DOTGUITAR
Selected Reviews
Books and Scores
by Piero Viti
UNA CHITARRA IN FRAC
Vito Nicola Paradiso
Edizioni Curci, Milano, 2013
LA CHITARRA NAPOLETANA
Vito Nicola Paradiso
Edizioni fingerpicking.net
Vito Nicola Paradiso, già autore della felicissima serie della Chitarra Volante per le edizioni Curci, opera didattica tra le più fortunate e vendute della recente storia chitarristica, ci presenta due altre indovinate pubblicazioni, Una chitarra in frac e La chitarra napoletana.
The first collection, published by Curci, is entirely dedicated to Domenico Modugno, one of the greatest authors and performers of Italian song, whose Nel Blu, dipinto di blu, with its famous refrain “volare”, has become a true classic of the genre.
Paradiso shares with Modugno his birthplace in the same land, Apulia, a region rich in history and musical tradition, and this alone already justifies the particular feeling that animates the work. Moreover, Modugno himself loved accompanying himself on the guitar, and this is a further element that strengthens the proposal.
The collection comprises 12 titles, all well known, such as the aforementioned Nel blu, dipinto di blu, Tu si’ ‘na cosa grande, Pasqualino maraja, Resta cu’ mme, Vecchio frak, Io mammeta e tu, and others.
Paradiso’s approach is to render the texts, originally entrusted to singing, in an instrumental version on the guitar that does not make one miss the absence of the voice.
And it must be said that the undertaking is entirely successful: the versions proposed by the Apulian guitarist fully achieve the mimesis between the voice and the sound of the guitar, thanks to effective instrumental choices and expressive devices, also making use of ingenious and effective harmonic and rhythmic ideas, thus fully restoring both the expressive essence of the songs and the very nature of their instrumental accompaniments.
Listening to the CD included with the volume confirms this impression, an impression doubly confirmed by those who have had the opportunity to attend the sparkling concerts of the excellent Apulian guitarist!
On the same wavelength is the other collection, La chitarra napoletana, published by fingerpicking.net, which includes masterpieces of Neapolitan song, themselves true classics on a par with the celebrated late nineteenth-century salon romances.
Here Paradiso includes, at the beginning of each piece, brief historical notes and a series of indications and exercises on how to carry out the various techniques proposed, as in the case of the tremolo in the refrain of ‘O sole mio, the rasgueados of Funiculì Funiculà, the rapid rubbing of the thumb across the strings in a section of ‘A vucchella, the use of the index-finger ‘dedillo’ to obtain rapid repeated notes, and the performance of particular harp-like arpeggio patterns in Marechiare, as well as much more besides.
The titles completing the collection also include ’O surdato ‘nnammurato, Torna a Surriento, Guaglione, Tu si na’ cosa grande — practically the same version proposed in the Modugno volume, with a few small variations —, Torero, Tu vuò fa l’Americano and I’ te vurria vasà, transcribed for two guitars.
The volume adds a tablature part to the notated score, thus addressing guitarists from a variety of backgrounds, and overall positions itself halfway between a technical method and a collection of pieces.
The publication does not include an accompanying CD, but it is possible to listen to the tracks and watch some videos relating to the pieces by visiting the website www.fingerpicking.net.
Once again, the validity of the entire work is further and amply confirmed by the effect of the brilliant and expressive performances heard live by the author himself. What else can be said, in closing, except that Paradiso’s guitar flies even higher!
P.V.
