Cordero: Caribbean Concertos for Guitar & Violin / Romero, Figueroa, Solisti Di Zagreb
Details
- Composer
- CORDERO, ERNESTO
- Artist
- Romero, Figueroa, I Solisti Di Zagreb
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Naxos
- Released
- Dec 13, 2011
- Catalog #
- 8572707
- UPC
- 747313270774
About
Puerto Rican composer and guitarist Ernesto Cordero dedicated his Concierto Festivo to celebrated soloist Pepe Romero, who describes the work as having ‘divine inspiration’. These works derive their warmth of expression and rhythmic influence from the composer’s native Caribbean island, and the two violin concertos ĺnsula and Concerto Tropical both contain descriptive elements from landscape and nature. ĺnsula is dedicated to renowned violinist and conductor Guillermo Figueroa, and I Solisti di Zagreb are recognised as one of the world’s leading chamber orchestras.
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Exemplary performances by everyone make these concerti shine all the brighter…the recordings are good. They project a modest soundstage with the soloists well placed and balanced in a reverberant acoustic that will appeal to those liking wetter sonics. The guitar is beautifully captured, while the string sound is generally pleasant…
© 2011 Classical Lost and Found
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The guitar concerto – written for and here played by its dedicatee, Pepe Romero - is exciting and draws on the harsh rhythmic bark of violent strumming. There are moments when one is aware of Cordero’s debt to Rodrigo but it is by no means immanent. The writing, across all three works, puts me in mind of Piazzolla’s Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas but also of Schnittke’s super-romantic steely hyper-baroque writing. Casting a benign light across these concertos is a presence I had not expected: that of Vaughan Williams. More than occasionally RVW’s characteristic pastoral pentatonic sound comes to mind. It’s a foundation or an overlay rather than a facsimile of The Lark Ascending. Even so the two works for violin and orchestra are rather reminiscent of The Lark but perceived through the intensifying lens of late-twentieth century angst. The orchestration is delicate and the ideas often tender. However, when the music becomes animated the style moves towards the stony despair and the metallic exuberance of the Shostakovich violin concertos. The useful liner-notes are by the composer.
-- Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International
Tracklist 10 tracks
-
1 I. Allegro elegante 07:14
- Track
- 1
- Title
- I. Allegro elegante
- Duration
- 07:14
- Composer
- Ernesto Cordero
- Performer
- Pepe Romero
- Ensemble
- I Solisti di Zagreb
-
2 II. Adagio con passione 07:22
- Track
- 2
- Title
- II. Adagio con passione
- Duration
- 07:22
- Composer
- Ernesto Cordero
- Performer
- Pepe Romero
- Ensemble
- I Solisti di Zagreb
-
3 III. Energico 09:55
- Track
- 3
- Title
- III. Energico
- Duration
- 09:55
- Composer
- Ernesto Cordero
- Performer
- Pepe Romero
- Ensemble
- I Solisti di Zagreb
-
4 I. Paisajes: Andante con anima 05:05
- Track
- 4
- Title
- I. Paisajes: Andante con anima
- Duration
- 05:05
- Composer
- Ernesto Cordero
- Performer
- Guillermo Figueroa
- Ensemble
- I Solisti di Zagreb
-
5 II. Jajome (Meditacion): Andante affabile 04:19
- Track
- 5
- Title
- II. Jajome (Meditacion): Andante affabile
- Duration
- 04:19
- Composer
- Ernesto Cordero
- Performer
- Guillermo Figueroa
- Ensemble
- I Solisti di Zagreb
-
6 III. Las Indieras de Maricao: Andantino misterioso 03:45
- Track
- 6
- Title
- III. Las Indieras de Maricao: Andantino misterioso
- Duration
- 03:45
- Composer
- Ernesto Cordero
- Performer
- Guillermo Figueroa
- Ensemble
- I Solisti di Zagreb
-
7 IV. Fantasia salsera: Allegro ritmico 03:03
- Track
- 7
- Title
- IV. Fantasia salsera: Allegro ritmico
- Duration
- 03:03
- Composer
- Ernesto Cordero
- Performer
- Guillermo Figueroa
- Ensemble
- I Solisti di Zagreb
-
8 I. Yerba bruja (Witch-Herb): Allegro vivace 05:04
- Track
- 8
- Title
- I. Yerba bruja (Witch-Herb): Allegro vivace
- Duration
- 05:04
- Composer
- Ernesto Cordero
- Performer
- Guillermo Figueroa
- Ensemble
- I Solisti di Zagreb
-
9 II. Los caobos (The Mahogany Trees): Adagio malinconico 04:24
- Track
- 9
- Title
- II. Los caobos (The Mahogany Trees): Adagio malinconico
- Duration
- 04:24
- Composer
- Ernesto Cordero
- Performer
- Guillermo Figueroa
- Ensemble
- I Solisti di Zagreb
-
10 III. El colibri dorado (The Golden Humming-Bird) (Moto perpetuo): Energico 01:20
- Track
- 10
- Title
- III. El colibri dorado (The Golden Humming-Bird) (Moto perpetuo): Energico
- Duration
- 01:20
- Composer
- Ernesto Cordero
- Performer
- Guillermo Figueroa
- Ensemble
- I Solisti di Zagreb