The standard guitar is a baritone instrument, with a harmonic-rich tone and an effective range of only three and a half octaves, so there is some truth in Segovia's statement that one guitar sounds transparent, like a sheet of glass, and that to place two or more (of either) together results in increasing opacity. Various guitar ensembles have accordingly resorted to using instruments of different pitches. The Pro Arte Trio use one standard guitar, extending the compass upwards and downwards, respectively, with a requinto and an eight-string guitar, a combination that works well.
The album title (''Brazileira''), the child of a mixed linguistic marriage, reflects the presence of two Brazilian composers, Villa-Lobos and Almeida, and one who lived in and was influenced by the music of Brazil (Milhaud)—Wusthoff may be another, but we are not given even the date of his birth so he remains shadowy. Piazzolla was 100 per cent Argentine and York is an American whose Rosetta (the only original work for the Pro Arte Trio on this disc) has the most tenuous of connections with South America.
The arrangements, which form the backbone of the programme, are very well made, and executed with spirit, if not always with perfect tightness of ensemble. The recording (by John Taylor) is a model of clarity and faithfulness. This is a disc for enthusiasts of the guitar and of South-Americana in general.'