Dance and Music Reviews : Flamenco Guitarist Montoya Bids Farewell

With a solo career spanning more than 40 years and an enthusiastic following that has often seen him playing for packed houses in large auditoriums, Carlos Montoya said adios Saturday night in Beckman Auditorium at Caltech in Pasadena.

The 85-year-old Spanish flamenco pioneer and self-described “Gypsy on all four sides” (referring to the four coasts of Spain) is retiring with a farewell tour of the United States, where he has resided since World War II.

As an assistant led him to a lone piano stool, Montoya situated himself behind a microphone and delivered his familiar program: 17 short, titled improvisations, nine out of 10 utilizing the signature, simple chord progression: A minor-G-F-E. Using a limp-tensioned instrument due to tuning down the strings, and applying a stationary capo to the third fret, Montoya strummed and plucked, often breaking into a showy left-hand tremolo.

The result fell short of dazzling. As a flamenco, Montoya’s playing conspicuously lacks virtuosity and control. As an improviser, he offers too much dabbling and repetition, even for a genuine folk hero.

Among his offerings were the lively “Jota,” the Arab-influenced “Zambra” and his trademark arrangement of a funeral march, “Saeta.” The audience responded with an immediate standing ovation, summoning an encore.