Croatian Sensation

Ana Vidovic is a young and lovely woman who has claimed several international prizes for her guitar-playing. Vidovic's repertoire leans toward the Romantic works of Spain and Latin America, but she also performs selections from the traditions of her native Croatia. Neither her age nor her appearance matters when it comes time to perform, however; then, all that matters is the skill of her technique. And her technique on a classic such as Agustín Barrios-Mangoré's La Catedral is magnificent. The prelude moves at an ethereal pace, her delicate, harp-like tone on the recurrent church-bell theme is haunting in its persistence. There's a sense of stillness, the centered feeling of being in a magnificent old cathedral, the final harmonics of the movement wafting ever upward toward the vaulted ceiling. Her tone is no less assured and clear during the allegro second movement of the piece, a cascade of notes that ripples with passion. Vidovic performs as the guest of the St. Louis Classical Guitar Society at 8 p.m. this evening at the Ethical Society of St. Louis (9001 Clayton Road, Richmond Heights; 314-567-5566 or www.guitarstlouis.net). Tickets are $18 to $20.
Sat., Dec. 6, 2008