McCall.com: Leo Brouwer's "The Book of Imaginary Beings" May 25, Stanton, NJ

Leo Brouwer

The Morning Call

By Steve Siegel

May 16, 2019

It’s a safe bet that most folks don’t think of classical works when they hear the catch-all phrase “Latin Music.”

Well, let’s face it — Latin classical music is hot, and in fact, it always has been, from the steamy tangos of Argentinian Astor Piazzolla to the intimate chamber compositions of Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos, to the Cuban-infused piano works of Ernesto Lecuona.

Contemporary Latin-infused classical music has never been more alive and well. You’ll get to hear an entire evening of it Saturday, May 25 at the Stanton Reformed Church in Stanton, N.J., in the final concert of this year’s Raritan River Music Festival.

The renowned Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo will be joined by Brazilian musical wizards Clarice Assad, piano and voice, and João Luiz, guitar, in a program of new works from Brazil, Mexico, America, and Cuba.

This being the 30th anniversary of the Raritan Fest, Michael Newman and his wife, Laura Oltman, who together founded and direct the festival, wanted to do something special. As a guitar duo, you can’t get more special than having a work composed for you, especially when the composer is none other than Leo Brouwer, arguably the most significant Latin classical composer now living.

The featured work on the program will be the world premiere of Brouwer’s “El Libro de los Seres Imagniarios” (The Book of Imaginary Beings), dedicated to the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo and commissioned by Raritan River Music, with the generous support of Jeffrey Nissim. The work will receive its New York premiere June 26, with Brouwer attending, as part of the New York Guitar Seminar presented by Mannes College.