Reviews

Rheinneckar Zeitung: Feinsinnige Gitarrenpoesie, by Klaus Roß, 09.08.19

The opening concert of the International Summer Course at the University of Heidelberg, presented by the young Australian Jesse Flowers, was a much-watch experience for guitar fans. In his mid twenties, Flowers has been studying with Thomas Müller-Pering in Berlin since 2017, and is not only the winner of many important competitions, but can also already look back on successful debuts, for example at London's Wigmore Hall or at this year's Aldeburgh Festival. In the Alte Aula, Flowers set a real exclamation mark right at the beginning with Bach's three-movement work in E-flat major BWV 998: wonderfully relaxed in the calmly flowing Prelude, highly internalised in the finely sung Fugue, unobtrusively virtuosic in the lucidly pulsating Allegro Finale. Such mature Bach playing has rarely been heard from such a young guitarist.

Flowers' incredible feeling for tone also came to the fore in the third sonata by the Mexican Manuel Ponce, written in 1927 with both folkloristic and impressionistic influences. Its dreamy middle movement (Chanson) exuded pure poetry thanks to exquisite dynamic nuances. Ponce's jewel of a Sonata was complemented by the Rodrigo miniature 'En Los Trigales' (1938), savored with elegant esprit. Flowers has a special touch for the music of these two central guitar masters of the 20th century.

Two stylishly polished Dowland fantasies then formed the ideal prelude after the interval to Benjamin Britten's 'Nocturnal' op. 70, composed in 1963, with its equally imaginative and expressive 'Reflections' on the famous Dowland song 'Come Heavy Sleep'. Flowers succeeded in creating a stunningly organic and suspenseful richness of colour in this work, which is crowned by a great passacaglia. Francisco Tárrega's melancholy earworm 'Lagrima' was performed as an enchanting encore, after loud applause.

 Westfälische Nachrichten: The Spanish Fire Blazed, by Arndt Zinkant, 15.01.18

Whoever is presenting art songs accompanied by guitar has usually these things I mind: to emphasise the folk-like roots, as opposed to the more formal aspects, of the genre. In other words, swap the evening gown and tailcoat for something more casual. This doesn’t make the music any less artful. Especially when you can play and sing with as much verve and expertise as mezzo-soprano Julia Spies and the guitarist Jesse Flowers. “Somewhere between Art Song and Folk song”, was how the performers described it. Their audience in the Bürgerhaus was completely won over.

The young master of the guitar, Jesse Flowers, was a congenial accompanist, who - in comparison to the legendary Gerald Moore- never had to ask himself if he was “too loud” for his partner. A solo work gave him the opportunity to show the full palette of his virtuosic talent: the Sonata for Guitar by Alberto GInastera (1916-1983). A firework made of effects, vibrating strings and the guitar as a percussion instrument.

Osthessen News: For the Anniversary Two Outstanding Artists, by Klaus Scheuer, 27.12.17

It is difficult to imagine a more beautiful contrast of, on the one hand, the 65th anniversary Lauterbach/Hohhaus concert and, on the other, a duo from the National Selection of Young Artists. This showed how closely tradition and the present are linked. Duo Szabo - Flowers, made up of the cellist Ildiko Szabo and the guitarist Jesse Flowers proved this with their choice of repertoire, that ranged from Luigi Boccherini to Astor Piazzolla. Since there is a limited amount of original works written for cello and guitar, their programme contained unique, modern interpretations.

The guitar part in Boccherini’s Sonate in C-moll, originally written for cello and basso continuo, played the role of the harpsichord. The dynamic possibilities of the guitar allowed for a very sensitive musical interaction between the two duo partners.

Franz Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata was actually written for a forgotten instrument that was similar to the guitar but was played with a bow. This role was assumed by the cellist, while the guitar played the part of the piano. A nice idea, very much removed from stiff historicity, which allowed for an unbelievable intensity of sound and precise ensemble playing. In particular, the plucked passages sparked a show of precise interaction between the two instruments.

Astor Piazzolla is surely one of the great composers of the 20th century. His music offers endless facets, maybe even in particular, when not played in it’s original instrumentation. Duo Szabo-Flowers choice a piece from his “Cuatro Estaciones Portenas”, originally written for a complete Tango Nuevo Ensemble. The huge dynamic range of the masterful guitarist Jesse Flowers was electrifying, while Ildiko Szabo on the cello played the melodies in a deeply touching and emotional way.

Alberto Ginastera’s only work the for the guitar is his Sonata Op. 47, which Jesse Flowers played, or perhaps better put: allowed the audience to experience with him. Dynamic energy and percussive power were harnessed expertly by the young musician, just like the virtuosic melodic playing, that the piece demands.

Oberbadische Zeitung: Temperemant and beautiful sound, by Beatrice Ehrlich, 12.12.17

Ildiko Szabo (cello) and Jesse Flowers (guitar) gave a wonderful Matinee concert on Sunday morning in Burghof.

With a polished sound, great musicality and temperament this Duo was able to dazzle the audience.

The hour of the guitar struck after the interval, with Astor Piazzolla’s multifaceted “Invierno Porteno”. In this piece, Flowers was able to show what makes his playing so special, why he has won so many prizes, also in multi-instrumental competitions.

In the Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera’s “Sonata for Guitar” op. 47, Jesse flowers was able to show everything that is possible on his instrument. With rubato, expressive dynamic and different extended techniques from soft knocking on the body of the guitar to the highest possible sounds created by flicking the strings beyond the fretboard, as well as with atmospheric dry and soft, almost inaudible sounds, was Flowers able to inevitably captivate his audience.

Neue Westfälische: Romantic and Night Music, by Christl Rick, 15.11.17

 The title of the programme, “Beau Soir” gave it away: a beautiful evening was what the audience awaited, and that is exactly what eventuated.

The evening began with the music of the English composer and lutenist John Dowland. It was no surprise that his song “Come again, sweet love” received extra applause in the middle of the set.

Afterwards, the guitarist performed “Nocturnal after John Dowland” op. 70. This homage to John Dowland by Benjamin Britten, written 300 years after Dowland’s death, was made up of entirely different harmonies and rhythms. Performed by memory, the audience heard march-like rhythms, rocky sounds and a clear passacaglia. The “Slow and Quiet” ending was particularly impressive - outstanding!

Rheinische Post: Vocal music at the Serenade at Burg Linn, by Heide Oehmen, 13.11.17

The mezzo-soprano Julia Spies and guitarist Jesse Flowers, who concertise together under the name Duo Amaris count as a true discovery.

The harmonious duo began with a selection of songs by the English composer John Dowland, and continued with 5 shimmeringly impressionistic songs by Claude Debussy arranged for guitar and voice by Tilman Hoppstock. In between these Furthermore, Jesse Flowers impressed as a soloist, performing the complex and multifaceted work Nocturnal after John Dowland op. 74 by Benjamin Britten.

Salzgitter Zeitung: Successful Season-opener, by Martin Winrich Becker, 17.10.17

To open their concert season, the Fürstensaal Kulturkreis invited Duo Amaris. Two young musicians, Julia Spies and Jesse Flowers, gave a concert with an unusual combination of instruments: Mezzo-soprano and guitar.

Although the combination may sound unusual, in truth it actually isn’t. In the time of Shakespeare, in which John Dowland published his “First Book of Songes and a Musical Banquet”, singers were almost always accompanied by the lute, an instrument very similar to the guitar. The audience heard four songs, containing themes of love, joy, despair and sorrow. With her warm and soft voice the Mezzo-soprano Julia Spies delivered songs such as “Awake, sweet love” or “Come heavy sleep”. The guitarist Jesse Flowers accompanied her with the greatest sensitivity and the finest nuances.

Benjamin Britten’s work for solo guitar “Nocturnal after John Dowland” op. 70 followed. The nine movements were inspired by the music of Dowland. Flowers created a shadow-like atmosphere, employing a “style brise” approach. Every now and then a consonant triad chord was reached, not without much conflict before. Flowers mastered this difficult to interpret work with calm and clearly defined dramatic arc. Guitar playing at it’s finest.

Sundsvall Tidning: Guitar Festival: 22 Year Old Enchants Audience, by Susanne Holmlund, 28.03.17

The classic opening ceremony of the seventh Sundsvall Guitar Festival featured a classical concert in its purest, most unadorned form: a stage, a chair, a small microphone - and a musician and his instrument. Not even a music stand; everything was memorised and was expressed through the hands and instrument. The performer was the guitarist, Australian Jesse Flowers, only 22 years old.

The varied program reflected his skills. His deftness and technical security came to light already in the Grande Ouverture by Mauro Giuliani, playful, joyful and vibrant, a little Spanish touch but also tending towards classical piano music. Alexandre Tansman’s Variations un Sur un Theme de Scriabine began as a melancholy jazz ballad with a feeling of autumn in the air, and reflected the soloist's ability to shape the beautiful music.

In Manuel Ponce’s Sonata III the Spanish temperament and musical language came to expression; that which can never really separated from guitar music. For Bach’s Lute Suite BWV 998, which is often played strictly and metric, Jesse Flowers had a graceful and romantic entrance - a freedom of a singular musician who is able to enjoy the music with the audience. With Toru Takemitsu’s Equinox we ended up in a Japanese Zen garden, where the small islands of music seemed to float around in silence, alongside Western and folk music, and not least the sound of the Koto, a Japanese instrument. And just when the audience thought it couldn’t get any better, the Argentine Alberto Ginastera’s Sonata for Guitar op. 47 was most impressive: this piece had both minimalism and tongues of flame, impact glissandi, harmonics, bird and percussion sounds, and displayed the guitar as a powerfully loud instrument.

All this was controlled by Jesse Flowers without a tremor of the hand. This much is already in place: technical brilliance, clear voice leading, the exquisite control of shades - soft sounds, but also fiery and dramatic playing where sparkling phrases grow out of his instrument. He will please many listeners to come.

Darmstädter Echo: Tender Plucking for the Future, by Stefanie Steinert, 17.05.16

Whether it was Bach’s artful fugal writing, romantic poesy or modern South American music - the five substantial works Jesse Flowers performed demonstrated not merely a masterful technique, but also musicality and an understanding of the music he was performing. In Bach’s Lute Suite BWV 998, Variations un Sur un Theme de Scriabine by Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986), Fantaise Hongroise by Johann Kaspar Mertz *1806-1856) and Sonata III by Manuel Ponce (1882-1948) Flowers was able to identify himself through his emotional personal stamp on each of the works. The audience were able to gain assumedly unexpected impressions of the art of the classical guitar.

Flowers was able to emphatically express Tansman’s emotional palette, from sentimental to dramatic, with a smooth sound. Stylistically appropriate vibrato was used for Mertz’s Viennese style, and in Ponce’s complex Sonata he was able to impress with his virtuosity and fully transparent sound and effortlessness.

The congenial guitarist ended his programme with the Argentinian Alberto Ginastera’s (1916-1983) Sonata for Guitar op. 47,  a work inspired by free tonality and Argentinian folklore. In this piece Flowers demonstrated every conceivable modern performance technique, using the guitar as a percussion instrument at times, with precision and lit a true firework made of Argentinian dance rhythms.

Darmstädter Echo: Fine Painting on the Guitar, by Silvia Adler, 29.01.16

Musical finesse and deep inwardness: at the prize winners concert of the 5th Prinzessin von Marget Hessen Competition, the young guitarist Jesse Flowers enchanted the audience.

The art of the quiet note dominated at the prize winners concert of the 5th Prinzessin von Margaret von Hessen Competition. The winner of the latest edition of the competition, open to all students at the Akademie für Tonkunst Darmstadt, was the guitarist Jesse Flowers. The young Australian, in the class of Tilman Hoppstock, already stood on the same stage as a freshly awarded holder of the Scholarship of the Darmstädter Music Prize only a few months ago.

The secret of this charismatic guitarist lies in his extraordinarily fine musical sensitivity, with which he interprets repertoire from the baroque era to the present. Flowers possess the ability to emotionally connect with each piece and explores their atmospheric essence to the fullest. It is a special art of musicianship to be able to bring not only sounds, but also meditative silence itself, to life. With great inner calm Flowers played Bach’s Prelude BWV 998, originally written for the lute. He effortlessly mastered the technical difficulties of the baroque passages, which he gave a light elegance and smooth cantabile. Despite the relatively simple texture, through convincing dynamic structure and clear phrasing Flowers delivered an interpretation with strong expressivity.

Strong expressivity and inwardness were combined in Flowers’ interpretation of Tansman’s Variations on a them by Scriabin. The rarely played Fantaisie Hongroise by the romantic composer Johann Kaspar Mertz was the most flashy piece that the guitarist played, both full-bodied and refined at the same time.

Undaunted by the extremely wide range of repertoire he performed, he was fully capable of applying the same polished sound throughout the whole program and celebrated an unusually rich range of colours. Flowers sensitivity to the use of timbre and colour gave his interpretations of works from the twentieth century by Ohana, Takemitsu and Ginastera a special quality.