Recuerdos de la Alhambra was written by Spanish guitarist and composer Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909). He wrote the piece in 1896; the occasion was a visit to the Alhambra, the Moorish palace in Granada. The work was written as a tremolo study, in which quickly repeated notes create the illusion of a melody. Tárrega joined important 19th century composers, like Liszt and Chopin, who never considered studies as purely technical exercises: musical quality prevailed over technical requirement. Recuerdos de la Alhambrabelongs to the classical guitar core repertoire because of its pure simplicity and evocative qualities.
Isaac Albéniz, Tárrega’s contemporary who also was a Spaniard, didn’t know how to write for the classical guitar. Except for three operas and some songs, he wrote piano music. Albéniz’s style is characterized by a unique blend of French impressionism and Spanish folk music, Andalusian folk music in particular. The distinct Spanishness of his work makes it very suitable for transcriptions for the classical guitar. Some of these transcriptions are even more famous than the original work itself, e.g. Asturias and Córdoba. Córdoba starts with a majestic intro, reminding us of the sound of Gregorian chanting. The second part of the composition starts as a ¾ dance with elements which are typical for Spanish folk music. The contrast between Eastern and Western musical ideas seems to reflect the architecture in the South Spanish region, in which one often encounters a juxtaposition or integration of both Christian and Moorish building traditions.
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) was an Italian composer who wrote vocal and instrumental music and various operas, but mainly excelled as an unrivalled harpsichord virtuoso. His appointment as princess Maria Barbara’s teacher at King João V’s court in Portugal was crucial for his career. It was there that Scarlatti started composing his numerous Sonatas for harpsichord solo. When Maria Barbara married the Spanish Crown Prince, he followed her to Sevilla and Madrid. His many years of residence on the Iberian Peninsula influenced his work: Like many others, Sonata K.380 in E is peppered with Castilian harmonies and rhythms.
Sakura is a well-known Japanese folk song which originates from the Edo period (17th – mid 19th century). It was a time of cultural protectionism, strict social order, political stability and economic growth under the shogunate founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The song, a pentatonic melody, goes like this:
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms
in fields and villages
as far as the eye can see.
Is it a mist, or do I see fragrant clouds
in the morning sun?
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms
Flowers in full bloom.
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms
across Spring’s sky,
as far as the eye can see.
Is it a mist, or do I see fragrant clouds
in the air?
Come now, come now
Let's have a look, at last!
The Sakura or Japanese cherry tree symbolizes transient beauty, or even more precisely, transiency’s beauty. Life itself is considered as beautiful and short, just like the cherry blossom’s life. In spring, albeit for a short while, Japan’s valleys and fields turn into enchanting pink realms of frailty and beauty.
Japanese guitarist and composer Yuquijiro Yocoh (°1923) wrote an arrangement of Sakura for classical guitar, under the form of a theme and variations. The used techniques evoke the sound of the koto, Japan’s national music instrument.
As a child, Agustín Barrios (1885-1944) had a great fascination for music and poetry. At the age of fifteen, he was allowed to study music at the National University of Asunción, Paraguay. He was the youngest student ever to enter the institution. Agustín Barrios became a self-taught guitar virtuoso and a guitar phenomenon in all of South America. He composed in numerous various styles, e.g. the traditional music of his roots, the Guaraní. Barrios now and then performed in traditional Paraguayan clothes and then called himself Nitsuga Mangoré (Nitsuga is Agustin spelled in a reverse way, and Mangoré was the front man of a Guaraní music ensemble).
La Catedral is generally considered as his magnum opus. Legend has it that Barrios started writing it after hearing Bach’s music on an organ in a Paraguayan cathedral. La Catedral refers to Bach, that is sure. Originally the composition had two parts: Andante Religioso and Allegro Solemne. Later in life, he added a third part: Preludio Saudade. On this cd you hear the final version with three parts.
Vals op.8 nr. 3 illustrates Barrios’ versatility; this work reminds us of Chopin’s finespun waltzes. It’s because of compositions like these that Barrios is sometimes called ‘the Chopin of the guitar’.
Armand Coeck (°1941) was a pioneer in the Flemish classical guitar scene. The self-taught composer and guitar player developed a very individual and lyrical style. Most of his compositions are the result of endless improvisation sessions; they breathe a nocturnal and melancholic athmosphere, e.g. Nocturne 1. Coeck has a fascination and passion for medieval music, but Native American and South American music formed a source of inspiration as well. In Valse, for example, he demonstrates his affinity with the Paraguayan harp, which he played wonderfully as well.
I dedicate this cd to my two sons, Goran and Floris.
That’s why I incorporated a small self-written composition, Siciliana for Goran. The work renders what I felt during my impending fatherhood: a mixture of both happiness and disquietude, and a longing for our first ‘Encuentro’.
A. M.
October 2019
Isaac Albéniz, Tárrega’s contemporary who also was a Spaniard, didn’t know how to write for the classical guitar. Except for three operas and some songs, he wrote piano music. Albéniz’s style is characterized by a unique blend of French impressionism and Spanish folk music, Andalusian folk music in particular. The distinct Spanishness of his work makes it very suitable for transcriptions for the classical guitar. Some of these transcriptions are even more famous than the original work itself, e.g. Asturias and Córdoba. Córdoba starts with a majestic intro, reminding us of the sound of Gregorian chanting. The second part of the composition starts as a ¾ dance with elements which are typical for Spanish folk music. The contrast between Eastern and Western musical ideas seems to reflect the architecture in the South Spanish region, in which one often encounters a juxtaposition or integration of both Christian and Moorish building traditions.
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) was an Italian composer who wrote vocal and instrumental music and various operas, but mainly excelled as an unrivalled harpsichord virtuoso. His appointment as princess Maria Barbara’s teacher at King João V’s court in Portugal was crucial for his career. It was there that Scarlatti started composing his numerous Sonatas for harpsichord solo. When Maria Barbara married the Spanish Crown Prince, he followed her to Sevilla and Madrid. His many years of residence on the Iberian Peninsula influenced his work: Like many others, Sonata K.380 in E is peppered with Castilian harmonies and rhythms.
Sakura is a well-known Japanese folk song which originates from the Edo period (17th – mid 19th century). It was a time of cultural protectionism, strict social order, political stability and economic growth under the shogunate founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The song, a pentatonic melody, goes like this:
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms
in fields and villages
as far as the eye can see.
Is it a mist, or do I see fragrant clouds
in the morning sun?
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms
Flowers in full bloom.
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms
across Spring’s sky,
as far as the eye can see.
Is it a mist, or do I see fragrant clouds
in the air?
Come now, come now
Let's have a look, at last!
The Sakura or Japanese cherry tree symbolizes transient beauty, or even more precisely, transiency’s beauty. Life itself is considered as beautiful and short, just like the cherry blossom’s life. In spring, albeit for a short while, Japan’s valleys and fields turn into enchanting pink realms of frailty and beauty.
Japanese guitarist and composer Yuquijiro Yocoh (°1923) wrote an arrangement of Sakura for classical guitar, under the form of a theme and variations. The used techniques evoke the sound of the koto, Japan’s national music instrument.
As a child, Agustín Barrios (1885-1944) had a great fascination for music and poetry. At the age of fifteen, he was allowed to study music at the National University of Asunción, Paraguay. He was the youngest student ever to enter the institution. Agustín Barrios became a self-taught guitar virtuoso and a guitar phenomenon in all of South America. He composed in numerous various styles, e.g. the traditional music of his roots, the Guaraní. Barrios now and then performed in traditional Paraguayan clothes and then called himself Nitsuga Mangoré (Nitsuga is Agustin spelled in a reverse way, and Mangoré was the front man of a Guaraní music ensemble).
La Catedral is generally considered as his magnum opus. Legend has it that Barrios started writing it after hearing Bach’s music on an organ in a Paraguayan cathedral. La Catedral refers to Bach, that is sure. Originally the composition had two parts: Andante Religioso and Allegro Solemne. Later in life, he added a third part: Preludio Saudade. On this cd you hear the final version with three parts.
Vals op.8 nr. 3 illustrates Barrios’ versatility; this work reminds us of Chopin’s finespun waltzes. It’s because of compositions like these that Barrios is sometimes called ‘the Chopin of the guitar’.
Armand Coeck (°1941) was a pioneer in the Flemish classical guitar scene. The self-taught composer and guitar player developed a very individual and lyrical style. Most of his compositions are the result of endless improvisation sessions; they breathe a nocturnal and melancholic athmosphere, e.g. Nocturne 1. Coeck has a fascination and passion for medieval music, but Native American and South American music formed a source of inspiration as well. In Valse, for example, he demonstrates his affinity with the Paraguayan harp, which he played wonderfully as well.
I dedicate this cd to my two sons, Goran and Floris.
That’s why I incorporated a small self-written composition, Siciliana for Goran. The work renders what I felt during my impending fatherhood: a mixture of both happiness and disquietude, and a longing for our first ‘Encuentro’.
A. M.
October 2019