Press

William Feasley Plays the Guitar -- The Press, Christchurch New Zealand, Monday June 7, 1999

William Feasley, guitar, at the Friday Lunchtime Concert, June 4. Reviewed by David Sell.

This was a concert with a difference, entitle Echoes of Goya. American guitarist William Feasley integrated his playing with a commentary and a series of slides relating to the famous Spanish painter.

First, Feasley's playing on its own was superb. Technically deft, he played his programme with a fine sense of musical style. At the same time, his knowledge of the Spanish cultural scene brought everything together in clear focus.

The programme ranged from music by a contemporary of Goya, Fernando Fernandiere, to a piece composed just last year by an American composer, Stuart Saunders Smith. The four little pieces by Fernandiere were charmers in their delicate simplicity, while the Gran Solo Op. 14 by Fernando Sor that followed it had almost a Beethovenian character to it.

Then there were the most attractive Goya-related pieces by Granados and Gilardino before the Webernesque piece by Stuart Saunders Smith.

The highlight of the concert was undoubtedly the Six Caprichos de Goya by Castelnuovo-Tedesco. These musical portraits were beautifully crafted and played.

The slides of Goya etchings were new to me, and most interesting, especially with the brief quotations that were read before each item.

Like a Sound of Silence... -- Nis, Yugoslavia
Nardone Novine, August 10-11, 1996
The audience of Nis has recently had an opportunity to attend the solo concert of the year. William Feasley, classical guitar virtuoso and world class musician from USA, performed at the art gallery "Serbia". The audience gave him standing ovations and made him play several encores. It was a fantastic evening of music in which Mr. Feasley, playing an extremely difficult program, even managed to produce sounds of silence. His repertoire included pieces by John Blow, Albert Harris, Peter Madlem, Harry Lincoln, William Bolcom, Joaquin Rodrigo, Isaac Albeniz, and Paco de Lucia. Feasley is a quiet but determined person, like a dignified aristocrat in the world of music. As an artist, he is self-confident, sincere, and communicates warmly with his audience. This is his first concert in Nis, which was organized by "Jugokoncert". "I'll be back!" Mr. Feasley promised...

Classical Guitar Concert Enjoyed -- The Timaru Herald
Tuesday 25 June 1991
For devotees of classical guitar music, American William Feasley gave a masterful display of guitar playing last evening -- a well-attended concert and an appreciative audience.

Mr. Feasley, who has strong connections with the University of Maryland in Baltimore, is a strong exponent of Spanish-based music, but varies his tastes with older classics and some of the romantic composers, thus exposing an adventurous talent for a broadly-based repertoire.

The music stretched from the 17th to 20th centuries, delightfully introduced by the artist, the audience fully informed about the programme content in a relaxed and friendly manner.

I was particularly interested in two works -- Sonata II by Eduardo Lopez Chavarri, a Spaniard whose musical intellect is a shade deeper than some of his compatriots. The work has a special flair with ample resource for the soloist whose fingering needed to be a flurry of dexterity throughout.

The other fancied work was the modern, almost jazz chordal style of American Sketches, by session musician Peter Madlem. The work comprised three movements, each with a styling quite distinctive in construction, but expressive and strangely haunting.

Francisco Tarrega, late 19th century Spanish composer, was featured twice on the programme, first with Variations on Carnival of Venice, the traditional homage to Paganini, and second as an encore, the well-worn but immensely popular Recuerdos de Alhambra. Both were met with general approval by the audience.

The remainder of the programme consisted of works by Sor, Aguado, Domeniconi, and a beautiful Cantilena Argentinian composer whose name I was unable to catch.

A delightfully captivating recital and certainly most welcome to the large crowd who braved the elements.

-- John McMillan

Feasley Pleases -- The Auckland Guitar Society Journal
July, 1991
His hat didn't have three corners -- in fact, William Feasley didn't wear a hat all day.

But he gave us some fun, all the same, by including Tarrega's party piece, "Variations on the Carnival of Venice" in a recital programme of familiar and not-so-familiar items. He played the "Variations" with skill and spirit, a rare command of tempo and an impressive display of Tarrega tricks.

Turkish Delight
Another first hearing for me was "Variations on a Turkish Theme" by Carlo Domeniconi, an ancient song tune with mythical associations. The piece, though chronologically modern, didn't exactly blast through the blunt end of the Romantic era but, beautifully performed, it was an effective bridge between the very traditional Sor, Aguado, and Handel selections and the moderns on the programme.

I was delighted by the "American Sketches" of Peter Madlem. "Coyote" was very evocative of the rolling downs of the Mid-West (and no canine howls, either); "Spiritual" wove magic around snatches of old negro melody; "Blues" exploited the special voice the classic guitar can give to the ol' 12-bar rhythm.

Slightly less "modern" in character was the "Sonata II" of Eduardo Lopez Chavarri, very Spanish, very demanding to perform and exciting to behold in the hands of such a skilled player as Feasley. So many notes in such a short time! Such verve!

Faultless Command
The Handel was very familiar -- the D Minor Suite No. 7 -- lustily performed and jolly with nary a lutish whimper. Sor's Opus 5, No. 5 "Andante Largo" was well handled. Feasley again demonstrated his faultless command of tempo and phrasing and reiterated his afternoon lesson on making up for rubato. The "Adagio and Rondo" Opus 8, No. 3 & 4 of Aguado were similarly pleasing.

It was a long day for Bill at the end of his tour. His afternoon workshop was a marathon in concentration which stretched past its scheduled end-time and demanded plenty of mental switching. One player supplied a 'cello score written on the bass stave, to which our hero was almost equal. But, resilient, he gave a fresh and vigorous recital without resort to paper. So who could mind that all he had left for an encore was "Recuerdos de la Alhambra?"

-- Helen Cullen