Excerpts

“Frank Wallace and his JOY deserve a standing ovation. The classical guitar's gently expressive voice has never been more alive than in Wallace's capable hands. Bravo!”
Carol Swanson, Christmasreviews.com  read more

"[Bestiary] is a sure-fire audience pleaser."

Rita M. Resch, Journal of Singing, NATS, March/April 2006

"What appeals to me about the disc is how well these influences are integrated into a varied and fairly eloquent language free of jarring incongruities, how consistently it displays an authentic expressive voice, and how high a standard of musical interest is maintained throughout the entire program...Wallace performs these pieces with flawless technical proficiency."

Walter Simmons, Fanfare, Nov/Dec 2005  read more

"This is a truly exceptional disc!"  

James Read, Soundboard Magazine, 2005  read more

"... a brilliant collection of new repertoire performed by its composer, who happens to play with equal amounts of grace, sensitivity, and virtuosity."
Stephen Griesgraber, Guitar Review, 2001   read more

"...elegant virtuosity and Gyre's gorgeous sonics..."
Jed Distler, classicstoday.com    read more

"The breadth of his musical activity recalls an earlier age, when a complete musician engaged in a broad range of creative activities as a matter of course...Wallace's music is exciting, unpredictable, and fresh..."
Steven Rings, American Record Guide, 2001    read more

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Full Reviews

 Quiet elegance, universal appeal

         Ah, Frank Wallace's Joy: Carols and Songs for a Season of Light is an instrumental album for guitar connoisseurs. Armed with tremendous talent and a classical guitar, Wallace works his way through nearly a full hour (59 minutes!) of spectacular holiday fare, smartly sprinkling the familiar with the lesser known, and including several Wallace originals as well. The artist excels on all levels. As an accomplished classical guitarist, he brings great depth and virtuosity to every track. His own record label, Gyre Music, provides a flawless recording with acoustics that are both clean and warm. This is the sort of album that makes a great companion while I work on endless projects, both personal and professional, as the holidays approach.
       The album embodies quiet elegance, yet never projects formality. Although Wallace's musical expression is complex, the tracks embrace the intrinsic pleasures of simple things, the everyday marvels that make life a treasure. I love the intimacy and immediacy of music like this; indeed, it should have universal appeal across many audiences.
       Everything works very well. From the first bars of the opening Joy to the World , which Wallace takes to a whole new level, to the album's closing moments Venite a Laudare/Per Nadal , I was enthralled. Of the Wallace originals, my favorite is probably the somewhat exotic and incredibly delicate A Shining , which makes me feel as though I hold starlight in the palm of my hand.
        Frank Wallace and his Joy deserve a standing ovation. The classical guitar's gently expressive voice has never been more alive than in Wallace's capable hands. Bravo!

Carol Swanson, christmasreviews.com (2007)

Frank Wallace, guitar, Sketches, Gyre 10052

    "This recent release was sent to me for review, although it falls somewhat outside my usual purview. I am not especially fond of classical guitar music; hence I am not terribly knowledgeable about it. I was on the verge of simply discarding the disc, when my compulsive conscience coerced me to give it a fair listening. I must say I found it quite enjoyable, so I decided to bring it to your attention, with the explicit disclaimer that I presume no expertise in this area of the repertoire.

    Frank Wallace is a versatile figure: Now in his mid 50's he was born in Houston, and studied at the San Francisco Conservatory. In addition to composting and playing the guitar (and lute), he also sings, functioning as half of what is known as Duo LiveOak. The other half is his wife, the soprano and poet Nancy Knowles, and they make their music available on the Gyre label (www.gyremusic.com ).

    Sketches comprises nearly 50 tiny pieces, collected into some nine different groupings based on fairly casual linkages. The music was composed between 1996 and 2004, and reflects the diverse influences of Medieval and Renaissance lute music, and an array of ethnic styles ranging from Spanish and gypsy music to some vernacular American flavors. What appeals to me about the disc is how well these influences are integrated into a varied and fairly eloquent language free of jarring incongruities, how consistently it displays an authentic expressive voice, and how high a standard of musical interest is maintained throughout the entire program. Furthermore, Wallace is clearly a master of this genre, and each selection demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the techniques and usages that show the guitar to best advantage. Wallace performs these pieces with flawless technical proficiency. My only reservation-and for me this is the limitation of the entire genre: despite its high aesthetic standards and expert execution, the music seems so inevitably destined to serve as aural wallpaper, i.e., its impact remains unalterably in the background. But I am aware that fanciers of guitar music feel otherwise. Highly recommended to aficionados of the genre."

Walter Simmons, Fanfare, Nov/Dec 2005

Duo LiveOak, Woman of the Water, Songs of Frank Wallace

     This is a very unusual recording.  Not only does Frank Wallace play guitar or lute on this recording of original works, he also sings.  He is an impressive talent in every respect; he is a strong guitarist, a composer with a distinct voice, and a confident vocalist. 

     The CD encompasses a broad range including both song cycles with guitar or lute accompaniments as well as guitar solos.  The recording begins with a lute song that sounds as if it might have come from Elizabethan times, but for the fact that it includes two voices with lute accompaniment instead of one.  Singing and accompanying himself seem to present no difficulty whatsoever for Wallace on this lovely song.  The first guitar solo, Dake's Song, is dedicated to the northwest luthier, Dake Traphagen.  It is a brief and somber piece in the style of a lament, and is written to give the performer an opportunity to exploit the instrument's timbral qualities.  The other solo, Débil del Alba, was written originally to accompany a dance but it is effective as a solo also.  The piece has impressionistic elements including its use of repeated chords and whole tone scales. 

   The most ambitious compositions on this disc are the three song cycles, A Single Veil, Bestiary, and Woman of the Water.  Bestiary includes musical representations of animals, including a sloth, bear, cow, and a mole.  The pieces are wonderfully expressive, at times humorous, and very entertaining.  Wallace evokes the sloth's slow movements perfectly in the plodding rhythms of the opening song, and each successive characterization is equally adept.  The most ambitious of the cycles is Woman of the Water, a cycle of nine songs set to the poetry of Theodore Roethke.  Wallace's accompaniments for this cycle are on a ten-course lute rather than guitar, allowing for an extended range.  The songs in this cycle are stark and intense, and the set progresses through a range of emotions from longing to anger to joy.  Even though this cycle has a completely different character from Bestiary, it is as convincing.  Throughout this recording Wallace has as his partner soprano Nancy Knowles.  Her voice is especially well suited to the guitar.  She has a pure, unaffected delivery that renders every text clearly and with conviction.  This is a truly exceptional disc!"           

James Reid, Soundboard Magazine, 2005

"It is easy to feel an intimate connection to the ethereal beauty of Frank Wallace's compositions not only because of their individual splendor, but also because of the lush tone and sensitive perfection with which Wallace executes his music....Wallace's writing reveals interests in early music, American folk music, and the blues, as well as a more contemporary language. His music also clearly reflects a thorough knowledge of the guitar's repertoire; the works sound idiomatic, though never to a fault, and his harmony and counterpoint bring out some of the richest sonorities that the guitar has to offer... a brilliant collection of new repertoire performed by its composer, who happens to play with equal amounts of grace, sensitivity, and virtuosity."
Stephen Griesgraber, Guitar Review, 2001

"A former professor of classical guitar at the New England Conservatory, Frank Wallace is a New Hampshire-based guitarist and vocalist who [performs with Duo LiveOak]. His own guitar music is crafted with idiomatic skill and sensitivity, abetted by his keen ear for textural variety. The modern Spanish guitar school informs the aggressive flamenco-like strumming in the "Rhapsody" movement of Quadrangle and the three-movement Stubborn Oak. By contrast, spacious chant and glimpses of blues imbue From the Windy Place, while the five-movement Sweet Ladyslipper ventures out into more elaborate rhythmic terrain. Listen for instance to the concluding Zar movement, which almost sounds like a snippet from early Yes, or perhaps an E-minor Grateful Dead jam. Jazz-oriented modality influences Quadrangle's four movements--the first one suggests Larry Coryell and John Dowland in jubilant dialogue. The music may not stick with you after you put the disc away, but the composer's elegant virtuosity and Gyre's gorgeous sonics help ensure a pleasant and comfortable 64-minute listening experience."
Jed Distler, classicstoday.com

    "Although tons of people are writing art songs all the time, the genre rarely comes to mind as a well-spring of new music. Certainly most American music aficionados are aware of the wonderful songs of Ned Rorem, but for most new music fans the song is something of an anachronism or something best left to pop music. Sure, there are exceptions—like the recent political songs of Phil Kline—but these seem more about making connections to pop music than continuing the art song tradition.
      Then there's New Hampshire-based Frank Wallace, for whom at times it seems not only did the 20th century not happen, neither did the 19th or the 18th. Imagine contemporary musical emancipation emanating out of John Dowland, rather than Richard Wagner, and you'll begin to get an idea of where this music is coming from. But, that's a terrible over-simplification, since his lute songs and guitar songs at times also hint at flamenco and Japanese koto traditions and at one point I thought I was hearing harmonies reminiscent of Tristan, plus the poetry he sets is mostly contemporary: Theodore Roethke, Robert Creeley, etc.
      As Duo LiveOak, Wallace accompanies pure-voiced mezzo-soprano Nancy Knowles (who also has written many of the texts) and occasionally joins her in song with his baritone voice. Wait a minute? Isn't that starting to sound like a pop album, albeit an unplugged one? Perhaps this album is further proof of the meaninglessness of such terms as "classical" and "pop." Give it a listen for yourself and then decide if such distinctions still matter to you."
NewMusicBox.org (American Music Center web magazine)

"This recording of original compositions was written and played by Frank Wallace, who is an outstanding guitarist... He plays with authority, exhibits a great deal of acoustic presence, and offers clear, uncompromising musical ideas. His sound is simply wonderful... the tone of the guitar is luxurious...Not only is the guitar playing very good, but the repertoire presented is listenable and worth performing."
Stephen Waechter, Soundboard, 2001

"Frank Wallace is an accomplished lutenist and vihuelist, a specialist in medieval and Renaissance music, a self-accompanying singer, and a fine guitarist. As though this weren't versatility enough, he is also a composer...The breadth of his musical activity recalls an earlier age, when a complete musician engaged in a broad range of creative activities as a matter of course. The works are melodically attractive and rhythmically exuberant... His playing is solid and expressive, with a commitment to every phrase...Wallace's music is exciting, unpredictable, and fresh, as in the "Prelude and Fantasy" from Quadrangle. In its more introspective moments it can also be quite touching, as in several of the slow movements...Guitarists will be interested to hear these pieces, and they will certainly appeal to a broad listening public."
Steven Rings, American Record Guide, 2001

".. a wide range of influences melding together into a truly unique compositional style. Wallace takes medieval and renaissance polyphony, marries them with 20th century harmony, and even throws a little blues in as well. His formidable technique not only allows him to play fast intricate passages cleanly and articulately, but also to reveal all the color and beauty of the simplest melody... Close your eyes while listening, and you'll get the feeling of watching a master musician play in a Renaissance cathedral. I highly recommend this CD to anyone who loves the sound of a classical guitar."
Donald Forsha,"The Best Guitarist You've Never Heard",
November, 2000 on Amazon.com

"The new CD, Frank Wallace, his own new works, by Frank Wallace is a vital and uplifting creation by an artist who has persistently focused his energies to bring audiences music that enriches life. Mr. Wallace has been performing for more than a quarter century. He is a formidable classical guitarist...[U]pon repeated hearings, it becomes clear that the purely musical values that we have here result from experiences that left a profound impression on the artist's whole being...The diversity in Wallace's composition is impressive...What the music has in common is a well-developed sense of melody. This is evident in the simple monophonic Etude 7 played on a guitar by Manuel Soto y Solares of Sevilla from around 1860. It is equally evident in the elaborate contrapuntal textures found in other movements that are masterfully written and expertly played. In fact, counterpoint is meaningless if melody is weak. It is the strength of Wallace's melodies in both content and rendering that make this CD a joy for this reviewer. I believe that all guitarists need to be aware of Frank Wallace's compositions...[He] is emerging as a performer and composer who is creating music of substance and beauty. We are fortunate to witness this creative process. Add this CD to your collection and enjoy it often."
Louis Arnold, Boston Classical Guitar Society Newsletter, 2000

"All of the music is in various ways delightful... [Wallace] makes a persuasive case for the music and the instrument by playing with skill, style, and fantasy."
Richard Dyer, The Boston Globe

"The concert by Frank Wallace was a veritable tour de force"
Tom Kerstens, Classical Guitar (London)

"Wallace excels; he exhibits great sensitivity to the music and brings finesse to the subtleties of phrasing, dynamics, and tempo."
Guitar Review

"Frank Wallace displayed the vihuela both as solo and as accompaniment to his own intimate, sweet singing, then, after intermission, leapt four centuries ahead to “real” guitar music —compellingly played— of Albeniz and Mompou."
Richard Buell, The Boston Globe

"[Their] eloquence could not have been improved upon...the baritone Frank Wallace, in the final song by the troubadour Riquier, captured the pain of an older man looking about at a fraudulent world to which he has “come too late”.
Edward Rothstein, The New York Times

"...one of the best vihuelists working today...Wallace also sings...no mean feat when one considers the polyphonic nature of the vihuela accompaniments... His renditions of fantasías by Narváez, other instrumental works, and song accompaniments are exemplary, bringing the kind of polish to the music that must have been prized in the Spanish noble houses."
Laird, American Record Guide

"Wallace shows a strong feeling for the sound and natural shape of the music. As a practitioner of the rare art of self-accompaniment, Wallace is easily able to link his vihuela accompaniments to the flow of his vocal phrasing."
Continuo

"His playing...is vivid and bright, but with soft inward-looking colors. His singing is robustly dramatic and clear, but armed with an ability to subtly convey the most complex and private of human emotions."
Jonathan Richmond, The Tech (MIT)

"It is extremely unusual to listen to a self-accompanying singer--or a singing vihuelist...Mr. Wallace seems equally adroit at both skills...I cannot but congratulate [him] for infusing new life into this neglected art. [He] plays these [solo] pieces with a secure and confident technique, and with a clear and bright sound. [His] playing displays a sense of directness and immediacy... conveying to the listener his own enthusiasm and enjoyment with conviction and sincerity. Mr. Wallace performs the songs with evident relish and gusto; his voice is warm and expressive and his accompaniment is nicely balanced, allowing the listener to discern the polyphonic interplay between the vihuela and voice. His attention to the text is also commendable: one can perceive that he is involved with the story he is telling, and takes care to convey it...This is Mr. Wallace's debut solo recording, and I believe he has done a remarkable job...According to the Mexican proverb, the best praise for the cook is to ask for another helping. Mr. Wallace, could we have more?"
Antonio Corona-Alcalde, Lute Society of America Quarterly

"Frank Wallace is very much at his ease here, and his joy in the literature is easy to glean from his impassioned approach...the breathtaking confections which he performs on the vihuela—these rapturous meditations, which Wallace delivers with deep appreciation, seem to me unsurpassed in early music for plucked string."
Peter Milford, Boston Early Music News

"Frank Wallace has a rich and agile baritone with a falsetto extension that carries him without break into an alto's range. He is also a skilled instrumentalist, whether accompanying himself or others..."
Stephen Tooker, Folio

"Frank Wallace plays his early-style guitars and the lute in intricate embellishment or romantic directness with ease, and uses his warm baritone with fascinating virtuosity...subtle nuances of tone, color and volume, always sure of a high spun pianissimo, a dramatic burst, or resounding dip to his fine deepest range."
Salem Evening News (MA)