Photos and Review by Ilya Mirman
Kasia Smolarek brought a compelling blend of virtuosity, intelligence, and expressive depth to her recent recital in Providence’s Wheeler School, presenting a program that traversed three centuries of musical thought while remaining firmly rooted in the guitar’s rich tradition. The evening unfolded as a carefully curated journey through Baroque elegance, Romantic bravura, Spanish nationalism, and modern guitar masterworks.
The recital opened with Rameau’s L’entretien des Muses, a work whose refined ornamentation and graceful lyricism demand a performer capable of balancing delicacy with structural clarity. Smolarek approached the piece with admirable restraint, allowing its conversational character to emerge naturally through subtle phrasing and a warm, singing tone.
A seamless transition into Scarlatti’s Sonata K178 showcased another facet of her artistry. Here, rhythmic vitality and crisp articulation took center stage. Smolarek’s command of the instrument’s voices brought unusual transparency to the contrapuntal textures, while her nuanced handling of dynamics prevented the music from becoming merely decorative.
The first major display of Spanish color arrived with Turina’s Sevillana, Op. 29. Richly infused with Andalusian rhythms and melodic gestures, the work benefited from Smolarek’s keen sense of atmosphere. She captured both the dance-like exuberance and the introspective passages with equal conviction, revealing the composer’s ability to merge nationalist idioms with sophisticated harmonic language.
Paganini’s legendary Caprice No. 24 followed, providing the evening’s most overt demonstration of technical brilliance. The work’s relentless variations can easily become an athletic exercise, but Smolarek infused each section with distinct character. Rapid passagework, wide leaps, and demanding left-hand figurations were dispatched with apparent ease, yet the performance never lost its musical focus.
The centerpiece of the program was Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Caprichos de Goya, represented by No. XVIII, El sueño de la razón produce monstruos. Inspired by Goya’s famous etching, the work inhabits a darker and more psychologically complex world than much of the surrounding repertoire. Smolarek navigated its shifting moods with impressive dramatic instinct, conjuring an atmosphere of unease and mystery while maintaining clarity through its intricate textures. The performance highlighted her ability to move beyond technical execution into genuine storytelling.
Tárrega’s Fantasía sobre temas de La Traviata offered a welcome return to Romantic grandeur. Here Smolarek demonstrated remarkable control over long melodic lines and operatic phrasing. The familiar themes emerged naturally from the fantasy’s elaborate framework, and her tasteful rubato allowed the music to breathe without sacrificing momentum.
The final portion of the recital turned toward two pillars of the guitar repertoire. Barrios’ Mazurka Apassionata and Vals Op. 3 No. 8 revealed Smolarek’s affinity for the Paraguayan master’s unique fusion of European forms and Latin American sensibilities. The Mazurka was delivered with fiery intensity, while the Vals unfolded with elegance and charm, its lyrical melodies shaped with particular sensitivity.
The program concluded with Brouwer’s La Gran Sarabanda, a work that stands among the Cuban composer’s most profound statements for the instrument. Smolarek embraced its expansive architecture and meditative character, drawing a remarkable palette of colors from the guitar. The performance served as a fitting culmination to an evening that consistently balanced intellectual rigor with emotional immediacy.
Throughout the recital, Smolarek demonstrated not only formidable technical command but also a mature musical voice capable of illuminating the distinctive character of each composer. Her thoughtful programming and consistently engaging interpretations made for a rewarding evening that affirmed both the guitar’s versatility and her place among the instrument’s most compelling contemporary advocates.