The sonatas for guitar by the Mexican composer Manuel Maria Ponce (1882-1948) demonstrate his remarkable ability to compose music inspired by a wide variety of styles. From early romantic works like Estrellita (1912) to the more complex harmonic language of his Concierto for violin (1943), Ponce displayed extraordinary versatility. Initially influenced by French modern music and late romantic works, he developed a distinctive musical language that combined romanticism, modernism, and nationalism. His collaboration with guitarist Andres Segovia resulted in his first composition for guitar, the Sonata Mexicana (1923), blending French Impressionism with Mexican folk music. During his stay in Paris from 1925 to 1932, Ponce developed an interest in Neoclassicism and Bitonality, as evidenced in his Suite bitonal for piano. Among his most significant works for guitar is Sonata III (1927), which incorporates romantic, neoclassical, and Mexican and Spanish folk elements. His guitar music was always inspired by Segovia, who suggested numerous works, including the Sonatina Meridional (1930), a tribute to Spanish musical tradition. Ponce's other notable works for guitar include the Sonata Clasica (1927), a tribute to Fernando Sor, and the Sonata Romantica (1928), inspired by Franz Schubert. These compositions further demonstrate his unique ability to blend traditional influences with his own distinctive voice. The Mexican composer wrote eight sonatas (six sonatas and two sonatinas) for guitar, two of which were lost during the looting of Segovia's apartment in Barcelona in 1936. Manuel Maria Ponce - Complete Guitar Sonatas presents for the first time the guitar sonatas in their entirety, including the surviving movements of these lost compositions and Sonata VI, a pastiche of Paganini's famous Grande Sonata for guitar. The works are performed by a group of artists under the guidance of M� Stefano Grondona, the renowned Italian guitarist.

It is indeed a pleasure to find myself writing the introduction to this record programme, the result of an extended gestation spanning more than a decade of my musical research. The common thread of this project is the search for a personal reflection in the mirror of the anthropomorphic musical instrument par excellence, the human voice. Finding a parallelism between vocal cords and guitar strings, by arranging originally vocal works. This primordial and initiatory sound in the communication between living beings is here understood as a medium that goes under the musical epidermis, towards a more anthropologically horizontal pulsation and resonance. Over the centuries, from the Gregorian chant onwards, we have witnessed a fervent “musically oriented” approach to sound and metrics, in favour of instrumental performance and dance. However, in my experience, the most effective musical expressions have always been characterised by a communicativeness that goes beyond the instrument, revealing an expressive flow that, unmediated, takes us back to the apparent naturalness of the vocal expression. Similarly, from the opposite perspective, it was enlightening for me to listen to Carmelo Bene’s recordings and discover that Valerio Binasco studied The Tempest using the metronome, to get in contact with “the musicality of speech”. The intention to interbreed with the human voice has been and still is for me an inexhaustible source of inspiration. This research, which can be extended to compositions of all epochs, is presented here in a compact version, through the arrangement of works by two authors belonging to German Romanticism.

Sean Shibe returns to the classical guitar on Profesión, bringing together works by Agustín Barrios, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Alberto Ginastera. The album derives its name from Barrios’s “Profesión de Fe” (profession of faith), a poem which he often used as a preface to his concerts. The poem references indigenous mythological deities, and praises the power of the guitar as the ultimate conduit to the secrets of the divine South-American destiny. Barrios’s La Catedral and Julia Florida are combined with Villa Lobos’s 12 Études, while Ginastera’s Sonata completes the program.

These works by South American composers begin with homage and pastiche in reverence of the Old World, but build towards a totally original idiom - musical magical realism. The repertoire is voluminous, indulging in excess, and narcotic, and as such creates a counterweight to the reserved and introspective nature of Shibe’s acclaimed classical predecessor album Camino.

This will be Shibe’s first-ever album focusing on repertoire that was originally written for the classical guitar, and he plays a Hauser copy built for Julian Bream. It was considered one of the best instruments of the 1930s, and fits the sound world of this program like a glove.

REVIEWS:

It’s an extraordinary account [of the Villa-Lobos], bursting with nuance and personality and easily rivaling Julian Bream’s classic, late-1970s version.

— Gramophone

This is a gleaming and brilliant album that doesn’t fail to awaken the senses to the exhilarating world of un-adulterated acoustic sound.

— BBC Music Magazine

The three Suites recorded on this CD (BWV 1007, BWV 1008 and BWV 1010) were transcribed for guitar by the performers themselves, following a practice customary for Bach and absolutely familiar to him (the Fifth Suite for cello has come down to us in two versions, one for cello and one for lute: we are not sure which came first). One should therefore recognise the full aesthetic legitimacy of the guitar transcription of these compositions, a practice, moreover, that has now been established for decades. This procedure is ultimately legitimised by the primacy, in Bach’s language, of the harmonic and contrapuntal dimension over their sonic realisation, a primacy that led Ferruccio Busoni, for whom the concept of “transcription” occupies a position of absolute centrality in his aesthetic thought, to transcribe for piano not only numerous compositions for organ by Thomaskantor, but also the Chaconne from the Second Partita in D minor for solo violin. With specific regard to the guitar, one cannot fail to mention the name of Andrés Segovia, who transcribed for his instrument and recorded in 1946 the highly famous Chaconne.

Spain and the guitar - an inseparable combination. Serenades of Spain goes beyond cliches, unveiling the rich musical heritage of both the country and the guitar, and takes the listener on a journey through three guitars: baroque, romantic, and classical - both solo and in duo with voice or cello. Featuring works by Spanish composers and those inspired by Spain, this album blends Flemish Renaissance court music, Baroque dances, expressive romanticism, neocasticismo, impressionistic colors, and folklore - a vibrant mosaic of Spain's musical history and the guitar.

Nominated for a GRAMMY® Award!

Tenor Karim Sulayman and guitarist Sean Shibe present Broken Branches, a conceptual album with music ranging from Dowland, Monteverdi, Britten, Rodrigo, Takemitsu, Harvey, and Chaker to traditional songs from the Middle East, scrutinizing the close cultural and musical ties between East and West. This musical exploration ties in with the artists’ personal experience of a dynamic, in-between identity, as they grew up in the West having ethnic roots in the East (Lebanon and Japan respectively). Broken Branches explores the wood of the guitar and its relatives, as well as the splintering of history known as diaspora. Karim Sulayman has garnered international attention as a sophisticated and versatile artist, and won a Grammy Award for Classical Solo Vocal in 2019. Multi-award-winning guitarist Sean Shibe brings a fresh and innovative approach to the traditional classical guitar, while also exploring contemporary music and repertoire for electric guitar. He continues his exclusive collaboration with PENTATONE after his well-received Camino (2021) and Lost & Found (2022).

REVIEWS:

It’s a thoughtful and idiosyncratic project, one carried through in several arrangements and realizations by the two musicians that blur the line between song and art song into something broadly ‘folkish’.

-- Gramophone

This is an eclectic album, built on friendship, which explores the performers’ own sense of identity, memory, diaspora, often in their own arrangements. Sulayman, a Lebanese-American singer, light-voiced and flexible, brings intensity to traditional Sephardic song, and new inflections to John Dowland, Claudio Monteverdi and Benjamin Britten (his six songs from the Chinese).

-- The Observer (U.K.)

Following his exploration of Spain with the music of Federico Moreno Torroba (BIS-2725), Franz Halasz now takes us to Brazil with the complete works for solo guitar by Heitor Villa-Lobos. The music of this extremely prolific composer often combines the influences of European classical music with the popular and traditional music of his homeland, which he played from an early age. The twelve etudes, thoroughly modern, are to the guitar what Chopin's etudes are to the piano. Andres Segovia put it perfectly: 'They present, at the same time, formulas of an amazing efficiency for the development of two-handed technique, and disinterested musical beauty.' In contrast, the Suite populaire bresilienne and Choros No. 1 reflect the composer's youthful experiences as a 'choro' musician playing Brazilian street music, and offer a fusion of the characteristics of traditional music. Finally, the five Preludes return to Brazilian folklore, of which they offer a synthesis in the form of five tableaux inspired by the popular repertoire. This recording also features two rarities: the recently discovered Valse-Choro and the unfinished Valsa Concerto No. 2, completed by Debora Halasz. An evocative blend of syncopated rhythms, exotic harmonies, sensual melodies... and guitaristic flamboyance!

The idea of developing a project on Bolognese composers for guitar has been more and more appealing to me, as my activity of ensemble guitarist increased; an activity which I had firmly chosen in accordance with the 1970s' ideals regarding collective work. I have always found this way of making music more rewarding and useful than soloistic work, which I still perceive as self-referential; especially in the field of contemporary music, very self-referential per se. Within programmes structured even for large ensembles, I have often found myself proposing pieces for soloists, sometimes very beautiful, either by young authors at the beginning of their career or by renowned composers who often belonged to the Bolognese music environment. However, what I have always found somewhat absurd is that those compositions, prepared with care, sometimes for prestigious events such as "Chigiana Novit�", were often first and last ever performances. From this sort of frustration derives the choice to collect these few pieces, in order to narrate the Bolognese voice of the guitar from the 1970s to the 2020s, along an ideal itinerary of teachers and students (who became teachers themselves) starting from their forefather, Giacomo Manzoni, and to record them so that they won't be forgotten. Andrea Orsi

Segovia and His Contemporaries Volume 16 - The Guitar in Spain, Part 4: 1928-1955: This�disc highlights the classical guitar in orchestral, chamber, and duet settings. It opens with the live broadcast of the Castelnuovo-Tedesco Concerto No. 1, made on August 17, 1955 by Segovia at the Lucerne Festival. Chamber music is represented by two 1932 recordings made by Luise Walker, Miguel Llobet's student, of works by Carl Maria von Weber and Luigi Boccherini; and of particular interest are 1928 recordings by the world-renowned�Cuarteto Aguilar, �comprised of four lauds (types of Spanish lute), of works by Joaquin Turina and Renaissance composers Gabriel Mena and William Croft. The Guitar in Duo appears in rare performances by four pairings: the Canarian musicians Victor Doreste and Ignacio Rodriguez (1930), who perform�Capricho Arabe, �Sevilla�and a�Folias Canarias;�the Argentinean duo of Antonio Sinopoli and his daughter Nelida (1932), who play a milonga and vidalita penned by the father; the Mallorcan Bartolome Calatayud, a student of Tarrega, and the Catalan Graciano Tarrago (1936), who assay a�popular Mallorcan dance�So de pastera�and Joan Maria Thomas'�Festa de Sant Antoni; and lastly another Argentinean duo, Consuelo Mallo Lopez and Maria Herminia Antola (1937), who conclude with�Mozart's 'Minueto de la Sinfonia No. 39' and Galluzzo's�Romanza No. 2.

Introducing the enchanting sounds of lutenist David Bergmüller. Immerse yourself in a musical journey with his captivating solo recital. With a repertoire carefully handpicked, David's music unveils a realm of intricate melodies and serene tones that resonate close to silence. Each note carries a meditative character that transcends time. This album's music acts as a soothing antidote in a world constantly bombarded with stimulation. It effortlessly captivates our senses, offering a peaceful sanctuary amidst the chaos. Drawing from the rich tradition of French lute music, David Bergmüller adds his unique touch with skillful arrangements that breathe new life into the compositions. Experience the magic of this exceptional collaboration, where centuries-old melodies blend seamlessly with David's artistic vision. Prepare to be spellbound by the beauty of this repertoire that continues to fascinate and provide a much-needed counterpoint to our overstimulated lives.

Inspired by the power and clarity of an extraordinary instrument handcrafted by a legendary guitarrero from Granada, guitar virtuoso Stephen Marchionda presents his very own personal versions of Bach's Sonata in A Minor and the Suite in E Major; and together with the Lute Suite BWV 997 he has created an album that masterfully combines polyphonic intimacy with sonorous opulence.

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's 36-year collaboration with the legendary guitarist Andres Segovia resulted in 35 works featuring the guitar, including three concertos, several large cycles and numerous shorter pieces. Castelnuovo-Tedesco first met Segovia at a festival in Venice in 1932 and composed a new work for the legendary guitarist almost every year afterwards. Among the towering masterpieces in guitar literature is Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Platero y Yo (Platero and I), a cycle of consisting of 28 settings, arranged into four groups of seven-movement suites with a total playing time of 1 hour and 49 minutes. Originally conceived as an accompaniment for a recitation of selections from the Nobel Prize-winning Catalan poet Juan Ramon Jimenez's collection of poetic sketches of the same name, the composer gave his permission for the work to be performed without spoken text, which is how it is performed here. You can read Jimenez's texts in English translation while listening to the music and enjoying the wonderful illustrations for each movement by the award-winning artist Halfdan Pisket, especially commissioned for this recording. In preparation for bringing this masterwork to life, internationally acclaimed, multi prize-winning Danish guitarist Niklas Johansen not only studies the Spanish language to appreciate Jimenez'sprose-poems in their native language, but travelled to Spain, not far from Jimenez's hometown of Moguer. The close relationship with the language and culture has lent Johansen's interpretations a personal resonance. This album was recorded in Fredensborg Palace Chapel by the Danish masters of sound, Preben Iwan and Mette Due who beautifully captured the exceptional acoustics. We wish to express our sincere thanks to His Majesty King Frederik X, who personally granted us permission to record in Fredensborg Palace Chapel.

Juan Ramon Jimenez is the author of the famous poetic prose in 138 short episodes, Platero y yo, which he wrote in 1914. Spokesman of the simplicity of life and poet with a strong sensitivity, he tells a story, imbued with a classic sense of form and at the same time "moral," of his return to the land of his childhood and of his encounter with the donkey, Platero. The images that the poet shows us through the eyes of the young donkey are those of a typical Spanish landscape made of scenes of uncontaminated and pure life. From the fairy-tale adventure of these pages full of pure poetry, love and nostalgia one doesn't doesn't leave untouched. The reader that follows the narrative ends up finding himself with a child's gaze full of wonder and overcome by the affection of this magical journey. Castelnuovo-Tedesco, therefore, recognized the value of this work and chose to set some of the scenes to music, not for guitar and sung voice (principally) but for guitar and narrator. It is evident after reading the literary pieces that the criteria for his selection was the aesthetic contents and the evident "translatability" of the contents into a purely musical language. Guitarist Stephen Figoni and the voices of Laura Aguzzoni and Olimpia Pizzol guide us into the simple, enchanted world evoked by the two great artists' contributions.

Aarhus – or Aros as the town was called in Viking times, is one of the oldest cities in Denmark and was first settled around the 8th century. Its name means “the mouth of the river”, referring to the town’s location by the mouth of Aarhus Å (Aarhus River). Owing to its central location, Aarhus enjoyed generations of peace and prosperity and is popularly known as Smilets By (City of Smiles). It is the Danish city with the youngest demographics and home to Scandinavia’s largest university, Aarhus University.

From this vibrant environment emerge the young guitarists Simon Wildau and Mikkel Egelund, who, in honor of their hometown, call themselves the Aros Guitar Duo. The Duo has garnered several 1st Prizes in international competitions for Guitar Duos, including Liectensteiner Guitarrentage Ligita, Omiš Guitar Fest (Croatia), and Fiuggi International Guitar Festival (Italy).

The Aros Guitar Duo presents six works composed especially for them in the years 2018-2021. Each composer was given the singular task of incorporating the theme of Morten Børup’s 500-year-old ode "In vernalis temporis", a melody that has been played by the town carillon since 1948 and has become the official melody of Aarhus. This CD, and the entire project, is a loving tribute to the city of Aarhus. It features a grand suite in six movements by six very different composers, all of whom have a connection to the city of Aarhus. Despite differences in ages and circumstances, composers Asger Agerskov Buur, Martin Lohse, Peter Bruun, Rasmus Zwicki, John Frandsen, and Wayne Siegel have jointly created a shimmering sonic portrait of Denmark’s second-largest city and the diversity of the contemporary music scene in Denmark.

Giuseppe Mazzini, the greatest revolutionary of the 19th century in Europe, was very passionate about music, he attended theaters and organized an annual concert to support the Italian School he founded in London. He published a very interesting “Philosophy of music” in Paris in 1836 and, as we know from the letters to his mother written in periods of exile from Italy, he loved to play the guitar.

His three guitars, appearing for the first time together in a single recording, are preserved in his birthplace in Genoa, today Museo del Risorgimento – Istituto Mazziniano, at the Istituto Storico Nazionale Domus Mazziniana in Pisa, where he died, and in the private collection preserved in Milan by Marco Battaglia. The album includes a varied and fascinating repertoire of original music by Niccolò Paganini, Luigi Moretti, Giulio Regondi and Luigi Legnani, a song specifically mentioned in a letter from Mazzini, a theme by Giovanni Pacini varied by Mauro Giuliani, also author of a potpourri that includes parts of works by Gioachino Rossini, and a fantasy on Verdi's Traviata, elaborated by Caspar Joseph Mertz.

Mainstays of Spanish and South American guitar music in a rediscovered rare recording In Prague at the turn of September and October 1969, for four days Supraphon's legendary Domovina studio was the home of the 37-year-old Konrad Ragossnig. The guitarist was in top form; he had studied in Spain under Andres Segovia, the "king of the classical guitar", had won the ORTF competition in Paris, and was teaching guitar in Basel at the Musik-Akademie and in Vienna at the Universitat fur Musik und darstellende Kunst. He was giving solo concerts and appearing with orchestras around Europe, the USA, and the Far East. Besides the classical guitar, he had also mastered the Renaissance lute when interest in early music and it's authentic interpretation was just reawakening in western Europe. His chamber music partners included tenor Peter Schreier and flautist Hans Martin Linde. Now in the Prague studio, Ragossnig returned to mainstays of Spanish and South American guitar music. Some of the pieces are written specifically for his instrument, while others (Albeniz, Granados) are piano works that first became truly famous in guitar transcriptions. In the beautiful acoustics of the Domovina Studio, the recording team captured all the superb qualities (beauty of tone, flawless technical brilliance, subtle inflections of rhythm, dynamics, and articulation) that make his playing and this recording special. Over half a century later, this recording remains a rare gem documenting the guitar literature.

Modern guitar music, played by one of the best German guitarists with a particular preference for music of the 20th and 21st centuries

Favourite selection of virtuosic, poetic guitar solos by the Catalan maestro.

Guitarist James Akers presents Fantaisie Romantique – a collection of premier recordings of significant works by little-known Eastern European guitarist composers of the nineteenth century. With many of the works based on popular pieces of the day, including opera arias and folk melodies, it gives them an accessibility that belies their obscurity and underpins their virtuosity. Having been neglected for over a century this recording attempts a reassessment of these composers and their work employing period instruments and techniques to render them as sympathetically and accurately as possible.

In 2009, a large collection of guitar music from the Gitarristische Vereinigung Munchen ('Munich Guitar Society') was rediscovered in an attic in Munich. The collection included many significant works for guitar that have been hidden from view for decades. Many of these works are by neglected composers whose names are deserving of exploration and revival. Wilhelm Schmoelzl's Introduction und Variationen exists on the threshold between Classicism and Romanticism, while Adam Darr's perfectly realised Sonata is notable for it's striking use of Alpine folk music. The programme concludes with Carl Kamberger's witty and surprising Grand Fantasy, with it's multitude of quoted themes and unconventional techniques.

Christina Sandsengen is an educated classical concert guitarist, and has performed in concert halls around the world. Solace is her debut album as a composer and the album highlights her technical skills as well as a wide range of contrasts, emotions and feelings. Sometimes dark and dramatic, then suddenly brighter and melodic. Christina says: “The classical guitar is the key to my unconscious world of emotions and thoughts, and so I put the classical guitar in the center and use different soundscapes and elements to highlight or enhance the colors and the expressions from the guitar, and I use a lot of imitation of church bells played on the guitar to capture the empty and painful feeling of a funeral.” The album consists of 13 tracks and invites the listener on a personal musical journey from dark and light, grief, passion, and pain. The melodic language of the music are similar to Norwegian folk music. Fredrik Falk has produced the album and also contributes with piano and soundscapes. Recorded by Ole Teigen in Crowtown recordings and mastered by Kenneth Amundsen. Artwork by Nihil.

Diversions is delighted to present the January 2026 release of Bach Lute Suites for Alto Guitar, from the Finnish guitarist Vesa Lassila. Even today, it's unclear whether Bach's Lute Suites were written for a lute-harpsichord, or even a harp. While the works have been recorded many times on the modern guitar, in Water Through Ice, guitarist Vesa Lassila presents his own arrangements for the the alto guitar. Lassila states, "With a little imagination, one can easily view the alto guitar as the modern instrument version of the baroque alto lute." The alto guitar on the recording features an instrument created by Finnish luthier Keijo Krelin in 2009, and provides a rich and powerful bass register alongside a light descant and clear voice, bridging the gap between modern sounds and historic authenticity. Water through Ice also includes arrangements for alto guitar of two Suites Bach originally composed for solo violin, but which were later transcribed or arranged by him for lute-harpsichord. "As a musician, the possibilities of the alto guitar opened a wider range of bass lines, meaning that unlike when performing Bach on the modern guitar," says Lassila, "one doesn't have to reduce the rich voice in the lower register but can instead employ the full two octaves as were written for the lute. The shorter scale of the fretboard allows for more open solutions in the fingerings and articulations in order to better bring out Bach's glorious counterpoint." These beautiful, intricate and technically demanding works continue to inspire musicians today because of their exceptional quality. Lassila traces Bach's well-planned musical narrations throughout the Suites to bring forth a poetic, musical journey, that "moves as water runs through ice, with musical diversions adding to the harmonious journey." Vesa Lassila is a Finnish guitarist who grew up in the city of Ylivieska. He began to play guitar at the age of twelve and little later began to take lessons with Jorma Styng. Lassila studied classical guitar in Helsinki and Oulu Conservatory with guidance from Timo Korhonen, Ismo Eskelinen and Ilkka Virta, also with Jan Olof Ericsson in Pite� Music Hogskola in Sweden. He has taken part in masterclasses held by Oscar Ghiglia, Jukka Savijoki and Roberto Aussel. Lassila works as a guitar professor at the Institute of Music in Ylivieska, in northern Finland.

Recorded in 1985 at the International Guitar Festival in Liège, maestro Astor Piazzolla (the mentor of modern tango) is joined by Argentinean guitarist Cacho Tirao, Cuban bandleader and guitarist Leo Brouwer (here conducting the Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), Belgian flautist Marc Grauwels, and Guy Lukowski, the guitarist and the Festival’s Artistic Director/Producer who initiated this musical work. Their programme begins with an extraordinarily sensitive performance of the Adios Nonino requiem by the virtuoso bandoneon player, containing notably the first performance of his “Histoire du Tango”. The recording closes with Cacho Tirao’s wonderful piece “Concerto de Buenos Aires”. Frémeaux & Associés is proud to be associated with Guy Lukowski in making this masterly recording available to the public again. It is without a doubt one of the finest moments that the tango has given us. Augustin Bondoux/Patrick Frémeaux

Ferdinando Carulli was amongst the most important Italian guitarist-composers during the first half of the 19th century, and his Guitar Method, Op. 27 is still in use today. Marcello Fantoni's first volume of Carulli Rediscovered (Dynamic 7956) was awarded the Chitarra d'Oro Prize for best guitar album of the year in Italy in 2023, and this second volume features world premiere recordings of rarely performed works. These range from the complex Grande Sonatas to three lively Neapolitan-style Ouvertures, Op. 6 [a] brought by Carulli from Italy to his new home in Paris. The album concludes with the brief but delightfully melancholy etude in B minor, Op. 192.

GEORG GULYaS PLAYS JOSe /TURINA / DE FALLA