PI JACOBS - CD HI-RISE RANCH

Popis - HI-RISE RANCH:
The Spanish Guitar Its strings ignite. We are persuaded. Oh that it could widen the glimpse it offers, but its beauty lies in its slight sustain. Its sylvan whisper hints at what is lost. We are returned to another time, another place. - Joey Whelan The music of Isaac Albeniz contains themes of striking originality infused with the spirit and rhythm of Spanish folk idioms. Both Sevilla and Asturias begin with pulsating rhythms which seem at once spontaneous and familiar. Each of these vibrant opening themes is followed by a slow haunting melody reminiscent of the canto jondo style of flamenco singing. Written for the piano, this music speaks of the true nature of Spain and every phrase echoes the language of the guitar for which it was destined. Francisco Tarrega is widely regarded as the godfather of the modern Spanish classical guitar. He was a technical innovator but the perpetual appeal of his music lies in its charm which is perfectly suited to the beguiling nature of the guitar. With its uncomplicated harmony and forlorn melody Capricho Arabe could only have been conceived on the guitar, while Recuerdos de la Alhambra magically employs the tremolo technique to depict the gentle fountains of Granada's famous castle. In the 1920's the great virtuoso Andres Segovia requested several notable composers to expand the guitar repertoire. The first to respond was Federico Moreno Torroba with Danza. Though not a player, Torroba instinctively understood the guitar both in terms of its technical demands and romantic possibilities. The singer, guitarist and dancer of the flamenco tradition are evoked in Suite Castellana and Sonatina in A, each containing a stream of melodies that, whether bright and joyous or steeped in pathos, sing out over robust, earthy harmonies. For centuries folk musicians from South America have held the guitar close to their hearts. It was amongst the street musicians of Brazil that Heitor Villa-Lobos served his early musical apprenticeship before undertaking formal studies. His Prelude No. 1 opens with a cello-inspired melody underpinned by the persistent thrum of Brazilian rhythms. This wistful and somewhat disquieting theme is suddenly overtaken by arpeggios brimming with the joy of a simple tune that spills over into a poignant lyricism. The cavatina is defined as 'a short song of simple character'. Perhaps Stanley Myers knew that his Cavatina was best sung on a instrument which shares that same simple and beautiful character.