Sketches

Frank Wallace writes about his 2004 instrumental CD, "Sketches is a collection of miniatures written spontaneously over the past eight years. They are tone poems, short and direct. They are ethnic and simple, influenced by ouds and gypsy fiddles, medieval chants and renaissance fools, sacred motets and ancient guitarists. They come from my soul, not my head. They are a meditation, an album for the young. "Nuevas Cantigas" (tracks 13-18), for example, is inspired by the 13th century Cantigas de Santa Maria of Alfonso X, el Sabio, of Spain. "Five Polyphonic Fantasies" (tracks 19-23) start with the vocal clarity of their renaissance models and move toward a more 'guitaristic' expression in Fantasies IV and V. The final piece (tracks 38-49) is a set of variations based on a fake theme in the style of Dionisio Aguado (1784-1849) which I wrote for a young student of mine. The name comes from the finale, in which, in my imagination, Dionisio visits Buenos Aires (Good Winds), whereupon he hears some good tangos."