Post by erik on Aug 14, 2021 12:23:59 GMT -5
Joaquin Rodrigo may have been blind for most of his life, but he managed to write many great concertos for the guitar, and for some of the giants of that instrument. The work in this week's Classical Works Spotlight was written for four guitarists, namely the First Family of that instrument.
Rodrigo: CONCIERTO ANDALUZ FOR FOUR GUITARS AND ORCHESTRA
Arguably the most important Spanish-born composer of the 20th century, and a man whose life spanned almost the whole of the 20th century (born in 1901; passed away in 1999), Joaquin Rodrigo composed an enormous amount of instrumental concertos, despite the fact that he was blind for his entire life. Particularly important, especially for players of classical guitar, were his many Spanish-flavored guitar concertos. The most famous of these, of course, was the 1939 “Concierto De Aranjuez”, which he wrote for the legendary Andres Segovia, and which, if one doesn’t count Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos, remains the single most important instrumental concerto of any kind composed in the 20th century. Rodrigo, however, didn’t stop composing for the guitar (which, of course, he never played) with even a master like Segovia. He also found an entire family of Spanish guitarists who were to become the Royal Family of Classical Guitar, namely Los Romeros—to wit, Angel, Pepe, Celin, and Celedonio. His most important work for the four classical guitar geniuses was his Concierto Andaluz, a highly involved work in the traditional three-movement concerto form that evoked the music of the Andalusia region of the composer’s and the brothers’ native country. Ironically, however, the work, which was premiered on November 18, 1967, was not first heard in either Spain, or England, or even via one of the bigger American orchestras, but in the heavily Hispanic city of San Antonio, Texas, with that city’s orchestra led by Victor Alessandro. That performance, featuring all four of Los Romeros, made the Concierto Andaluz yet one more big hit for both Rodrigo as a composer and the Romeros; and while getting four classical guitarists in the same room to do this work has made it less frequently performed than “Aranjuez” or even the composer’s “Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre”, it does remain a significant hit whenever it is performed and/or recorded.
Guitars: ANGEL ROMERO, CELEDONIO ROMERO, CELIN ROMERO, PEPE ROMERO
San Antonio Symphony Orchestra/VICTOR ALESSANDRO (Mercury Living Presence)
Included:
Rodrigo: CONCIERTO DE ARANJUEZ (Guitar: ANGEL ROMERO)
Vivaldi: CONCERTO IN B MINOR FOR FOUR GUITARS (Guitars: LOS ROMEROS)
Vivaldi: MANDOLIN CONCERTO IN C MAJOR (ARR. FOR GUITAR) (Guitar: CELEDONIO ROMERO)
Vivaldi: CONCERTO IN C MAJOR FOR TWO MANDOLINS (Guitars: PEPE and CELIN ROMERO)
Rodrigo: CONCIERTO ANDALUZ FOR FOUR GUITARS AND ORCHESTRA
Arguably the most important Spanish-born composer of the 20th century, and a man whose life spanned almost the whole of the 20th century (born in 1901; passed away in 1999), Joaquin Rodrigo composed an enormous amount of instrumental concertos, despite the fact that he was blind for his entire life. Particularly important, especially for players of classical guitar, were his many Spanish-flavored guitar concertos. The most famous of these, of course, was the 1939 “Concierto De Aranjuez”, which he wrote for the legendary Andres Segovia, and which, if one doesn’t count Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos, remains the single most important instrumental concerto of any kind composed in the 20th century. Rodrigo, however, didn’t stop composing for the guitar (which, of course, he never played) with even a master like Segovia. He also found an entire family of Spanish guitarists who were to become the Royal Family of Classical Guitar, namely Los Romeros—to wit, Angel, Pepe, Celin, and Celedonio. His most important work for the four classical guitar geniuses was his Concierto Andaluz, a highly involved work in the traditional three-movement concerto form that evoked the music of the Andalusia region of the composer’s and the brothers’ native country. Ironically, however, the work, which was premiered on November 18, 1967, was not first heard in either Spain, or England, or even via one of the bigger American orchestras, but in the heavily Hispanic city of San Antonio, Texas, with that city’s orchestra led by Victor Alessandro. That performance, featuring all four of Los Romeros, made the Concierto Andaluz yet one more big hit for both Rodrigo as a composer and the Romeros; and while getting four classical guitarists in the same room to do this work has made it less frequently performed than “Aranjuez” or even the composer’s “Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre”, it does remain a significant hit whenever it is performed and/or recorded.
Guitars: ANGEL ROMERO, CELEDONIO ROMERO, CELIN ROMERO, PEPE ROMERO
San Antonio Symphony Orchestra/VICTOR ALESSANDRO (Mercury Living Presence)
Included:
Rodrigo: CONCIERTO DE ARANJUEZ (Guitar: ANGEL ROMERO)
Vivaldi: CONCERTO IN B MINOR FOR FOUR GUITARS (Guitars: LOS ROMEROS)
Vivaldi: MANDOLIN CONCERTO IN C MAJOR (ARR. FOR GUITAR) (Guitar: CELEDONIO ROMERO)
Vivaldi: CONCERTO IN C MAJOR FOR TWO MANDOLINS (Guitars: PEPE and CELIN ROMERO)