Serenade

Serenade

Recorded by Andrew in picturesque Amsterdam, Holland, this outstanding compilation of tracks from the Spanish guitar repertoire will take you on a captivating musical journey through the rich history of romantic guitar works.

The elegant miniature, Lagrima; the popular ballroom dance, Gran Vals; and Capricio Arabe, a reflection of Spain's moorish past, were all composed by Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909).

Preludes 1, 3 and 4, written by Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) were inspired by the journeys he made through his homeland, Brazil. The interplay between the different parts of each one create a magically captivating atmosphere.

The South American piece Sons de Carhilloes by J Guimaraes (1883-1947) literally means 'sounds of bells'.

The two lute compositions Se io M'accorgo, from an anonymous source and C Negri's (1518-1593) Bianco Fiore are from the Italian Renaissance. Sarabande is from the second lute suite, of which Bach (1685-1750) wrote four.

Canco del Lladre and El Noi de la Mare are superb arrangements of haunting folksongs from Catalonia by Miguel Llobet (1878-1938) which have a unique blend of French and Spanish traits.

Saudade is a Portuguese term expressive of the sense of sadness and regret for days gone by.  Julia Florida is reminiscent of songs of the Venetian gondoliers. These two pieces were written by the Paraguayan composer/guitarist Agustin Barrios (1885-1944).

Cavatina by Stanley Myers was used for the the film The Deer Hunter; and the anonymous Spanish melody, Romanza, for the French film, Les Jeux Interdits, showing the classical guitar's continuing popularity up to the present day.