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Twelve American Etudes for Guitar Out of Print - Not For Sale
The second half of the twentieth century has witnessed a significant number of contemporary composers who have graced the guitar with a wealth of literature. Along with this new repertoire grew new technical demands that arose and needed to be addressed. The Twelve American Etudes are meant to enlighten the development of instrumental facility while invoking the spirit of some of the guitar's influences from other eras and idioms. While some of the etudes are centered around a primary technique, most encompass several and various skills. Each of the etudes has been assigned a subtitle with the intention of implying an individual poetic existence beyond their respective technical accomplishments. The sketching for these etudes began in 1987 and continued into 1988, the year in which the actual compositions were completed. A majority of the etudes were performed for the first time for the Festival Ljubljana, Yugoslavia in August of 1989. The premier performance of the entire set of twelve was given by the composer at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 1990. The Twelve American Etudes are dedicated to the book of Daniel. The whisper of God's voice carries more potential for projection than what we can do alone.
Sample tracks from Etudes (.mp3)... Etude 1: Electric Energy Etude 2: On A Swing Etude 6: Latin Affects Etude 11: Shimmering Streams Etude 12: Jaz-ical-blu-roc
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"The series of etudes for guitar by Joseph Breznikar is a most welcome addition to the guitar literature. They reflect a deep study and comprehension of guitar technique in its complexity, while serving a higher musical aim. Many elements are incorporated into the etudes, including the diverse influences from the music of the New World, all merging with the rich European traditions - creating what we may call a third stream language, innovative and full of originality. Being a fine, skillful guitarist himself, knowing and searching intricate avenues with new challenges to further the scope of guitar technique, Joseph Breznikar achieves a significant contribution to the development of the guitar." Carlos Barbosa-Lima, February 1992
"Looking at the Twelve American Etudes of Joseph Breznikar brought back memories I have, from 1955, when I attempted to sight-read 12 Etudes of Heitor Villa-lobos for the first time. The printed page looked unsurmountable but Andres Segovia's Columbia recording of 1949 (one of the trusty aural guides at the time) assisted me and I plodded along realizing this composer had a unique and uncanny knowledge of the instrument. Today, some thirty-five years later, and numerous new works under my fingers, I find a new set of 12 Etudes. This time from the Northern hemisphere of the Americas by Joseph Breznikar. Revolutionary? Like Villa lobos' Etudes when they appeared? Maybe! I prefer to classify them as innovative and serving the purpose (as did the Villa-lobos Etudes) in meeting the criteria of new music. An etude has one main purpose: to challenge the fingers in a musical way. These etudes do just that?" Ronald Purcell, Professor of Music, CSUN, Northridge, California
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