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Gorgeous Guitar: Best Loved Classical Guitar Music
rec. 1997-2019 NAXOS 8.578176 [75:25]
Classical guitar music usually fits into one of two categories: classical music written exclusively for the guitar, or other music arranged specifically for the classical guitar. This collection presents a taste of each, a total of 19 recordings selected from the Naxos music catalog. Each recording has been previously released by Naxos on other albums, and their catalog numbers are listed in the liner notes.
Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909) was a Spanish composer and one of the greatest classical guitarists of all time. Known as the “Father of Classical Guitar”, Francisco composed three numbers in this collection. He wrote Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories of the Alhambra) in 1896 to memorialize his visit to the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. Irina Kulikova skillfully performs this piece with a soft guitar tremolo, the rapid plucking of a single string using three fingers in succession, to create a cascading water effect. This classic was originally recorded for Naxos 8.572717, and released in 2011.
Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) composed the ballet El amor brujo (The Bewitched Love) in 1915. The guitar duo Christian Gruber and Peter Maklar arranged the dynamic 8th movement, Danza ritual del fuego (Ritual Fire Dance), for two guitars and perform the wild dance sequence with incredible technique, combining driving chords with furious fret work. This number was released in 2018 and appeared on Naxos 8.573592.
The well-known Argentine composer and guitarist Jorge Morel (b. 1931) often integrates jazz and Latin rhythms into his classical guitar pieces. He composed Danza Brasilera, a samba for classical guitar that has become a modern guitar standard. Turkish-American guitarist Celil Refik Kaya performs with flying fingers and a series of blazing arpeggios that run the length of the guitar neck. This piece appeared on Naxos 8.573514, released in 2016. Stanley Myers (1930-1993) composed the moving Cavatina for the 1970 film The Walking Stick. Film director Michael Cimino also used it for the theme of his 1978 film The Deer Hunter, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Guitarist Norbert Kraft performs this gentle piece with wistfulness and sensitivity, enhancing the soothing melody with light arpeggios. This recording was originally released in 1997 on Naxos 8.553999, (Guitar Favorites).
Bruce McCollum
Contents
Piazzolla, Astor (1921-1992)
Libertango (4:16) Victor Villadangos, guitar
Albeniz, Isaac (1860-1909)
Suite espanola No.1, Op.47 (6:21)
No. 5 Asturias “Leyenda” Norbert Kraft, guitar
