Wolfgang Muthspiel - Etudes/Multitudes (Clap Your Hands)

Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel returns to his classical roots with Etudes/Multitudes – well, sort of. While he composed the eleven etudes that form the heart of this program, Muthspiel didn’t set aside the improvisation in which he’s been soaked in his jazz world. Not only that, but some of the etudes – written as practice exercises, until it became clear they were actually pieces – are named after functions not usually associated with classical guitar performance: “Pedal,” “Tremelo,” the aptly titled “Vamp.” Combined with other etudes like “Schildehen” and the gorgeous “Melting Notes,” it makes for a beautiful series of interconnected musical moments.

His jazz elements really come to the fore on the additional works. He takes a sarabande (music written for a dance in triple meter) by Johann Sebastian Bach and adds a wistful improvisational section entitled “Between Two Sarabandes.” The contemplative “Abacus” comes from the pen of maverick jazz drummer Paul Motian, its stately improv sounding as elegiac as it does joyful. Muthspiel ends the program with “For Bill Evans,” a romantically melodic piece that pays tribute to the genius pianist who’s long had an outsized influences on master guitarists (cf. John McLaughlin and Ralph Towner). These pieces compliment the etudes perfectly, making Etudes/Multitudes a nice encapsulation of the way Muthspiel – a man steeped in both classical and jazz visions – practices his art.