There is more to guitar concertos than Rodrigo and Vivaldi. The 5-Disc set presents an enjoyable selection of music from the Baroque up to and including the 20th century. Containing Rodrigo’s evergreen Concierto de Aranjuez, also included are two more of his guitar concertos. Vivaldi is represented too, and in between there is entertaining music by Carulli and Ponce.
R E V I E W S:
"By 1941, the year of the Concierto del sur, Ponce’s style had changed and matured, he having meanwhile studied in Paris with Dukas; and this is one of the best guitar concertos in the repertory (though far outdone in popularity by a much inferior work by a composer 20 years his junior); its Mexican character is evident in the festive finale. Moreno’s performance is strong in urgency and intensity.."
-- Lionel Salter, GRAMOPHONE Reviewing original release ASV 952)
"The popularity of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez and Fantasia para un gentilhombre is evident in the number of recordings listed in The Gramophone Classical Catalogue; his only other solo guitar and orchestra work, Concierto para una fiesta, has previously been recorded only by Pepe Romero, its dedicatee (on a three-disc Philips set). I am surprised that it has taken so long for someone to get round to putting all three on a single disc. When the Concierto para una fiesta was first recorded, Pepe Romero (who is justly proud of his facility) and Rodrigo chuckled over the prospect of watching, from heaven, others struggling to play the work. Well, neither of them is up there yet but Moreno spoils their fun by despatching it with what sounds like the greatest of ease – and without the help of any slower tempo. He is equally the technical master of the other two, more familiar works...as a neat package containing all three works, played with spectacular virtuosity and with adequate orchestral support, with the soloist audible in places where some recordings fail to rescue him from drowning in an orchestral sea (as at 3'40'' in the opening movement of Aranjuez), this disc will be attractive to many collectors of this genre of music."
-- John Duarte, GRAMOPHONE ( Review of original release ASV 887)
Works on This Recording
1.
Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar
by Joaquin Rodrigo
■ Performer: Paolo Pugliese (Guitar), Alfonso Moreno (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Enrique Bátiz
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Mexican State Symphony Orchestra
■ Period: 20th Century
■ Written: 1939; Spain
2.
Fantasía para un gentilhombre
by Joaquin Rodrigo
■ Performer: Paolo Pugliese (Guitar), Alfonso Moreno (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Enrique Bátiz
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Mexican State Symphony Orchestra
■ Period: 20th Century
■ Written: 1954; Spain
3.
Concierto para una fiesta for Guitar
by Joaquin Rodrigo
■ Performer: Paolo Pugliese (Guitar), Alfonso Moreno (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Enrique Bátiz
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Mexican State Symphony Orchestra
■ Period: 20th Century
■ Written: 1983; Spain
4.
Concierto del Sur for Guitar
by Manuel Ponce
■ Performer: Paolo Pugliese (Guitar), Alfonso Moreno (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Enrique Bátiz
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Mexican State Symphony Orchestra
■ Period: 20th Century
■ Written: 1929-1940; Mexico
5.
Concerto for Guitar in A major, Op. 8a
by Ferdinando Carulli
■ Performer: Paolo Pugliese (Guitar), Alfonso Moreno (Guitar), Jozef Szapka (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Bohdan Warchal, Enrique Bátiz
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Slovak Chamber Orchestra, Mexican State Symphony Orchestra
■ Period: Romantic
■ Written: by 1809; Italy
6.
Concerto for Guitar in C major
by Antonio Vivaldi
■ Performer: Jozef Szapka (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Bohdan Warchal
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Slovak Chamber Orchestra
■ Period: Baroque
■ Written: Venice, Italy
7.
Concerto for Guitar in D major
by Antonio Vivaldi
■ Performer: Jozef Szapka (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Bohdan Warchal
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Slovak Chamber Orchestra
■ Period: Baroque
■ Written: Venice, Italy
8.
Concerto for Guitar in D minor
by Johann Friedrich Fasch
■ Performer: Jozef Szapka (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Bohdan Warchal
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Slovak Chamber Orchestra
■ Period: Baroque
■ Written: 18th Century; Germany
9.
Concerto for Guitar in G major
by Johann Ludwig Krebs
■ Performer: Jozef Szapka (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Bohdan Warchal
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Slovak Chamber Orchestra
■ Period: Baroque
■ Written: 18th Century; Germany
10.
Concerto for Guitar no 2 in A major, Op. 36
by Mauro Giuliani
■ Performer: Claudio Maccari (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Andrea Rognoni
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Ensemble L'Ottocento
■ Period: Romantic
■ Written: by 1812; Vienna, Austria
11.
Concerto for Guitar no 1 in A major, Op. 30
by Mauro Giuliani
■ Performer: Claudio Maccari (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Andrea Rognoni
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Ensemble L'Ottocento
■ Period: Romantic
■ Written: by 1808; Vienna, Austria
12.
Concerto for Guitar no 3 in F major, Op. 70
by Mauro Giuliani
■ Performer: Claudio Maccari (Guitar), Paolo Pugliese (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Andrea Rognoni
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Ensemble L'Ottocento
■ Period: Romantic
13.
Concerto for 2 Guitars, Op. 201
by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
■ Performer: Massimo Felici (Guitar), Lorenzo Micheli (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Michael Summers
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Abruzzese Symphony Orchestra
■ Period: 20th Century
■ Written: 1962; USA
14.
Concerto for Guitar no 1 in D major, Op. 99
by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
■ Performer: Massimo Felici (Guitar), Lorenzo Micheli (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Michael Summers
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Abruzzese Symphony Orchestra
■ Period: 20th Century
■ Written: 1939; Florence, Italy
15.
Concerto for Guitar no 2 in C major, Op. 160
by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
■ Performer: Lorenzo Micheli (Guitar), Massimo Felici (Guitar)
■ Conductor: Michael Summers
■ Orchestra / Ensemble: Abruzzese Symphony Orchestra
■ Period: 20th Century
■ Written: 1953; USA