First Concerto, Op. 48

Ernest Shand (1868-1924) is a central figure in the history of the guitar in England. His exemplary playing remained unsurpassed until the emergence of Julian Bream in the late 1940ís. As a composer, Shand was able, at a time when interest in the instrument had declined, to sustain its growth against the burgeoning popularity of large fretted-instrument orchestras, by writing music that brought guitar composition to the threshold of a more modern approach. Primarily a miniaturist, Shand produced a pot-pourri of music, salon pieces, dances, variations, fantasias, sonatas, a guitar concerto, duets, music for voice and guitar, voice and piano, piano pieces, transcriptions and pedagogical works. All of these compositions are filled with unbridled individualism; lyrical pieces that are peppered with the suggestion of song. The First Concerto Op. 48 by Ernest Shand represents the first composition in this genre by a British composer. It is a traditional work that exhibits resource and originality and reflects Shand's evolving style. Unity of form was less important to him than colour and melody, and he preferred to introduce new themes rather than develop existing ideas. The scoring is diaphanous, imaginatively conceived to enhance the guitar's tonal qualities. It is this harmonious balance between the guitar and the accompaniment that contributes to the Concerto's success. Shandís First Concerto, a pioneering work that made its first appearance more than a hundred years ago, is now ready to take its place in the repertoire. This edition of the Shand concerto will be performed for the first time on October 17th, 1999, by Kazuhito Yamashita and members of the Taiwan String Orchestra at the National Concert Hall, Taipei. The guitar and piano version will be given its premier performance at the opening concert of the Guitar Foundation of America Festival on October 25th 1999 in Charleston, South Carolina, by Duo Firenze, Robert Trent and Pamela Swenson.