Jonathan Prag has been delighting Edinburgh Fringe audiences with his guitar recitals for many years. It is a welcome respite to take an hour out in the pretty surroundings of St Columba’s Church and hear some classical music.
The concert, so strong in parts, just felt a little rushed.
Prag’s repertoire is broad; he opened with Gershwin’s ‘Prelude’ which was swiftly followed by the famous cello prelude by J.S Bach. His intonation and technique in this was perfect and there was a lovely crescendo toward the final climax to set us off on the right track.
His rendition of Neil Smith’s ‘Shadow’ - arrangements of Gow’s Scottish folksongs - was beautiful, possessing atmosphere and movement. However, his approach to the all important South American repertoire such as ‘Salsa Roja’ and Antonio Lauro’s ‘Triptico’ just didn’t posses that Latin passion or swing. He kept firmly within a rather European tempo, approach and style for these works. Arguably, if one is to present such a varied programme, there should be a stronger sense of stylistic application to each genre.
Prag’s forte lies in his more classical repertoire. That said he certainly took Erik Satie’s ‘Gnossienne’ at a hell of a lick, meaning it lacked the surreal magic normally associated with this atmospheric piece. ‘Gnossienne’ is a deceptively difficult piece to play on guitar. It needs room to breathe and lilt which Prag did not give.
His best piece was ‘America’ by Matthew Sear - by all accounts the most technically challenging work of the show. Prag created an atmosphere containing both the bustling New York metropolis and hints of Southern Bluegrass. The result was very characterful.
It was interesting to note that Prag’s guitar is one of only twenty made in 1986 by Manuel Contreras, based on the Carlevaro model where the sound board does not have a central sound hole or waist on the body, but instead resonance comes through a gap in the edge of the body. It meant the sound was slightly less round than a traditional guitar and made for a somewhat metallic tone, ironically more suited to the Spanish repertoire.
I would have liked to know more about this unusual looking instrument in his introductions. It is a shame he felt pressured because of time constraints to play back-to-back pieces without much explanation. Perhaps a rethink in the programme to allow more contact with the audience would make for a more enjoyable experience. The concert, so strong in parts, just felt a little rushed.
