Byline: BY JEFF MANOOKIAN SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

Classical guitarist Michael Lucarelli presented a solo recital Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Salt Lake City. Opening his varied program with four pieces by Brazilian composer Annibal Augusto Sardinha, he evoked South American imagery.

``Lullaby'' and ``Andecy'' by Andrew York were shaded with a contagious intimacy. While a sonata by Fernando Sor bore a crispness. Lucarelli can ``change gears'' from style to style to characterize the composers he serves.

Manuel de Falla's ``Homenage'' was a somber tribute to the memory of Claude Debussy. The performer gave his listeners numerous colorations of sounds and effects. A tarantella by the Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco was a technically replete display which Lucarelli infused with an impetuousness and frenzy.

``A Whisper to the Wind'' showcased Lucarelli's real talent as a composer. The chantlike musical offering found the performer in top technical form.

A triptych of pieces by American composers Charlie Byrd, George Gershwin and Brian Head with roots in jazz harmonies and rhythms found a delightful chord with Lucarelli's sizable audience.
John Duarte's ``Su Cosa'' is a blues-infused work which transported the crowd to a smoke-filled nightclub.

A highlight of the evening came in form of a variation treatment of the familiar Japanese melody ``Sakura'' (``Cherry Blossom'') by Yuquijiro Yocoh. Lucarelli's cascading fingers elicited a subtle electricity. His deadly accurate artificial harmonics held his listeners spellbound.

Lucarelli the composer made a return for the recital's conclusion. ``Untitled Dream'' and ``Greenlight'' were as formidable as Lucarelli's earlier original opus. His works are deceptively complex rhythmically and show an original twist on minimalism. They are energy-ridden and elicited a rousing response from a respectful audience.

Jeff Manookian, Intermountain Chamber Orchestra conductor, is The Tribune's music critic.