Debussy - Works arranged for 10-string guitar

Anders Miolin

AS the late John Lennon famously sang - turn off your mind, relax and float downstream.

And here you might have found the perfect music to do that to.

Alternatively, you might turn off and relax so much you fall asleep to the very laid back guitar-work of Anders Miolin.

It is a bit like driving through field after field of sunflowers in Southern France or watching 17 episodes of Take Hart back-to-back.

At the same time, you can have too much of a soporific thing, and if I'm completely honest by the time you get to a series of pieces from the French composer's Preludes, Book II, you have probably heard enough.

Miolin transcribed Debussy's piano music for the unusual 10-stringed guitar himself, and is a consummate musician.

As someone who can strum along a bit on a six-stringed variety, I haven't a clue how he manages with an extra four strings but it is undoubtedly impressive.

But the choice of composer - one whose work always has a dreamy quality, means there is no real light and shade to the recording, just lots of shade!

Ironic really considering the programme notes tell us that when asked why he decided to arrange Debussy, he said: "For the sake of the colours. Not to add any colours that are not already there, but to pick out the colours that are to be found in music".

Debussy was one of the most important and influential composers for the piano of the 20th Century and many people consider his Preludes to be among the finest works written for the piano during the century.

Miolin was born in Stockholm and studied at the academies of music in Copenhagen, Malmo and Basel.

He has a very personal repertoire which he performs on specially-designed guitars.

This CD is worth a listen if you want to sit back and let soothing sounds wash over you. If you like your guitar with a little more oomph (Da Falla etc etc) you may want to give it a miss.

Bis

CD-986