On the current UK classical music scene, where good music too often seems to play second fiddle either to the glitz and glamour of showbiz at one end of the scale or to the questionable merits of abstruse modern composition at the other extreme, the Appassionata Guitar Trio cut through these troubled waters with grace and charm.
Yes, they look fantastic; no, they don’t trade on this. From the warm, ingenuous repartee with which they introduce their live performances, to the sublime collection of new works for three guitars that comprises their brilliant debut album – “Let Go” – Appassionata represent the best in classical music.
This album contains an inspirational selection of new music for three guitars, commissioned specially for Appassionata from composers such as North America’s Ben Verdery, Brazil’s Paulo Bellinati, the UK guitar maestro Gary Ryan and even Hayley Savage herself, who – besides being a member of the trio – is also an accomplished pianist and orchestral composer.
Among the many plaudits won by Appassionata during their first two years of playing together, none capture the essence of the group more appropriately than the words of Bruce MacCombie, former Dean of the Juilliard School in New York, who calls Appassionata quite simply “One of the most brilliant ensembles on the scene today.”