Classical guitar is widely thought of as a means of expression for music of the popular easy-listening genre. Friedemann Wuttke proves the opposite: he has created a series of individual but self-contained programmes which elicit from his guitar music of extraordinary power and intensity. His concerts all build on sophisticated and cyclically structured works.

His current programmes "Mozart and Rossini", "Contrasts", "Nights in Spanish Gardens" include works by great composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach or classical or Romantic composers, arranged especially for the guitar, and can be as satisfying to the discerning listener as a piano recital or classical chamber concert. The guitar's Spanish and South American roots have given rise to a quite different musicality which in the Impressionist era engendered new nuances of tone.

c o m e   h e a v y   s l e e p

Soprano Sarah Maria Sun and Friedemann Wuttke have compiled a tranquil night-time concert consisting of songs and texts by John Dowland. The programme is divided into two distinct sections in between which emanates Benjamin Britten's famous Passacaglia for guitar "Come heavy sleep". The work begins in the expressionist style, moving progressing through a range of variations ever closer to tonality, until it finally returns to the 16th century and the harmonies of John Dowland, ending with this song, which leads seamlessly into the second part of the concert. A good hour' music, with no interlude, possibly even no applause during the concert itself. A night-time concert where the emphasis is less on a display of virtuosity and more on reaching out to and touching the audience with a range of emotions evoking love, longing, life and death.

t h e  JOHN DOWLAND  c o n c e p t

A programme with the wonderful songs of the famous English Renaissance composer. In this quartet the baroque cello and the guitar form a harmonious base on which the voice and the saxophone can unfold. Singer and saxophone take up the melodies alone and together, the saxophone breaks free and improvises with the John Dowland's wonderful music. The cello too gives an impressive rendering of its singing possibilities. In the interludes between the singing there are four fragments for solo guitar by the English expressionist Reginald Smith-Brindle, which create a harmonious bridge between the individual songs.

SARAH SUN singer JOCHEN FEUCHT saxopphone FRIEDEMANN WUTTKE guitar WERNER MATZKE baroque cello

A programme whose energy emerges from silence rather than virtuoso highlights, which delights the ear, emotions and intellect with alternating casts, giving each musician space to unfold and excel in this breathtaking and beautiful music.

This rare but fascinating chamber combination lends itself both to a programme of classical music as well as an evening of a Spanish Night. It will appeal to classical concert-goers, lovers of guitar music and young listeners alike. Friedemann Wuttke will be playing with the internationally renowned Minguet Quartett, who were awarded the ECHO KLASSIK prize for the chamber music recording of the year in 2010.

When Astor Piazzolla recorded his Tango Sensations with the Kronos Quartett in New York it was as if the maestro of the tango nuevo had literally drained the American strings of all musical energy.

Concert guitarist Friedemann Wuttke has embarked on a journey in search of the tango nuevo accompanied by internationally renowned bandoneonist Marcelo Nisinman, discovering in the 1985 composition "Hommage à Liège" for guitar, bandoneon and strings a music of great intensity and depth. One of Astor Piazzolla's last cyclical works, it elevated the tango from the obscurity of Argentine night clubs into the focus of the international music scene, framed in the sound which Piazzolla made so uniquely his own. The programmes can be performed with a string quintet or a chamber orchestra.

Classic meets tango: it is precisely this combination which has created programmes of a varied yet seductive appeal. The immortal Astor Piazzolla has a great affinity with Johann Sebastian Bach and the juxtaposition of the master of tango's melancholy and dark works with those of Mozart and Haydn can also be colourful and diverting.

Guitar music of the 19th and 20th centuries spawned a series of magnificent and virtuoso guitar concertos. Friedemann Wuttke has played them all and has resolved the problem of balancing orchestra and guitar by means of an invisible amplifier which does not detract from the natural acoustics of the guitar.

Friedemann can perform a Spanish, Italian or South-American night for guitar and orchestra or a classical programme. He plays with a number of German and international orchestras.

2013/2014/2015 Friedemann Wuttke plays with the famous Cappella Istropolitana of Bratislava. The musicians have prepared baroque and classical programmes, a Spanish Night and the Piazzolla programme with Marcelo Nisinman.

To discuss possible programmes just contact FWuttke[at]aol[dot]com.