In his new solo program, Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel celebrates a new phase of his turn towards acoustic guitar, the instrument he switched to from the violin at age 13 and on which he was classically trained. The core of the program is a collection of concert études composed by Muthspiel for his instrument. Each of the nine études explores a certain aspect of music composed for the guitar, while at the same time being influenced by a range of specific atmospheres, from highly virtuosic and effervescent, to poetic and reflective.
These etudes are joined by improvisations on lute music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, a tribute to the pianist Bill Evans, and explorations of themes from the drummer Paul Motian.
On études/Quietudes, Wolfgang Muthspiel effortlessly bridges the gap between the two musical worlds that have played decisive roles in his career: classical guitar and the art of improvisation derived from jazz.
Nevertheless, this program should not be defined as a crossover, as both poles live within the artist simultaneously and thus there are no barriers to overcome. Both on stage and in the recording studio, the inherent ease with which Muthspiel plays makes the highly technical demands of his craft fade into the background, thereby placing a constant parlando, an ongoing musical form of speaking, into the center.