Their musicianship is first rate...For those who value laid-back competence, the evening proved to be a rewarding success ST. Louis Post-Dispatch Quartet's rewarding show kicks off society's season From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch By Christian C. Rix / Special to the Post-Dispatch / Monday, October 7, 2002 For the St. Louis Classical Guitar Society, booking a guitar quartet is something akin to a chamber group bringing in a string orchestra -- something a bit larger and showier than normal. This makes an excellent kickoff approach for a season. The guitar society must think so too, so it chose the youthful Santa Fe Guitar Quartet to inaugurate its 40th season. Contemporary guitar performers seem to have an almost ritualistic approach to programming. The template is this: Start with more "classical" repertory then let your hair down and move on to some particular contemporary, pop or ethnic style you identify with. The Santa Fe group is no exception to this rule. It led off with works weighted toward the classical, then shifted gears (and shirts) after intermission to concentrate on jazz and tango. The more classical portion of the program was crisp and clear, with special excellence being shown in the rainy day style of "Fantasia de los Ecos" by Brouwer, and in the elaborate culmination of "Gracia" by Infante. The quartet showed its versatility post-intermission. There was a shift to the evocative and exotic "Two Romances" by the Argentine native Guastavino, a foray into jazz with "Three Pieces" by Metheny, and closing numbers and encores from Piazzolla. The Santa Fe group's use of its specialized bass guitar is pleasing and subtle. Though one may not have noticed the need for a lower range in a guitar concert, it grows on the listener slowly, making one realize what was previously missed, like a baritone voice in a vocal ensemble. The style of the quartet musicians is engaging on a personal level, but very cool and relaxed in performance. Their patter is wryly witty and mildly self-deprecating while their musicianship is first rate. They don't have to sweat, shout or beat frantically on their instruments to prove it. For those who value laid-back competence, the evening proved to be a rewarding success.