A celebration of craftsmanship and creativity.
Wolfgang Muthspiel – Acoustic Guitar

In his new solo program Etudes/Quietudes, Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel celebrates the acoustic guitar, the instrument to which he switched from the violin at the age of thirteen and on which he was trained as a performer of classical music. The core of the program is a collection of concert etudes that Muthspiel composed for his instrument. These eleven etudes each explore a different aspect of the music possible for guitar. Each piece is characterized by a particular atmosphere, ranging from highly virtuosic and effervescent to poetically reflective.

The etudes are joined by four additional pieces, including Muthspiel's heartfelt tribute to Bill Evans (“For Bill Evans”), a sarabande by Johann Sebastian Bach (to which he improvises with material from the sarabande, consisting of three pieces), a theme by Paul Motian (“Abacus”), partly improvised, and a fast miniature called “Triplet Droplet”. With Etudes/Quietudes, Muthspiel effortlessly bridges the gap between two musical worlds that have been crucial in his musical life : classical guitar and the jazz-derived art of improvisation. However, this program is not to be understood as a crossover, as Muthspiel carries both poles within himself and there are no borders for him to cross. Both on stage and in the recording studio, the guitarist here achieves an intimate naturalness of music that pushes the high technical demands into the background and places a continuous parlando, a constant musical speech at the center. Etudes are basic exercises for musicians, refining particular skills and developing into compelling concert pieces. “I wrote my own etudes to practice certain technical aspects.

Then I fell in love with the compositional process they inspired,” says Muthspiel. “Etudes celebrate the craft!” he continues, “Craftsmanship is a central point for me – all the musicians I admire have spent a lifetime working on their personal sound.

The composer and guitarist draws parallels here with meditation and sport and emphasizes the beauty of repeated practice, which he personally enjoys as a grounding ritual: “Just as in spiritual practices and athletic training, etudes foster a deep-rooted mastery,” he explains. “It is a foundation from which creativity blossoms.

The new album Etudes/Quietudes presents compositions that are primarily concert pieces and that Muthspiel enjoys playing in front of an audience. Although these pieces are written specifically for the classical guitar, they are equally conceivable on other instruments.

The etudes were recorded at the Vienna Radio Culture House. The album was mixed in the south of France with the great Gerard Haro at Studio La Buissonne.

“For me, this album is a musical narrative – a reflection of my journey from violinist to classical guitarist to jazz musician,” Muthspiel shares. “I invite listeners to take this sonic journey with me, experience the essence of my story translated into music.

Etudes/Quietudes is released as a CD and LP on Clap Your Hands (CYH) and is available on all major streaming platforms. In addition, the score with the eleven etudes can be purchased as a download or in the form of a printed music book, which also contains the CD.