the example of the Romantic piano tradition (influenced, no doubt, by the fact that he was married to a concert pianist) rather than the bel canto style often opted for by composers for the guitar. Like his contemporary Robert Schumann, Mertz seems to follow a muse of inner reflection rather than only outward gymnastic displays. Smits seems, logically enough, to have a special affinity for works from the 1800's, particularly since she was performing on an instrument of that period.
The program opened with the monumental Partita No. 2 by Bach, BWV 1004, originally composed for violin, and was the only featured work not dating from the 1800's (except for a beautiful modern Argentinean piece performed as an encore). As one of the great masterpieces of all music, the Bach Partita poses a special challenge, particularly in the legendary Chaconne with which it concludes. The angularity of movement and rhythmical diversity found throughout all the movements require a technical skill that must remain firm and unshakeable. A work such as this makes us realize that Bach was almost more Romantic than the Romantics who followed. The wrenching intensity of the Chaconne can be ably executed on a violin, but is much more difficult to maintain on a guitar. For this reason, even though Bach was a composer who believed that the choice of instrument should be of secondary consideration to the importance of the musical line itself, this work may not be the most well-suited choice for guitar, but Smits' technical grasp and force of effort were unflagging.
For years now, the St. Louis Classical Guitar Society, under the leadership of its directors Bill Ash and the late Kathy Evans Ash, has demonstrated to our community and beyond the enormous variety of sound, technique and styles to be found among fretted instruments. This recital illustrates yet another facet of guitar performance, emanating from the Romantic period that to this day continues to inspire and influence musical creativity.
For more information about the activities and scheduled performances of the SLCGS, please call 314-567-5566, or visit http://guitarstlouis.net.
