An analysis of Roland Dyens’s Niterói: Unified sonority and pedagogical approach for two guitars

Authors : Emre Ünlenen, Anıl Gelenler

Pages : 332-352

Doi:10.31811/ojomus.1634323

View : 54 | Download : 41

Publication Date : 2025-04-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This article presents a detailed analysis of Niterói, a piece composed for two guitars by Roland Dyens, one of the prominent composers in the modern classical guitar repertoire. While Dyens’s overall compositional career was prolific and diverse, his works for guitar duo are relatively few and concentrated in two distinct periods: the early 1990s and after 2010, the years leading up to his death. In his early duo works, such as ConcertOmaggio (Dyens, 1999) which is a concerto, and Côte Nord (Dyens, 1994), Dyens began exploring the possibilities of intertwining two guitars to function as one cohesive instrument. In his later years, he returned to this exploration, culminating in Comme des Grands (2010) and Niterói (Dyens, 2012), which represents a mature synthesis of his compositional ideas for guitar duo. This study delves into the form, rhythmic and melodic structures, and techniques employed within Niterói, placing particular emphasis on the concept of merging two guitars to create a unified timbre. By expanding his musical language, originally conceived for solo guitar, into a duo context, Dyens explores the interplay and fluidity between the instruments. It is concluded that the work represents an advanced pedagogical approach intended for professional guitarists, requiring an ideal performance where both guitarists achieve perfect synchronization and a unified musical understanding. Niterói can be seen as a significant contribution to the guitar duo repertoire, and this analysis aims to highlight its importance in the context of guitar pedagogy and performance practice.
Keywords : Roland Dyens, Niterói, gitar ikilisi, müzikal analiz, Hocket tekniği, pedagojik eserler