Thomas Schuttenhelm - "luminaries at the tonehenge"

 Thomas Schuttenhelm - luminaries at the tonehenge

A fun new work by Thomas Schuttenhelm, luminaries at the tonehenge, premiered at Tidewater Classical Guitar by the New York City Guitar Quartet. Schuttenhelm, being a guitarist himself, aptly utilized a full spectrum of extended techniques; the first full minute of the work solely comprised of various percussive tapping and knocking sounds. luminaries at the tonehenge developed these rhythmic percussion effects into a fully established musical groove with an intensely rigid sense of pulse, perfectly maintained by the quartet. By adding a funk-tango bassline and noise-adjacent techniques, Schuttenhelm manufactured an effective and cohesive backdrop to place melodic fragments and high dissonant chords. luminaries is an exquisite example of what a contemporary classical guitar quartet can accomplish and Schuttenhelm writes for the ensemble in a manner which is idiomatic for the players and engaging to the audience.



watch the full concert streamed by Tidewater Classical Guitar while it is still up here
© 2023 Brutal New Music Reviews

originally written and published 23 September 2023

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