{TABLE} Fantasia Op 30 ...................... Sor Sonata in A minor BWV 1003 .......... Bach Equinox (1993) ...................... Takemitsu Cordoba; Torre Bermeja; Zambra ...... Albeniz {/TABLE} IT has been said that Bach's music is the least instrument orientated of any and those of his works that have been taken into the guitar repertoire more than hold their own against the competition. When Dublin Guitar Week 97 is over, Thomas Muller Pering's performance of Bach's Sonata in A minor may well be considered one of the highlights.

Sor's Fantasia Op. 30, though specially written for the guitar and hence a suitable piece for opening Sunday's midday recital in the Lane Gallery, is a tuneful piece that chatters along - a superior sort of salon music - and the player wisely let it do just that, with nice clean controlled finger work. Bach's Sonata belongs to a different world - he was, to say the least, more resourceful than Sor - and Muller Pering was able to express the full emotional and intellectual weight of the work.

Takemitsu's Equinox characteristically shows a Japanese mind playing with Western musical procedures and one needs to be in a receptive frame of mind to appreciate its surprising apereus. The player was in sympathy with its enigmatic structure and was most persuasive in his interpretation.

Albeniz's topographical piano pieces are obviously inspired by Spanish guitar music; so they are obvious candidates for guitar transcriptions, and they work surprisingly well as such, though they inevitably lack the opulence of the originals. On this occasion they could not help sounding a bit shallow after the Bach and the Takemitsu.