Amerita Chamber Players with Allen Krantz

But the fact that his guest appearances have become regular events is the very thing that makes them remarkable. Mezzo-soprano Suzanne DuPlantis wasn’t engaging in hyperbole when she called Krantz a “major regional resource” during a Lyric Fest art song concert. In addition to his guitar work, Krantz is a composer with a long list of commissions; a teacher and raconteur who presents some of the pre-concert lectures that accompany Philadelphia Orchestra programs; and a member of the board that presides over the Mt. Gretna summer music festival.

His appearance with the Ameritas was a good example of the flair and style Krantz adds to chamber concerts. In three of the four pieces that included his instrument, the guitar played an ensemble role, supporting the instrumental blend and adding flashes of its special personality when the composer moved it to the foreground. In the trio that ended the first half, Nancy Bean’s violin and Lloyd Smith’s cello occupied the spotlight, but the guitar provided an evocative, indispensable background for their solos and romantic duets.

The fourth item was a Paganini Romanza for violin and guitar that gave the audience a look at Krantz’s abilities as a soloist. Paganini was a guitar virtuoso, in addition to his legendary prowess as a violinist, and the guitar takes the top role in this piece, with the violin acting as its accompanist. Krantz chivalrously offered his guitar to Nancy Bean, in case she didn’t want to play a secondary role, and she responded by pointedly offering him her violin.

Nuanced expressiveness

For me, Krantz’s great virtue as a guitarist is the nuanced expressiveness that colors everything he does. His fingers can evoke moonlit courtyards and light-footed dances when that’s required, and deeper emotional shadings when he turns to works like the Bach pieces that have been transcribed for the guitar.

The finale on the Amerita program was a guaranteed rouser — Boccherini’s “Fandango” quintet for guitar and strings. Boccherini was a cellist, and the cellist steals the show in the final Spanish dance movement that gives the quintet its name. The cellist switches to the castanets for some interludes and engages in a wild cello technique in which the strings are whipped instead of bowed.

I’ve heard Krantz play the quintet with a number of groups over the years, but Davyd Booth’s introduction made me see it in a new light. Booth pointed out that Boccherini had a talent for creating unusual effects, such as military sounds, with the strings.

Viewed with that information in mind, the quintet becomes a battle piece. The opening Pastorale movement evokes a peaceful countryside, with bird songs and peasant dances. In the middle movement, the cello (!) imitates a bugle playing reveille and you can hear marches and the clatter of combat. And the final movement becomes a celebration by the survivors.

It’s one of the best liked pieces in the chamber repertory, and you shouldn’t feel downhearted if you missed this performance. You’ll get a second chance on Monday, March 9 when 1807 & Friends plays it. With Allen Krantz as their guest.