Back in action after a hand injury, guitarist Miloš Karadaglić continued a run of commercial success with this 2021 release. Those new to Karadaglić may wish to check out the two solo pieces on the album, by Robert Schumann (the familiar Träumerei for piano, arranged for guitar) and especially by Ludovico Einaudi (Full Moon, also an arrangement). These works showcase Karadaglić's remarkable variety of tonal colors on the guitar, married to a sensitive, deliberate approach. The Moon & the Forest is also one of the relatively few Karadaglić albums to undertake larger works, here, a pair of concertos by Joby Talbot and Howard Shore. Both are film composers, and the music reflects this, but to Karadaglić's credit, the pieces are quite different in mood and make different demands on the guitarist. Those coming to Karadaglić from mainstream guitar repertory will probably prefer Shore's concerto, The Forest, which is in the traditional three movements and features structures that evolve over longer arcs, with a fine lyrical, long-breathed slow movement smoothly executed by Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra. Talbot's Ink Dark Moon is called a concerto but more resembles cuts from a film score despite its Italian tempo markings. Karadaglić's part here is intricately woven in to the orchestral parts, seemingly with some kind of technical wizardry applied to make the guitar audible even in busy orchestral passages. Here, it is the BBC Symphony Orchestra backing Karadaglić, and this is probably the piece that will appeal more to Karadaglić's existing fans. Either way, this is a strong release signaling that Karadaglić is back to stay.
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