Jason Vieaux Shines as Chamber Music Kicks Off Its Season

Chamber Music Sedona kicked off its 42nd season on Sunday, Dec. 8, featuring classical guitarist Jason Vieaux. He delivered an engaging performance that included several classics from Johann Sebastian Bach along with his own contemporary compositions. Interestingly, the modern pieces proved to be particularly captivating, offering a fresh perspective.

Vieaux commenced the concert with Bach’s Lute Suite No. 4, a transcription of the Violin Partita No. 3, stirring debate among musicologists about the original intended instrument. Regardless, Vieaux impressively navigated Bach’s technically nuanced passages, primarily focusing on a cerebral interpretation. The prelude set an intricate tone, showcasing minimalistic repetition that demanded agility from his right hand. Following this, the slow dance movement, loure, stood out with its understated elegance. Other movements, including the recognizable gavotte and rondeau, illustrated contrasting themes that required concentration to balance the challenging shifts in tone.

The first half also featured a waltz by Agustin Barrios, referred to by Vieaux as the “Chopin of the guitar.” This piece danced between brisk speed and lyrical interruptions. Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “A Felicidade,” composed in 1958, brought a dynamic contrast with its spirited urgency that impressed both audience members and fellow guitarists alike.

However, the highlight may have been Vieaux’s 2020 composition “Home.” This piece juxtaposed wistfulness against discomfort, layering high, prickling notes over a secure harmonic base. This duality evoked a sense of longing, hinting at the tensions between modernity and traditional roots. Vieaux’s performance was mesmerizing, his right hand dancing effortlessly across the guitar strings to produce a transcendent sound.

After intermission, artistic director Nick Canellakis humorously acknowledged the chilly atmosphere, hoping it might warm up before the concert concluded. Sadly, that didn’t happen, but Vieaux pressed on, performing Pat Metheny’s “Four Paths of Light,” a highly anticipated piece he had waited five years to play. The first movement engaged the audience with its Cubist elements, while the second shifted to a tranquil, fireside ambiance. The third movement, though rich in style, was less defined, transitioning into a fourth movement with darker, wintery themes painted vividly through sound.

“I had never really encountered anything quite that difficult before,” Vieaux remarked of his time with the Metheny piece, emphasizing the personalized nature of the composition. Next, he showcased Bach’s Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro in E Flat Major, blending charming nuances with a meditative quality. The closing allegro was a joyous affair, leading into Jorge Morel’s “Danza Brasilera,” a spirited display of mid-century dance music that energized the audience.

Concluding the concert, Vieaux responded to audience requests with a holiday-themed encore, beginning with “Christmas Time is Here” and transitioning into Mel Tormé’s “The Christmas Song.” Chamber Music Sedona will return on Sunday, Jan. 12, featuring clarinetist David Shifrin alongside the Miró Quartet. Mark your calendar for another promising musical experience.