EL SALTO DE TRISTAN
for solo guitar
by Martin F. Ackerman
Editions Henry Lemoine. 12pp.
Dedicated to the Argentinian guitarist Victor Villadangos, this four-movement, high-grade, atonal work shows this composer to be a skilful and inventive writer for the instrument. There are obvious influences from the Villa Lobos guitar studies and the writing style of Leo Brouwer but Ackerman shows evidence of having his own 'voice' and uses these influences to good effect. He makes imaginative use of rhythms and strong accentuation to put the point across in a multitude of places and the rhythmic drive which lies behind many areas of this work furnishes the entire work with a great deal of excitement. Coming early in the work is a brief lull in all the activity; this takes the form of an
Adagio sostenuto which demonstrates the composer's more intense style.
I personally have never heard of this composer before and perhaps that also goes for most of this magazine's readership, but this new work, if it gets enough exposure, may go a long way to redressing the balance; it is certainly worthy of investigation.
Steve Marsh
