ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The recital is divided into two parts: in the first the artist presents, like a musical rainbow, some of the most representative composers from Spain and Latin American. The second gives the audience an international panorama of the contemporary music for guitar.

The first group begins with “Sueño” (Dream), where Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909), uses the difficult trémolo technique; this composition is one of the best examples of Tárrega 's Romantic aesthetics. The next, is the great composer Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999), with the Adagio from his famous “Concierto de Aranjuez”, followed of the “Danza” by Antonio Ruiz-Pipó (1934-1997), from his “Canción y Danza nº 1”, closing this group “Mozartiana” by Maestro Soler (b. 1949), which draws its inspiration from Mozart 's, Ave Verum Corpus and the city of Salzburg.

The next section opens with the festive and rhythmic “Batucada” by Isaías Savio (1900-1977), followed of the rhythmic “Brejeiro” by Ernesto Nazareth (1863-1934), a sort of tango with a peculiar “flavor” of samba. The next work is the sensitive piece by Manuel María Ponce (1882-1948), “Scherzino Mexicano”. The program continues with “El Colibrí” by Julio Salvador Sagreras (1879-1942), where the composer tries to imitate the flight of this small and nervous bird from Latin America (Can you imagine his flight?). This first part ends with the popular dance, of Incan origin from the Bolivian altiplano, “Huayno”, where the guitar tries to imitate the charango and the popular Paraguayan dance “Chopí”, from the suite Las Tres Palomas by Pablo Escobar (1900-19??), a striking combination of music for the harp.

The beginning of the second part half honors the great Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-lobos (1887-1959), with his inspired “Estudio de Concierto Nº 11”, one of his most genuine works for the guitar. The following piece is “La Salle de Billard” from “Le Pavillon de Banlieu”, wherein the French composer Olivier Bensa (b. 1951) , tries to imitate the pool game (Pay attention to the last ball). Then the “Danza Característica” by Cuban Juan Leovigildo “Leo” Brouwer (b.1939), rumba inspired in the child's game “Quítate de la Acera” continuing with the Spanish composer Salvador Bacarisse (1898-1963), with his virtuous “Passepied Nº II”. This group continues with the Paraguayan Agustín Pío Barrios “Indio Mangoré” (1871-1942), with his emotive “Andante Religioso” from “La Catedral”; by English composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), the March-Like from his Nocturnal, set of variations about the Dowland's First Book of Songs or Ayres of Four Parts (1597). Fruit of an original inspiration, the Prelude & Air from the “Quatre Pièces Brèves”, by Swiss composer Frank Martin (1890 1974), is based on ancient popular French dances. Ends this section the Polish–French composer Alexander Tansman (1897-1986), experimenting the baroque style in his contemporary “Danza Pomposa”.

The English composer John William Duarte (1919-2004), opens the next set of selections with a jazz-like composition, “Sua Cosa”, written in the Wes Montgomery style. Then the popular hymn They Must Know by American composer Harry Dixon Loes (1892-1965) and Mill Grove Farm, by Italian guitarist and composer Giovanni Unterberger (b. 1949), bring to mind the purest bebop style, closing this group is the swing Bluefinger by American composer Jerry Reed (1937-2008), who drew his inspiration from Chet Atkins “Alone”.

The program ends with a piece by Maestro Soler, Lady Lachatte, from Caterpillar to Butterfly, where the composer combines the classic stereotypes of Blues and Rock, with the newest and most surprising effects that can be drawn from the guitar.

* Transcription & ** Revision: Maestro Soler

+ Published by Casa Beethoven Publicacions , Spain.

Guitars:

Ignacio FLETA "The Golden Polyphemus"

&

ESTRUCH Luthiers "125th anniversary", Spain.

Strings: G.H.S. (Vanguard & 2390)

 

 

Riddle of the Guitar

 

In the round

crossways,

Six maidens

are dancing.

Three of flesh

and three of silver.

Yesterday´s dreams haunt them

but they are held embraced

by a Golden Polyphemus:

¡The Guitar!

 

Federico García Lorca

 

García Lorca, attributes to the guitar

occult powers,

and returns again and again

in his poems

to the image of its strings

spread out like the arms

of Polyphemus,

waiting to trap our souls …