Desiderio plucks memorable performance out of thin air
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
British music magazine Classical Guitar wrote in its 1992 edition that, like pasta, pizza and extra virgin oil, guitar player Aniello Desiderio was another piece of good news from Italy.
High praise indeed, which Desiderio lived up to during an evening performance early last week at Dutch Cultural Center Erasmus Huis, South Jakarta.
During the outstanding solo performance, Desiderio displayed superb guitar-playing skill, producing a rich sonic palette enough to sound as though an ensemble were playing.
Desiderio used his guitar -- without any electrical amplification -- to charm the audience, which up until that night had learned about his reputation from word of mouth.
The sounds that came from his guitar exuded warmth and organic tonality that made him more than just a virtuoso.
None of the pieces performed was ever monotonous; rather, they offered a polyphonic spree, stimulating all the senses in the audience.
The guitarist's religious way of playing his instrument was in itself a major draw in the show.
Before starting to play, Desiderio spent a moment composing himself whiling taking a deep breath -- at times disrupted by the buzzing of cell phones belonging to boorish members of the audience who had forgotten to turn off their gadgets, or the shower of white light that came from the entrance, opened for concertgoers who had not made it on time.
What resulted from such concentration was Desiderio's heavenly strumming, which made a powerful impact on each composition.
In Three Sonatas, an arpeggio-laden composition by Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti (1685 to 1757), the first three notes resounded very clearly before fading into thin air.
In the latter parts of the composition, Desiderio wasted no time flaunting his craft, working from the lowest to the highest register of the guitar at breathtaking pace, leaving the audience numb in their seats, so sometimes they applauded prematurely out of sheer astonishment.
In the wake of the sonatas, Desiderio presented a three-part transcription of a piano-based composition from Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz.
Starting with flamenco-tinged Asturias, the suite went on to paint delightful tone-pictures in Cadiz and Sevilla.
The first part may even be familiar with casual classic rock fans.
It was used extensively as the basic melody for the Doors' piece Spanish Caravan, a 1968 hit off the band's third record, Waiting for the Sun.
Desiderio is himself a classic rock fan, who has much admiration for British progressive rock outfit Pink Floyd.
After the one-hour-plus performance, the audience left the Erasmus Huis auditorium nodding their agreement about the reputation of Desiderio.
The 35-year old musician is a disciple of Cuban composer Leo Brouwer and has been dubbed an "enfant prodige" and a "wunderkind" for his exceptional skill.
He has bagged dozens of awards at international guitar competitions. Among these was first prize at the 1988 International Guitar Competition in Tokyo, Japan.