Welcome to ‘Dodd’s Discoveries’, a review series from NativeDSD Senior Music Reviewer Bill Dodd. This series focuses on Bill’s latest selections, with new reviews regularly. And the best part… the albums featured in the most current review will be available at a reduced price! Click the button below to see all of Dodd’s Discoveries and to find the current album(s) on sale.
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![840 [Pure DSD]](https://media.cdnb.nativedsd.com/storage/nativedsd.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/20134710/COBRA0084.jpg "COBRA0084.jpg")
This is one of the best “Discoveries” I’ve made so far! 840, with guitarist Enno Voorhorst, is a wonderful album! The artistry is superb, the music program couldn’t be better, and the recording quality is the best I’ve heard for a solo guitar. I’m not alone in saying it will seem like Voorhorst is in the room with you.
From Enno Voorholst’s introduction: “On this album, all tracks are somehow related to the music by Erik Satie; five of them are arrangements of his piano works… The influence of Satie on French music is not to be underestimated…” And it’s these influences that come to light on the works on the album from other composers.
The 840 title refers to the number written above the score of Satie’s Vexations. Indicates the number of repeats of this piece– It would take over 16 hours to perform it this way, so I think we can assume Satie sense of the absurd is showing here. Once is delightful! To take it even further, John Cage’s 4’33’’ is track number 20 on the album. This is not the only album it appears on, and it is, in reality, simply 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence. People can argue about the merit of 4’33’’ forever, but I simply say it can be skipped, or even erased.
Otherwise, this is one of the finest guitar albums I’ve had the great pleasure of hearing. And while it’s French music that is the subject, this album makes me hope that Enno Voorholst will undertake an album of music by Cuban composer, Leo Brouwer (b1939). I think Brouwer and Satie have a lot in common.
Bottom line? If an exquisite guitar recital seems like something you’d like, don’t miss this one!
More from Enno Voorholst:
