MUSIC REVIEW : Guitar Duo Diligent but Lackluster

Repertory--or the lack thereof--was not the problem for the Newman & Oltman Guitar Duo, Monday at Ambassador Auditorium. Their short agenda offered variety, substance and originality.

But alas, on this occasion, an attractive program capably played proved distinctly underwhelming.

Blame it on Laura Oltman’s cold, which at one point drove her coughing off the stage. Or blame it on persistent intonation and tuning problems, particularly on Michael Newman’s bass strings.

At any rate, real thrills were in short supply--and that despite the premiere of Dusan Bogdanovic’s Sonata Fantasia. Typically propulsive, eclectically inspired music drives the sonata’s thematically linked outer movements, while its center contains some nebulously focused, Balkan blues noodling.

At least that was the impression Newman and Oltman gave. A tighter and more inspired effort might stiffen that flaccid core.

An additional novelty came from a concerto by one Corigniani, first name unknown. A pert Vivaldian duet for two lutes, the four-movement piece made an elegant and effective contribution, although the ensemble’s intonation difficulties were most extreme here.

The duo began the evening with a note-bound account of Sor’s Opus 54 Fantasie, blunt in style and spirit. Their sound was unprepossessing and their dynamic range notably narrow.

Their most fluent playing came in Rodrigo’s Tonadilla, which is also--and probably not coincidentally--on their most recent recording. This was the piece that Oltman was forced to interrupt because of a coughing bout but it was still delivered with supple, integrated phrasing and a welcome, strong sense of dynamic contrast, as well as structural and rhythmic identity.

For their closing group of Albeniz transcriptions, Newman and Oltman rounded up four of the usual suspects. Although they offered some distinctive touches in their arrangements, they had nothing new to suggest about the style or content of “Granada,” “Asturias,” “Cordoba” or “Sevilla,” all over-exposed in guitar programming.

In encore the duo presented Dowland’s quirky “Lord Chamberlaine” Galliard, for two very good friends playing on one instrument. They gave it affectionately understated treatment.