XIII BIS Records
Released on march 24th 2008

Tracklist :
Les Noces de Figaro : Ouverture
Concerto n°4 en Fa mineur « L’Hiver » :
- allegro non molto
- largo
- allegro
Sonate n°3 en Mib major
- allegro con spirito
Sonate n°4 en La mineur
- allegro molto
Sonate n°1 en Ré majeur
- allegro con Brio
Sonate n°2 en La majeur
- andante piu tosto allegretto
Sonate n°7 en Do mineur
- finale
Concerto n°2 en sol mineur « L’été »
- presto
Prélude et allegro dans le style de Pugnani
Sonate en la majeur
- allegro vivo

Patrick Rondat, French guitar hero (I know that he does not like this word and does not consider himself as such but…) has released an album with Hervé N’Kaoua, classic pianist. This album takes works coming from Fauré, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Kreisler and Mozart repertoires. The tracks are only interpreted with acoustic piano and electric guitars.
Why reviewing here on a site more particularly dedicated to metal and hard-rock? First of all because I am a Patrick Rondat’s fan, then to show that a heavy metal/hard rock guitarist can do other musical style and uses differently his guitar…
It is a project that Patrick Rondat was thinking of for quite such a long time and that he was dreaming of… he has finally done it. Of course maybe that a certain number of Patrick fans will be deceived because here no metal, no distorted suns, no shred, nothing of all what he been used to give us, just to hear “his” Vivaldi’s interpretation… but however this CD can be found in the metal department in the fnac for example, where I bought mine.
I have to admit at the first listening having being a little deceived by the “austerity” of the tracks, guitars and piano only, I was maybe expecting something more “grandiose”, something more orchestral, more symphonic maybe… but no it’s not the case, the tracks are only interpreted by this duet. They are austere… not bass guitar, no drums, no musical flourish … all is in these two instruments. The interpretations are simple not simplistic be careful… There where I find “my” Patrick Rondat it’s on the track « Concerto n°2 en sol mineur “L’été” …ah Vivaldi when you get us… it is not to demonstrate that these two musicians have an undeniable technique and control completely their own instruments, besides here nothing is demonstrative, all is in delicacy, in melody and in feelings. The two instruments are doing a superb work but it seems to me that the piano is the essential element of this album and the guitar is “just” here to accompany it… I would have preferring have the two instruments on an equal foot!!! Is it wanted or is it due to the mixing??? I don’t know…
To be short Patrick Rondat had pleasure with this album, but the metal fans won’t find themselves in it unless if they like, like I do, classic music, not symphonic (even if it is what I prefer in classic music) … classic. The result is an album to discover for the virtuosity of the two musicians.
Reviewed and translated by Béa.

Line up :
Patrick Rondat (guitare) (guitars)
Hervé N’Kaoua (piano) (piano)

Contacts:

http://www.rondat.com
http://www.myspace.com/patrickrondat