Preludes, dances, nocturnes and vibrant miniatures for guitar from the composer of the Concierto de Aranjuez.
In the modern era, no single work embodies Spain in music more than the Concierto de Aranjuez, as Miles Davis effectively acknowledged by making his own version of it the centrepiece of his iconic Sketches of Spain album. However, Rodrigo wrote a good deal more for guitar than this ever-popular concerto. There are four more concertos, and over 20 solo works. The solo works span the entire breadth of his long career, from the Zarabanda lejana of 1926 to Dos pequenÞas fantasias (Two Little Fantasies of 1987.
Rodrigo always drew on history and heritage rather than rejecting them, and many of these pieces take their inspiration from the lute and vihuela compositions of the Spanish renaissance. There is often a self-consciously antique flavour to both the gestures and harmonies. Yet many other pieces belong unmistakably to their time – such as the gripping and virtuosic Toccata of 1933, which remained hidden among the papers of the guitarist Regino Sainz de la Maza until 1997, when it was performed for the first time.
Rodrigo’s period of high maturity as a composer fell in the 50s and 60s, and from this period date the high points of his solo-guitar catalogue, such as the Tres piezas españolas, dedicated to Segovia, the haunting Junto al Generalife, the complex Triptico, and most of all the Invocación y danza (homenaje a Manuel de Falla), which rapidly became a repertoire piece for guitarists after Rodrigo wrote it in 1961 for a composition competition organised by French radio.
The Italian guitarist Giulio Tampalini has made several acclaimed albums for Brilliant Classics, such as a collection of the complete guitar music by Respighi and Mozzani.
‘If you have ever had even the slightest inclination towards the guitar, you have to hear this this album. It is simply breathtaking… this is a guitar album for the ages, and I hope that Tampalini and Brilliant Classics will see fit to give us more.’ (Fanfare, September 2017)
