The Houston Critic

Classical Show put on by TMF and Valerie Hartzell

May 31, 2014 — I don’t know if it’s French, English, or Italian, but I seem to remember that there was some argument between advocates of these ‘national’ styles about how to bend your right hand wrist when playing the guitar.  I saw Valerie’s Student, who played first, using a device similar to the one invented by Fernando Sor, which brought the guitar up to playing position without having to raise the left leg.  After the concert, I asked the student to what nationality the bend in his right wrist was tribute.  He Said it was the ‘American’ way of holding the wrist.  When I asked if using the device “made him Sor”, he looked at me blankly.  He made a few mistakes, which is easy to do when playing guitar.

When Valerie Played, the bass strings vibrated a little, like a blur under the lights.  I didn’t notice the flesh of the thumb being used along with the nail. Maybe the shape of the recital hall wasn’t perfect for classical guitars, being an organ room.  If I had to sum up the night’s performances with one word I think ‘sweet’ or ‘dolce’ might be the word I would use.