TYRANNIDE was conceived from the desire to explore the theme of cante jondo as a universal expressive archetype, not confined to the Spanish tradition but deeply rooted in human nature. It's primordial character - often expressed through the insistence of the semitone and microtonal inflections - becomes a symbol of the human condition, forced to confront suffering, death, and their inexorable musical reflection. A tyranny, indeed: that of a lament that does not belong to a single people or era, but which runs through the history of music, re-emerging in the form of appoggiaturas, suspended tensions, and melodic lines filled with longing. Cante jondo, originally connected with Andalusian flamenco, thus becomes, in the programme of this recording, a universal musical principle, capable of manifesting itself even in languages far removed from the Spanish tradition. The programme includes two works never previously recorded: Cantar de mio Cid by the French composer Jean-Dominique Krynen and the Concerto Trois Graphiques by Maurice Ohana in it's original arrangement for guitar and piano. Around these two central works unfolds a musical journey that places cante jondo in dialogue with different historical and stylistic contexts, revealing it's surprising expressive continuity.
The album consists of five triptychs written for solo guitar in the 20th century by composers representing various areas of musical culture. The album opens with a work by Tansman, which references the compositions of Frédéric Chopin. Rodrigo's composition strictly follows his characteristic musical language, based on stylizations of dances and motifs drawn from Spanish tradition. Torroba's suite is a tribute to the music of the Castilian region, an emotional, virtuosic work with playful elements. The miniatures by Henz, with their dreamlike, meditative character, bear the mark of the versatile German composer's personal style, whose musical language combines elements of expressionism, twelve-tone technique, neoclassicism, and tonality. The final work on the album is by Barrios Mangoré, the Paraguayan guitarist and most prominent composer of his country, whose piece borders between the sacred and the profane, containing elements of Baroque virtuosity. Andrzej Grygier is one of the most outstanding classical guitarists of his generation, a laureate of prestigious guitar competitions worldwide, and this album confirms his virtuosic skill and musical sensitivity.
Preludes, dances, nocturnes and vibrant miniatures for guitar from the composer of the Concierto de Aranjuez. In the modern era, no single work embodies Spain in music more than the Concierto de Aranjuez, as Miles Davis effectively acknowledged by making his own version of it the centrepiece of his iconic Sketches of Spain album. However, Rodrigo wrote a good deal more for guitar than this ever-popular concerto. There are four more concertos, and over 20 solo works. The solo works span the entire breadth of his long career, from the Zarabanda lejana of 1926 to Dos pequenÞas fantasias (Two Little Fantasies of 1987. Rodrigo always drew on history and heritage rather than rejecting them, and many of these pieces take their inspiration from the lute and vihuela compositions of the Spanish renaissance. There is often a self-consciously antique flavour to both the gestures and harmonies. Yet many other pieces belong unmistakably to their time - such as the gripping and virtuosic Toccata of 1933, which remained hidden among the papers of the guitarist Regino Sainz de la Maza until 1997, when it was performed for the first time. Rodrigo's period of high maturity as a composer fell in the 50s and 60s, and from this period date the high points of his solo-guitar catalogue, such as the Tres piezas españolas, dedicated to Segovia, the haunting Junto al Generalife, the complex Triptico, and most of all the Invocacion y danza (homenaje a Manuel de Falla), which rapidly became a repertoire piece for guitarists after Rodrigo wrote it in 1961 for a composition competition organised by French radio. The Italian guitarist Giulio Tampalini has made several acclaimed albums for Brilliant Classics, such as a collection of the complete guitar music by Respighi and Mozzani. 'If you have ever had even the slightest inclination towards the guitar, you have to hear this this album. It is simply breathtaking. This is a guitar album for the ages, and I hope that Tampalini and Brilliant Classics will see fit to give us more.' (Fanfare, September 2017)
Tenor Haitham Haidar's debut solo album Zaytoun (meaning 'Olive' in Arabic) is a captivating collection of beautiful Baroque and Arabic songs, interlaced with poetry and musical improvisations, an exploration of the intersection between Baroque and Arabic music. Whether it be through instrumentation, ornamentation, or vocal production, Zaytoun highlights the natural connections between what we generally view as separate worlds. Haidar pairs Baroque arias and songs by Monteverdi, Purcell and Bach, with the traditional Arabic songs which were his first introduction to music. He has added arabic instrumentation to some of these Baroque standards, and even translated a Bach aria into Arabic, incorporating Arabic style into the Baroque structure. Alongside the music, are three poetry tracks (from Gibran Khalil Gibran's The Prophet) read over beautifully performed oud improvisation by Abdul-Wahab Kayyali. These tracks (prelude, intermezzo, and postlude) help present the music to follow and shape Haidar's narrative of his own immigrant story in the unique intertwining of Arabic and Baroque music. "As an Arab immigrant, life continues to be a journey of exploration of home, of belonging and this musical project encompasses all parts of my identity, allowing them to live and shine within one sphere rather than compartmentalized sections of myself." Haitham Haidar is a Lebanese-Palestinian Canadian tenor highly sought out for his musicality, "standout presence", and sensitive storytelling. He is a proud graduate of Yale's Institute of Sacred Music, McGill's Schulich School of Music, and the University of British Columbia and currently resides in Montreal, Quebec. Haitham is praised for his 'musical and linguistic versatility' and his 'bright' and 'innately lyrical voice' and enjoys performing oratorio, opera, and chamber music across North America, Europe, and Asia. His recordings as a soloist with the Conspirare and Skylark ensembles have received multiple GRAMMY® nominations.
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.
The flute concertos by Jacques Ibert, Andre Jolivet and Joaquin Rodrigo together embody a distinctive musical heritage written for the flute in the twentieth century, exploring the instrument's limits. These works are now heard together for the first time on one album. Flautist Sami Junnonen is joined by the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra under the direction of conductor James S. Kahane. The album features Ibert's 'Concerto for flute and orchestra', which is now considered to be one of the most esteemed concertos in the flute repertoire; Jolivet's virtuosic and rarely-recorded 'Concerto for flute and string orchestra'; and Rodrigo's 'Concierto pastoral for flute and orchestra', which has gained a formidable reputation among flautists for it's exceptional technical requirements.
When Christian Ferras died at age 49. his friend and colleague Yehudi Menuhin wrote that Ferras was"possessed by music, immensely talented, and of both a generous and intense temperament."
Christian Ferras was one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. Born in 1933, he was a guest soloist of the Nice Symphony orchestra in1942. In 1948 he won the First Prize at the International Scheveningen (Holland) Violin Competition and in 1949 won the top prize at the International Long-Thibaud Competition. Thereafter, he pursued a successful career as soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras and in recitals with his long time accompanist, pianist Pierre Barbizet. He recorded for EMI and from 1964 for DG where he recorded the four main repertoire violin concertos, Brahms, Sibelius, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
Fortunately, Christian Ferras left behind a rich recorded legacy, that enable us to continue to enjoy his great artistry.
The Rediscovered RCA Victor Recordings / José Iturbi
Sony Masterworks
CD
$62.96$125.98Save 50%Mar 03, 2023
This collection stands as a valuable time capsule from which one comes away with a fuller understanding of Iturbi’s prominence in American wartime and postwar culture.
The complete RCA Victor Recordings by José Iturbi from 1933 to 1953, include his piano duo recordings with sister Amparo Iturbi as well as Amparo Iturbi’s solo recordings on 16 CDs, restored and remastered from the original lacquer discs and analogue tapes using high-resolution 24 bit/192 kHz mastering technology with about 95% of the recordings appearing on CD for the first time and 23 pieces previously unreleased. As well as a new, captivating essay by Grammy-nominated singer, pianist, and music anthropologist Michael Feinstein on the life and work of José Iturbi and a photo book with previously unseen photos and facsimiles from the Iturbi Archives in Hollywood.
There was a time when classical music was a natural part of Hollywood. From the moments with Jascha Heifetz in They Shall Have Music (1939) to the unrivaled performances of Oscar Levant and Isaac Stern in Humoresque (1946). In its Golden Era, Hollywood adorned itself with the Who's Who of classical music. Today, alongside icons such as Marylin Monroe and James Dean, the names of Leonard Bernstein, Maria Callas and Arturo Toscanini, as well as Rudolf Serkin, Joseph Szigeti, or José Iturbi were immortalized on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. This edition is a loving homage to Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s, made possible through the generous support of the José Iturbi Foundation and the Hollywood Museum Board of Directors, who contributed to the lavish restoration of many previously lost unpublished recordings. The publication was also made possible by contributions of singer, pianist, and music archivist Michael Feinstein, the Ambassador for the Great American Songbook.
REVIEW:
During the 1940s and 1950s the “World’s Most Popular Classical Pianist” mantle fell comfortably upon José Iturbi (1895-1980). His recognition as a radio personality led to a movie career that yielded ten feature films between 1943 and 1951 where the pianist mostly starred as himself. Yet for all of Iturbi’s renown, he was hardly a poseur. He worked with Wanda Landowska in Paris, and gave Stravinsky’s Piano Rag Music its world premiere, as well as the first complete Carnegie Hall performance of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes.
He also conducted. When Eugene Ormandy assumed the Philadelphia Orchestra’s music directorship in 1936, his chief rival for the position was Iturbi, who wound up taking charge of the Rochester Philharmonic that same year. Once Hollywood beckoned, however, Iturbi became the brunt of intellectual critics, who basically wrote him off as a sell-out and an artistic lightweight.
Time, of course, brings perspective, and Sony/BMG’s lavishly produced 16-CD collection containing Iturbi’s complete RCA Victor recordings invites a fairly thorough examination of the musician behind the personality, plus an opportunity to reassess a largely forgotten body of recorded work. A 188-page coffee table book contains photos in abundance, with all original-jacket artwork represented, including the most politically incorrect cover art ever to grace Dvorák’s “New World” symphony. We get complete session and release discographies, an Iturbi filmography, plus a brilliant in-depth biographical essay by Michael Feinstein, who co-produced this collection with Robert Russ.
It’s a pity that the session discography is not cross-referenced to corresponding CD tracks, not to mention the absence of a discography by composer. This makes it difficult to navigate the contents with ease, especially in works that Iturbi recorded more than once. For example, it took some sleuthing on my part to discover that Discs 5 and 11 each contained the Liszt Liebestraum No. 3, Schumann Arabeske, Debussy Reverie, and Chopin Polonaise in A-flat Op. 53, and that the performances were not identical.
With few notable exceptions, Iturbi’s solo recordings mostly consist of short, encore-length pieces. He’s especially at home in Spanish music: Iturbi’s accentuation, phrasing, and timing throughout Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance define perfection, while he shapes Granados’ Spanish Dance No. 2 (“Oriental’) with sensitivity and tenderness. Classical selections also stand out for Iturbi’s bracing articulation. True, the outer movements of his Mozart K. 331 and 332 sonata recordings are overly facile and insufficiently inflected when measured alongside contemporaneous Mozartean rivals like Schnabel, Gieseking, Fischer, and Haskil. Yet the sheer evenness and poised symmetry of Iturbi’s finger-work easily explains why pianists like Julius Katchen and William Kapell praised his Mozart.
Iturbi also revels in the Haydn C major Theme and Variations’ sly wit. By contrast, introspection and sobriety characterize Iturbi’s measured unfolding of Beethoven’s Andante favori. Similar gravitas elevates Paderewski’s Minuet in G to near-masterpiece status. Iturbi’s virtuosic glitter befits his dashing Saint-Saëns Allegro appassionato more than in his glib Liszt Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este.
Iturbi’s Chopin hits and misses. His Mazurkas lack the ardency and rhythmic snap that distinguishes a Second Scherzo that gets better as it progresses. Also note the pianist’s dotting the duple rhythms in the A-flat Polonaise’s main theme that Horowitz, Rubinstein, and Lhevinne play straight on their rival RCA versions.
The later recordings reveal Iturbi’s pianism losing some of its erstwhile luster and subtlety, possibly exaggerated by the close microphone placement and twangy patina typical of late 1940s/early 1950s piano recordings stemming from RCA’s Hollywood recording studio. For example, the two Debussy Arabesques recorded in New York in 1939 have a supple elegance missing in their glassy-sounding 1950 Hollywood counterparts (sound clips). The blustery, hard-toned, and harshly engineered Liszt Concerto No. 1, Mendelssohn Concerto No. 1, and Beethoven Concerto No. 3 were non-starters in their day, with the piano way up in the mix, relegating the crackerjack RCA Symphony musicians to doormat status. Still, the Mendelssohn’s outer movements feature some of Iturbi’s most scintillating pianism on disc.
While Iturbi’s two-piano distribution of the solo part of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is surprisingly effective and discreet, he and his pianist sister Amparo turn in a crass, alternately whipped up, and sappily sentimentalized interpretation. Works of Mozart, Debussy, and Milhaud better represent their dazzling ensemble rapport, but again, the boxy, claustrophobic engineering undermines their efforts. Similar dryness typifies Amparo’s idiomatic solo recordings of Spanish repertoire. Still, it’s nice to have her rare 1954 Granados Goyescas back in circulation, although it pales alongside Alicia de Larrocha’s far more nuanced and texturally differentiated interpretation from the following year.
The collection also showcases Iturbi’s work on the podium. His 1940 Rochester Philharmonic versions of the Mozart D minor and Beethoven C minor concertos are more judiciously balanced than his orchestrally superior 1952 RCA Victor Symphony remakes. Each contains lively and engaging outer movements that flank wooden, hard-toned slow movements.
Iturbi’s 1951 Liszt Hungarian Fantasy with the Valencia Symphony Orchestra has a snarling rawness that differs from the sheen and suavity of the 1952 Arrau/Ormandy and late 1940s Solomon and Moiseiwitsch editions. As with many second-tier American orchestras in the 1940s, the Rochester Philharmonic boasted strong strings but less proficient winds and brass. Consequently, Iturbi’s Mendelssohn “Scottish” Symphony took a back seat to Mitropoulos’ powerful 1941 Minneapolis version, while the aforementioned Dvorák New World lacked the Szell/Czech Philharmonic recording’s flavorful ensemble discipline.
The prize of Iturbi’s Rochester discography is a snazzy and brilliantly turned-out Morton Gould “Latin American” Symphonette, which is surprisingly well-engineered for its 1944 vintage. Another delightful curiosity is William J. Reddick’s Espanharlem, a brief orchestral work whose quick changing moods and jazzy underpinnings wouldn’t be out of place in a Carl Stalling Bugs Bunny cartoon soundtrack. There’s also a previously unpublished recording conducted by Werner Janssen of Iturbi’s orchestral composition Soliloquy. The piece amounts to 14 and a half minutes’ worth of rambling 1940s film music clichés filtered through third-rate Lecuona. Why Iturbi is credited as piano soloist when there’s no piano to be heard is anyone’s guess!
Notwithstanding the artistic unevenness of Iturbi’s recorded output he always had the self-respect to keep his technique in world-class repair, unlike his rival classical pianist turned media personality Oscar Levant. Still, music lovers who don’t want to go the whole hog, so to speak, are directed to APR’s 2016 three-disc solo Iturbi compilation. I also hope to see Iturbi’s post-cinema EMI recordings restored. However, beyond purely musical considerations, Sony/BMG’s collection stands as a valuable time capsule from which one comes away with a fuller understanding of Iturbi’s prominence in American wartime and postwar culture.
-- ClassicsToday.com (Jed Distler)
CONTENTS:
Mozart: Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra No. 10 in E flat, K365
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K466
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, S124
Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Chambers, J C: All American
Gould, M: Symphonette No. 4 'Latin-American'
Reddick: Espanharlem
Iturbi: Soliloquy
Mozart: Sonata for 2 pianos in D major, K448
Chabrier: Trois Valses Romantiques
Iturbi: Spanish Dance
Debussy: En blanc et noir
Milhaud: Scaramouche, suite for two pianos, Op. 165b
Nepomuceno: La siesta
Infante: Guadalquivir
Infante: Sevillana
Debussy: Suite bergamasque: Clair de lune
Liszt: Liebestraum, S541 No. 3 (Nocturne in A flat major)
Debussy: Rêverie
Beethoven: Für Elise (Bagatelle in A minor, WoO59)
Schumann: Arabeske in C major, Op. 18
Debussy: Deux arabesques, L. 66
Falla: Dance of Terror (from El amor brujo)
Rachmaninoff: Prelude Op. 3 No. 2 in C sharp minor
Liszt: Les jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Este, S. 163 No. 4)
Falla: Ritual Fire Dance (from El amor brujo)
Saint-Saëns: Allegro appassionato, Op. 70
Albéniz: Malagueña (No. 3 from Espana, Op. 165)
Chopin: Étude Op. 10 No. 12 in C minor ‘Revolutionary'
Chopin: Polonaise No. 6 in A flat major, Op. 53 'Héroïque'
Debussy: Estampe No. 3 - Jardins sous la pluie
Schumann: Romance in F sharp major, Op. 28 No. 2
Chopin: Prelude Op. 28 No. 9 in E major
Chopin: Prelude Op. 28 No. 10 in C sharp minor
Chopin: Prelude Op. 28 No. 15 in D flat major ‘Raindrop'
Chopin: Nocturne No. 9 in B major, Op. 32 No. 1
López-Chavarri: El viejo castillo moro
Iturbi: Cancion de cuna
Granados: Orientale (No. 2 from 12 Danzas españolas)
Chopin: Mazurka No. 6 in A minor, Op. 7 No. 2
Chopin: Mazurka No. 7 in F minor, Op. 7 No. 3
Chopin: Mazurka No. 24 in C major, Op. 33 No. 3
Chopin: Mazurka No. 27 in E minor, Op. 41 No. 2
Chopin: Mazurka No. 25 in B minor, Op. 33 No. 4
Chopin: Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 31
Debussy: Children's Corner
Ravel: Jeux d'eau
Guastavino: Gato
Mozart: Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra No. 10 in E flat, K365
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K466
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte
Bach, J S: Passacaglia in C minor, BWV582
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K331 'Alla Turca'
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major, K332
Chopin: Impromptu No. 4 in C sharp minor, Op. 66 'Fantaisie-Impromptu'
Chopin: Waltz No. 6 in D flat major, Op. 64 No. 1 'Minute Waltz'
Chopin: Waltz No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2
Chopin: Mazurka No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 7 No. 1
Albéniz: Sevilla (from Suite Española, Op. 47)
Granados: Goyescas: Quejas ó La Maja y el Ruiseñor
Scarlatti, D: Keyboard Sonata K27 in B minor
Scarlatti, D: Keyboard Sonata K159 in C major 'La caccia'
Paradies: Toccata in A
Iturbi: Pequena danza espanola
Beethoven: Andante Favori in F, WoO 57
Albéniz: Cantos de España (5), Op. 232, No. 4
Lazăr, F: Piano Sonata No. 2 in F Minor, Op. 15: III Tempo di Marcia funebre
Krzysztof Meisinger writes of his new release: “When I was asked to write an introduction to my début album for Chandos, I wondered for a long time what it should be about. My artistic path? The key to the program selection for the album? Or maybe my subjective description of the pieces I have recorded? I decided to explain in a few words my relationship with the guitar – a difficult relationship, full of passion, but also of doubts. It all started with delight. The guitar has always been a magical instrument to me. While playing, the musician is in direct contact with the string and the sound. The players, these ‘magicians’, whose recordings fascinated me at the beginning of my musical education were Andrés Segovia and Julian Bream. Thanks to them, I understood that the guitar is the instrument of my life, and that it is to its kind that I want to devote my artistic energies.
"A little time later, I started to notice some imperfections, which made me ask different questions. Why is the guitar repertoire so small, when you compare it to that of other concert instruments? Why is the guitar not able to convey all those emotions which I want to express? It took me some time looking before I came upon the answer. And the answer was this: to turn all those ‘disadvantages’ into virtues. After all, a guitar cannot be pretentious. It is what it is, a guitar –an intimate, sublime, beautiful instrument... It is the most honest mirror of the musician. It reaches the deepest corners of the soul, and allows both the performer and the listener to touch heaven in a nasty world.”
REVIEW:
Someone will eventually write a book about how and why so many excellent guitarists emerged from Eastern Europe, a region in whose music the guitar played only a minor role. This album, the Chandos debut of Krzysztof Meisinger, is one of the best so far.
The title, Elogio de la Guitarra (or "Praise of the Guitar"), makes it sound like a spiritual essay, but in fact, this is a piece of virtuoso display. None of Meisinger's selections is even close to being a chestnut, and fans will welcome these commanding performances... Chandos backs Meisinger with excellent sound, picking up the physicality of the guitarist's performances but not loading them down with extra-musical noise. An exciting, impressive debut.
Julian Bream Live Performances & Broadcasts, Vol. 2
Doremi
CD
$40.99Sep 17, 2021
Julian Bream, who passed away in August 2020, is the finest classical guitarist in the second half of the 20th century. DOREMi is proud to release this tribute to his wonderful artistry. The program of works for lute and guitar solo and in a variety of ensemble settings, never before released, offers a remarkable panorama of Bream's magnificent playing between 1956 and 1965, including performances from the 11th, 16th, 17th, and 18th Aldeburgh Festivals, the 18th Edinburgh International Festival, a 1956 Broadcast House recital, and two studio broadcasts. The repertoire ranges from Josquin des Pres to Dowland and other Elizabethans, to Baroque lutenists, and contemporary British composers. We hear a very early version of Britten's "Nocturnal", songs accompanying Peter Pears and Carmen Prietto, a Haydn string quartet, and the Concierto de Aranjuez.
Joaquín Rodrigo, composer of the renowned Concierto de Aranjuez(Naxos 8.579053), is acknowledged as one of the great Spanish composers of the 20th century. His music extends the Romantic Impressionist tradition of Albéniz, Granados and Falla, and is inspired by the French style and color Rodrigo experienced during his studies in Paris. From the thrilling and virtuosic Elogio de la guitarra to his swan song in the Dos pequeñas fantasías, Rodrigos guitar music explores the Spanish nature of the instrument and blends tradition with innovation. Always filled with variety, contrast and compelling atmosphere, his oeuvre is now appreciated as one of the central pillars of the entire guitar repertoire. Since his concert debut at the age of six, Turkish American guitarist and composer Celil Refik Kaya has received many high accolades. He was the youngest contestant to win First Prize in the 2012 JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition, and is a prizewinner of international guitar competitions across Europe and the US. In 2017 he was named Rising Young Musician of the Year by the Donizetti Classical Music Awards in Istanbul and awarded a prestigious fellowship from Harvard Universitys Dumbarton Oaks. Kayas first recording, Jorge Morels Guitar Music was critically acclaimed by American Record Guide.
Ruiz: Behold the Stars / Kerenza Peacock, Huw Watkins, Laura van der Heijden
Signum Classics
CD
$9.99$19.99Save 50%Mar 19, 2021
Signum’s first album with Mexican composer Rodrigo Ruiz combines the composer’s musical and literary passions in performances by world-class soloists Kerenza Peacock, Huw Watkins and Laura van der Heijden. Born in Tijuana, Mexico, Ruiz has attracted commissions from a number of artists, with both the opening Violin Sonata and ‘A riveder le stelle’ commissioned by Kerenza Peacock for this recording. The second work is a duo for violin and piano that is accompanied by poetic quotations from Canto XXXIV of Dante’s Inferno. The booklet notes include an interview with the composer by Jessica Duchen, who describes how the programme “clearly shows Rodrigo´s roots in the traditions of Beethoven and Brahms, but with individual twists that clearly indicate we are in fact on new territory”.
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez / Kellermann, Karlsen, LPO, Norrbotten NEO
BIS
SACD
$21.99Jan 01, 2021
Inspired by Miles Davis’s legendary album Sketches of Spain, this project intend to conjure up Spain ‘as if through a prism - as a concept rather than a place’. Guitarist Jacob Kellermann and conductor Christian Karlsen worked with hyped young composers Francisco Coll and Pete Harden, who have each contributed a concertante work for guitar and ensemble. With Turia, Coll has returned to his roots – the dried-out river that once flowed through his (and Rodrigo’s) hometown Valencia. He has described it as his most ‘flamenco-colored’ work so far, intended to ‘evoke the light and the respective shadows’ of Spain. Turia is followed by two classics of Spanish music: Manuel de Falla’s Homenaje for solo guitar and Evocación by Isaac Albéniz, here in Karlsen’s atmospheric arrangement for ensemble. The last word on the disc goes to British composer Pete Harden. His affinity to jazz and non-classical tradition shine through Solace and Shimmer, which is based on the same chords that underpins Rodrigo’s Adagio. Kellermann enjoys strong support by the London Philharmonic Orchestra (in Concierto de Aranjuez) and the seven members of Norrbotten NEO.
REVIEW:
Kellerman has everything the Concierto de Aranjuez needs: excellent technical skills, singing tone, impulsiveness. His nail tone is relatively soft, not hard-edged; his timbral contrasts are heard more with vibrant fingertip tone. And the London Symphony has the horsepower as well as the fine soloists— especially the wonderful English horn in II—to make this a reading to remember.
Fleur de Son Classics is proud to release this stunning, debut recording of virtuoso Mexican guitarist, Ricardo Saeb. The program is a playlist of masterworks for the guitar, from the Spanish folkloric mannerisms in Aguado’s “Le Fandango”, to the metrical dichotomy of “Zephyr” by American guitarist/composer, Christopher Gainey (World Premiere Recording). The pieces herein comprise a collection of contrasting and continuously enthralling guitar music. Ricardo Saeb is enjoying an international concert career and we welcome him to the Fleur de Son Classics roster of distinguished recording artists.
Rodrigo: Soleriana / Lluna, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana
IBS Classical
CD
$17.99Jul 24, 2020
In many ways it was Joaquín Rodrigo’s own work that eclipsed the vast majority of what he composed. The international success of Concierto de Aranjuez has meant that much of the rest of his work remains relatively unknown. With this in mind, it is interesting to note that Rodrigo is one of the twentieth century’s most prolific Spanish composers, with a huge opus of around 170 works awaiting rediscovery. He is, therefore, much more than just the composer of the Concierto de Aranjuez. This album is a step along the path to bringing the composer’s other music to the public’s attention. Rodrigo had very close ties with the European Neoclassicism of the nineteen thirties which sought inspiration in the classical musical tradition. In this sense, although folkloric elements are certainly present in his music, what differentiates the composer is his ability to focus his attention on the tradition of Spanish classical music. It is this which marks him out so significantly from the generations of earlier composers who tended to seek inspiration in popular music. The Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana (OCV), leading orchestra at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, comprises international musicians, personally selected by the founder music director, Lorin Maazel, who has been leading the orchestra from 2006 to 2011. Joan Lluna has performed as a conductor-soloist with orchestras as the Manchester Camerata, Luzerne Festival Strings, Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta de Valencia, ADDA simfònica, etc.
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez & Fantasia para un gentilhombre / Xianji Liu, Amaral, ORTVE
IBS Classical
CD
$17.99Jun 19, 2020
In May 2016, I went to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez right after I was awarded the best interpretation of Joaquin Rodrigo Concertos (Special Award to the best interpretation of Fantasia para Gentilhombre granted by the Victoria and Joaquin Rodrigo Foundation). I was walking along the palace when the most ecstatic part of Concierto de Aranjuez came to my mind. I tried following the footprints of Joaquin, feeling what he might have felt at his time, experiencing a combination of Spanish historical architectures and classical music, and dreaming about playing the famous concerto at this very place someday. Joaquin Rodrigo completed his greatest masterpiece “Concierto de Aranjuez” in 1939 in Madrid, which brought him great fame as one of the greatest representatives in Spanish music spectrum, along with I. Albeniz, E. Granados, M. Falla, J. Turina. And his works helped raise the classical guitar to a historic high recognition. The two concertos in the album mean quite differently to me. It was through performing Fantasia para un Gentilhombre that I further understood Joaquin Rodrigo, as a performer myself for the first time. (Xianji Liu, winner of the 50th Franciso Tárrega International Guitar Competition in Benicàssim)
The relationship between composers and performers has been a key element in musical creation. This is the case of the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo (Sagunto, Valencia, 1901 - Madrid, 1999), who was acquainted with many prominent guitarists of his time (e.g. Emilio Pujol, Andrés Segovia, Narciso Yepes, Regino Sainz de la Maza, Pepe Romero, to name but a few). As a result of these interactions, one of the most internationally known solo guitar repertoires was created, thus making the guitar thoroughly accepted as a solo instrument with orchestra, with his C oncierto de Aranjuez (1939), Fantasía para un gentilhombre (1954), and Concierto madrigal (1966) being some of the best known. These works for guitar and orchestra are the most well-known of his catalogue and Joaquín Rodrigo owes his fame to them. However, in this album, the protagonists are other works, which, despite being less well-known, are no less relevant and have equally exalted the Spanish guitar repertoire.
Collaboration: Friedemann Wuttke Guitar Chamber Works / Various
Profil
CD
$19.99Nov 08, 2019
Friedemann Wuttke, the internationally recognised guitarist, joins forces here with his musical friends and companions. The result is an entertaining programme which not only shows the musical association of these friends, but also demonstrates how eras and nations are connected through music. A colourful collection of interesting, popular pieces has come into being. This ranges from the Renaissance to the 20th century; from Argentina to Spain. We thus arrive at a very exciting interplay between widely diverging styles and a great variety of musicians, in musical encounters that arose from two decades of international concert appearances. The guitar is joined by various contributors who are carried away by the lightness and charm that Friedemann Wuttke allows to prevail through his choice of pieces. In everything, the will of the guitarist to do justice to his instrument, to the composers, and also to the listener, is displayed in ways that are both entertaining and demanding.
Spaniard Joaquin Rodrigo is probably the most outstanding composer of guitar music of the 20th century. He composed numerous works for solo guitar and guitar duo, including some of the most substantial pieces in the classical guitar repertoire. This release from Dale Kavanagh and the State Philharmonic of Arad presents several of his works for guitar and orchestra and solo guitar. Canadian-born Dale Kavanagh is one of the guitar world’s most gifted interpreters. She has been a top prize-winner in Spain’s “Segovia Competition,” Italy’s “Gargnano Competition,” Switzerland’s “Neuchatel Competition,” and Finland’s “Scandinavian International Guitar Competition.” She performs internationally as a soloist and in the Amadeus Guitar Duo, and has given more than 1,500 concerts in more than 70 countries.
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REVIEW:
The music of Rodrigo simultaneously traverses the technical limits of the guitar and a broad emotional range; thus, it is perfect for guitarist Dale Kavanagh. Like her personality, the playing is direct and personable, while at the same time precise and deeply passionate. Having honed these works on many a concert stage, Kavanagh gives each phrase an unencumbered intention and direction that never fails to communicate to the listener.
an outstanding production for the interest of the music, and for the superb quality of both playing and recording. Manuel Ponce's concerto for Segovia has symphonic leanings... and southerly leanings, extending to authentic native tunes and sultry guitar rhythms. The combination is fascinating... Rodrigo's Fantasia benefits from the tone-colour of the guitar, enhanced further by this particularly good recording... Segovia ensures for posterity... his superlative playing (Gramophone)
(Guitar) "Yepes' cadenza is as clean and bright as a new pin, and his rapid repeated-note finish is fantastic." "I am coming to regard the Fantasia para un gentilhombre with it's gracious nobility and baroque feeling as a masterpiece to match the more famous Concierto de Aranjuez." (Harp): "Zabaleta plays most beautifully and the recording is immaculate." (Gramophone)
Rodrigo: Chamber Music with Violin / Leon, Vinokur, Luque
Naxos
CD
$9.99$19.99Save 50%Nov 11, 2016
Joaquín Rodrigo is best known for his Concierto de Aranjuez, but the fame of this great work has hidden a prolific and courageous artist who struggled against blindness and hardship, and whose luminous, optimistic music is captured here in rarely heard works for violin that span almost his entire life as a composer. The timelessly beautiful Adagio from the Sonata pimpante is indeed comparable to that of the Concierto de Aranjuez, and all of these pieces are captivating in their intense lyricism and profound originality, from the Dos ezbozos expressing childhood memories of the Parterre Gardens in Valencia, to Rodrigo’s only piece for solo violin, the Capriccio, and the vivacious and nostalgic Set cançons valencianes.
Brouwer: Concierto de Benicassim - Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez - Martin: Guitare
Naxos
CD
$19.99Apr 08, 2016
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.
Spanish Composer Joaqui?N Rodrigo (1901-99) Was One of the Foremost Guitar Composers of the 20th C. His 1939 Concierto de Aranjuez, with It's Evocative Andalusian Color, Indelible Melody and Subtle and Effective Orchestration, Is Assuredly One of the Genre's Best-Loved Works. The Passionate and Vital Concierto Andaluz Is Scored for Guitar Quartet and Orchestra, Whilst in the Concierto Madrigal Rodrigo Employs Variation Form to Brilliant Effect.
Rodrigo’s music for solo guitar is not extensive but represents an important pillar of the repertoire, ranging from vignettes to sonatas over a six-decade period. The 1933 Toccata was rediscovered in 2005 and has since provided an ambitiously virtuosic vehicle for today’s guitarists. Rodrigo flecked his works with elements of fantasy, flamenco and bird song while Un tiempo fue Itálica famosa, one of his very greatest works in the genre, is superbly impassioned. The tender Pastoral, originally for piano, is here transcribed for guitar by Jérémy Jouve whose first volume in this series (8.570286) received a three-star review (“The young French guitarist plays brilliantly”) in the Penguin Guide.
Joaquin Rodrigo's songs span the whole of his long creative life, and like much of his output is inspired by Spanish traditional music and ranges over intimate settings for piano (or guitar), chamber ensembles and full orchestral accompaniments. This set is a huge treasure trove of delightful, picturesque responses to Spanish poetry: all marked by Rodrigo's ready gift for melody and ear for instrumental colour.
Rodrigo: Concierto De Aranjuez, Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre / Ramirez
Signum Classics
CD
$19.99Jan 01, 2011
Charles Ramirez is a guitarist of rare skill. A preeminent performer in the generation of guitarists that followed Segovia, he has held the post of Professor of Guitar at the Royal College of Music since the age of 25, raising the profile of the instrument through his concerts and education activities since mid-1970s. This disc is the first in a new series of recordings featuring Charles Ramirez and sees him perform works by Joaquín Rodrigo with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe - the Concierto de Aranjuez and Fantasia para un gentilhombre - under conductor and founding member of the orchestra Douglas Boyd. The programme is completed with Rodrigo's enchanting solo-guitar piece Elogio de la guitara.
