Augustin Barrios was
born in Paraguay in 1885. Never formally
educated, there is little information
about his musical training. He was known
to possess no other marketable skills
than his ability to play the guitar
and to compose music. He used his musical
talents as his livelihood for his entire
life. Although he had a life-long desire
to travel to the United States, his
dream went unrealized. His only travels
outside Latin America were a fifteen-month
stay in Europe in 1934-35. A bit of
a wanderer, Barrios took up residence
in several Latin American states during
his life, living in Paraguay, Argentina,
and Brazil amongst others, and finally
settling in El Salvador for his final
years.
Barrios’s music lay
dormant for nearly twenty years after
his death. It was not until 1977, when
the famed guitarist John Williams released
an album of his works that he began
to get the international recognition
that he richly deserved. He is now regarded
as one of the fathers of the classical
guitar; his music appearing on recordings
and recital programs the world over.
And it is no wonder. This is music of
unparalleled charm and grace. Simple
without being simplistic, approachable
without being clichéd
Enno Voorhorst is a
player of tremendous ability and above
all, excellent taste. His renditions
of these brief and tuneful works are
practically above reproach. Were there
anything at all to with which to take
issue, it would be a slight tendency
toward the out of tune playing of octaves,
which becomes somewhat annoyingly noticeable
in La Samaritana but seems to
be absent in all of the other works
on the disc. Perhaps one more take of
this particular piece might have been
a good idea.
There is much to appreciate
about all of the music in this recital,
but since there are so many short pieces,
I will offer some comments about a few
and leave the good reader to discover
the other delights of his own avail.
The disc opens with the lovely Invocación
a Mi Madre, a beautifully eloquent
tribute to the composer’s mother. The
suite La Catedral follows. This
music is atmospheric in its programmatic
depiction of the composer’s visit to
a cathedral. His musical depictions
of the experience of approaching the
magnificent building, the feeling of
peace and calm once inside, and the
hustle and bustle of the outside world
which he encounters upon leaving are
quite picturesque, and Barrios captures
these images with some very evocative
and captivating music.
El Sueño
de la Muñequita (the Sleep
of the Little Doll) is another charmer,
which came into being from a real episode
in the composer’s life. It seems that
Barrios had just gotten a new pair of
leather shoes that squeaked loudly when
he walked. Upon entering a friend’s
house wearing the new shoes, he was
admonished by the young child of the
house to be quiet, lest his noisy footwear
wake her sleeping doll. Barrios took
out his guitar and played soft music
to lull the doll to sleep, and appease
the child.
Ever an admirer of
Beethoven, the four minuets on the recital
are modeled after the great German composer’s
own keyboard dances. Barrios captures
the spirit of the dance beautifully.
Perhaps the most substantial piece of
the recital is the Tárrega Variations.
Tárrega was considered by Barrios
to be sine qua non in the world
of the guitar, and his variations are
a tribute to the elder composer.
Naxos have produced
a string of very successful guitar and
lute discs in their splendid history,
and this one ranks with the best of
them. Mr. Voorhorst is a superb player,
very sensitive to line and balance of
voices. He is fleet of finger, and plays
with a clean and forward rhythm that
is at once compelling and soothing.
Sound quality is of the first order,
as are the very informative if somewhat
overly anecdotal program notes by Rico
Stover. Highly recommended to music
lovers of all stripes. There is something
for all tastes to enjoy here.
Kevin Sutton
see also Volume
1
Agustín
Barrios Guitar Music Vol.
1 Guitar - Antigoni Goni Naxos 8.554558
Enno Voorhorst, guitar