{"id":15138,"date":"2020-09-14T09:52:15","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T16:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/classicalguitarmagazine.com\/?p=15138"},"modified":"2020-09-14T09:52:18","modified_gmt":"2020-09-14T16:52:18","slug":"concert-review-julian-breams-first-public-recital-cheltenham-art-gallery-1947","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/classicalguitarmagazine.com\/concert-review-julian-breams-first-public-recital-cheltenham-art-gallery-1947\/","title":{"rendered":"Concert Review: Julian Bream\u2019s First Public Recital, Cheltenham Art Gallery, 1947"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Wilfrid M. Appleby<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope readers will not become tired of reading about Julian Bream<\/a>, because they are likely to hear a lot more about this clever young guitarist. The Art Gallery at Cheltenham was filled on February 17 when he gave his first public recital. Although it was a bitterly cold day and an afternoon performance (when one might expect just a few elderly people to attend) the majority of those present were between the ages of 17 and 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: This is part of our ongoing series celebrating the legacy of Julian Bream<\/a>, who passed away this year at the age of 87.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enthusiastic guitarists came from distant parts of the country and a titled lady and her friends pushed their skidding car up ice-covered Cotswold hills rather than miss this musical event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Julian was introduced by Mrs. Saunders-Davies, the President of the Cheltenham Guitar Circle, and he opened his programme with solos by Schumann and Bach, followed by Granados\u2019 \u201cTonadilla.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was interested to see how the audience would receive the composition by our great English composer, Ernest Shand, but they obviously liked his delightful \u201cChanson.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first part of the recital ended with a Paganini Sonata for guitar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A concert study by the French guitarist Napoleon Coste and \u201cGranada\u201d by Alb\u00e9niz opened the second part. Sor’s \u201cTheme and Variations\u201d was well played in spite of Julian’s cold fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came the item which the guitarists in the audience had been eagerly awaiting\u2014Terry Usher’s \u201cSonata in A.\u201d The beautiful tranquility of the opening theme; the clever rendering of the minuet-like second movement; and, finally, the increasingly exciting passacaglia\u2014all this was brilliantly played by this boy of thirteen years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No wonder the audience sat enraptured and then burst out in a great ovation of applause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the hands of Julian Bream the classical guitar has scored a new triumph. The local newspaper had a good report of the recital on its front page under the appropriate heading: “Boy Guitarist Impresses in Local Debut.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This review originally appeared in the April 1947 issue of <\/em>BMG magazine and was reprinted in the November-December 1983 issue of <\/em>Classical Guitar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Julian Bream\u2014The Contribution<\/a><\/blockquote>