This recording brings together two undisputed 20th century masterpieces and one from the 21st, all of which share surprising stories of neglect. With its sublime Adagio, Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez has become a true phenomenon in the history of Western music, but like the original version of Frank Martin’s extraordinarily powerful Guitare it suffered disapproval from its dedicatee Andrés Segovia. Echoes of Rodrigo can be heard in the cinematic romanticism of Leo Brouwer’s Concierto de Benicàssim, described by the composer as “a panorama of my own ideas” and revived here by Miguel Trápaga a decade after its première.

A survey of early 20th century classical guitar artists from South America. Most are first time releases since they were first issued on 78 rpm. Featured artists include Andres Segovia, Nelly Ezcaray, Maria Luisa Anido, Agustin Barrios, Julio Martinez Oyanguren, Lalyta Almiron, Abel Carlevaro, Miguel Llobet, Maria Angelica Funes, and Ramon Ayestaran: guitars.

The classical guitarist is normally imagined as a solitary figure performing on stage. We think of Andres Segovia appearing as a soloist for over 80 years.. But guitarists have not only been soloists. As a teenager, Segovia himself was a member of a "pulso y pua" ensemble of lauds and bandurrias, the Quinteto Albeniz, and he commissioned concertos and chamber works from contemporary composers. Volume 15 of Segovia and His Contemporaries presents the live 1939 world premiere of the maestro performing Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Concerto in D. This historic broadcast is buttressed by rare recordings of the Trio Albeniz, Angel Barrios' Cuarteto Iberia, German Lago's Orquesta Ibérica de Madrid, and Francisco Collado's' Orquesta Guitarristica.