When guitarists turn their performing attention to such things as Pictures at an Exhibition and the New World Symphony I hasten to join Sam Goldwyn in saying ''Include me out!'' Yet there is a natural compatability between the guitar and small-scale nineteenth-century music, but the best of those who wrote the latter were busy not writing for the guitar, which is a pity. Providing that good taste prevails, there is no reason why the guitar—or, better, a consort thereof, should not borrow a little music from more fortunate media, and indeed they have been doing so during the last few years. Every coin has two sides: technical difficulties too often inhibit the solo guitarist from giving the music its due, but whilst the sharing of the practical burden amongst several players allows greater freedom of expression and control of the parts, it introduces the problem of unanimity in rebuilding the whole; this is especially true of music originally written for the piano, and entirely controlled by one player.
Guitarists, whose instrument is percussive by nature, are still relatively inexperienced in chamber-musical matters, though they are gaining ground quite quickly. The English Guitar Quartet (using only 'standard' guitars) was formed in the late 1970s and its history has been one of personnel changes, which have not served the cause of unanimity; the founding members have departed, and the introduction of treble and bass guitars has extended the pitch-range of the group. They still have far to go before they can match precision-engineered groups such as the Los Angeles Quartet and the Amsterdam or Zagreb Guitar Trio, but their claim to be 'getting there' is at least as valid. Lovers of this familiar music may find it differently attractive in its new dress (flawlessly modelled by the recording engineers); before turning their backs on it they might remember the slogan of a few years ago; ''I've never tried Guinness—I don't like it!'''