Special offer. Vesper
Adès - Birtwistle - Dillon
Sean Shibe (guitar)
Awards:
-
Gramophone Magazine, May 2026, Editor's Choice
You find yourself marvelling at what Shibe can do with two hands and six strings in the space of one bar - the micro-achievement of his articulation, colouring and mastering of that fragile...
Special offer. Vesper
Adès - Birtwistle - Dillon
Sean Shibe (guitar)
Purchase product
Awards:
-
Gramophone Magazine, May 2026, Editor's Choice
You find yourself marvelling at what Shibe can do with two hands and six strings in the space of one bar - the micro-achievement of his articulation, colouring and mastering of that fragile...
About
Sean Shibe’s fifth PENTATONE album, 'Vesper', presents a striking collection of contemporary guitar works by the late Harrison Birtwistle, James Dillon, and Thomas Adès, all composed by musicians who do not play the instrument themselves. Recorded here for the first time, these recent miniatures explore the guitar’s expressive range in profoundly different ways: ritualistic and evocative in Birtwistle, elemental in Dillon, and allusive in Adès. Shibe’s interpretations reveal the instrument’s extraordinary colour, subtlety, and capacity for transformation, bringing each work to life with imagination and nuance.
Contents and tracklist
- Arr. for Guitar by Forbes Henderson
- Sean Shibe
- Arr. for Guitar by Forbes Henderson
- Sean Shibe
- Arr. for Guitar by Forbes Henderson
- Sean Shibe
Spotlight on this release
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Sean Shibe on Vesper
25th May 2026
The Scottish guitarist discusses his new album of works by Thomas Adès, Harrison Birtwistle and James Dillon, released on Pentatone last month.
Awards and reviews
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Gramophone MagazineMay 2026Editor's Choice
May 2026
You find yourself marvelling at what Shibe can do with two hands and six strings in the space of one bar - the micro-achievement of his articulation, colouring and mastering of that fragile resonance; the macroachievement, the depths he plumbs, on his instrument, with these miniature stories.
17th April 2026
...this thoughtfully curated programme can be equally enjoyed piece by piece as a series of mind-expanding flights of fancy. ...In Vesper (for Henry Purcell), Adès reimagines the consolation of the older composer’s Evening Hymn. Shibe’s playing throughout is acutely articulate and technically impeccable…
29th April 2026
Adès’ Forgotten Dances [is] a modern variant of the 17th-century baroque suite, excitingly fusing past and present with a panache and sensitivity further enlarged by Shibe’s virtuosity...The album’s final magic ingredient is Pentatone’s excellent recording: wonderfully vivid, warm and clear.
