Guitar Masterpieces

Well, considering that all the pieces were written by the player, the title's a tad hubristic, isn't it? Andeson, though a good player and a composer of intricate songs, unfortunately lacks inflectional abilities almost totally. No hammer-ons, slurs, tremolo, or any of the colorative effects that personalize a musician's vocabulary. He hails from Singapore but the compositions are distinctly European, oft lament-laden and thoughtful. This isn't quite New Age, being too intelligent for that, nor firmly classicalist, though the urge is in that direction. There's a goodly presence of moodiness amid the fineries and interlacing patterns, but it's not depressing, only environmental and introspective.

Andeson appears to be hamstringing himself by averaging all cuts at 1½ to 2-minutes, leaving nowhere near enough room to develop his architectures completely. This makes the songs more sketchy than they should be, albeit in a highly rendered fashion. Their pacing is composed, sedate, baroque, and quietly ornate, calling all the more strongly for lengthier exposition. Ultimately, the listener is left unmoved, unsure how to feel about them, except, as inferred, to wish they were more descriptive and perhaps slightly more emotional. Best played on a rainy afternoon just as the sun is beginning to re-emerge, it's nonetheless hoped that Masterpieces is only a spare indication of what's yet to come.

Track List:

Midnight Moonlight Solace Crossroads Sparkling Rivers Colours of the Night Dewdrops In the Sanctuary Remembrance Sound of the Wind Solitude Journey Home Timeless By the Candlelight	Sacred Dreams Celestial Signs Raindrops Awakening Sparkling Streams Nostalgia Lonely Dancer Inspirations & Aspirations Sound of Waves Snowflakes Stargaze When Roses Bloom Longing for You
All songs written by Konstantin Andeson

Edited by: David N. Pyles
(dnpyles@acousticmusic.com)