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The International Conservatory of Music Media Reviews
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Somehow, guitar transcriptions of baroque keyboard music don't seem as satisfying as they once did. It may be that the guitar can do so much more than these pieces demand; recent Latin American composers are writing music whose transcriptions challenge these possibilities. The Brazilian duo of Sergio and Odair Assad opened their Sunday concert at Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ with neatly delivered transcriptions of short pieces by Rameau and Scarlatti but quickly moved on to more idiomatic fare. There were sets by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Astor Piazzolla, Sergio Assad, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Radam¿s Gnattali, all from Brazil except the Argentine Villa-Lobos. But a set of seven miniatures for two guitars, "Contos de Cordel" by Egberto Gismonti (premiered in New York on Saturday), stole the show. Well played, the guitar can be an exquisitely delicate instrument, and these pieces called on every ounce of delicacy the duo could muster. The movements ranged from cool to playful to just plain lazy. Rhythms morphed subtly and the duo was called on for cascades of ephemeral passages. The Assad brothers handled these with virtuosity to spare and with a light touch that made it all sound easy. -- Washington Post Review – Joan Reinthaler - PERFORMING ARTS Section, Tuesday, October 16, 2007; Page C05 
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