- Koyunbaba Suite for Guitar, Op. 19 (1985) By Carlo Domeniconi (1947-)
Koyunbaba means “shepherd,” koyun being the word for “sheep” and baba the word for “father.” A scordatura is used in Koyunbaba, it involves a C sharp minor chord with the result that only one string keeps its original tuning! According to John Williams, the great Australian guitarist, this new tuning provides a rich and exotic atmosphere as well as creating musical intensity and excitement.
Why is this piece important? Simply put, Segovia’s (and other guitarists) repertoire search among the symphonic composers was followed by Bream’s after the Second World War. Around the 1980’s, Koshkin’s The Prince’s Toys, Brouwer’s El Decameron Negro and Domeniconi’s Koyunbaba marked the return of the guitarist-composer in the attention of the record-buying public since Koyunbaba is TOP 34 among the most recorded pieces for guitar. Koyunbaba opens the door to a whole world of colour and magic from Turkey. This magnificent piece reminds us of the importance of the guitarist-composers at each moment of the guitar’s history!
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