Llobet: La cancó del lladre

Guitarist Mattias Jacobsson makes his recording debut on Avie with Invocación, a unique perspective on the works of Francisco Tárrega, his inspiration Chopin, and his students Llobet and Pujol.

The brilliant young guitarist Mattias Jacobsson invokes a guitar tradition originating with the influential Spanish composer Francisco Tárrega. The repertoire explores Tárrega’s influences and legacy, from the inspiration that Chopin had on his musical output through to his students Miguel Llobet and Emilio Pujol. Tárrega often turned to Chopin’s favoured forms - Preludes, Mazurkas and Nocturnes - and also transcribed works in those forms by Chopin. Mattias has created a unique concept in the guitar discography by juxtaposing Chopin transcriptions with Tárrega’s most Chopinesque works. The “invocación” continues through works of two of Tárrega’s most prominent pupils in Barcelona and even extends to Mattias himself, whose first teacher Erik Möllerström studied in Barcelona and secured an instrument from the great guitar maker Ignacio Fleta e hijos, that now has been passed on to Mattias and is played on this recording.

Juilliard-trained Mattias Jacobsson was born in Stockholm and has studied with Göran Söllscher and Sharon Isbin, among others. He has performed throughout Europe and the United States, and has appeared on Spanish television, New York’s WQXR and National Public Radio’s Performance Today. He has further extended his reach with several features in Classical Guitar Magazine and hundreds of thousands of views on his YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/guitarcactus

This CD is a collection of pieces for the guitar by Spanish and Latin-American 20th century composers, including Llobet, de Falla, Asencio and Brouwer. Zaytseva describes the overall atmosphere as one of recollection, which suits the guitar very well. She combines artistry and virtuosity and has received great praise from audiences and critics alike.

Multi-award winner Anabel Montesinos returns to the Naxos label with the ‘graceful flexibility’ and ‘flawless technique’ (MusicWeb International) of her earlier acclaimed recital (8557294). She has since become 1st Prize Winner at the prestigious 2010 Michele Pittaluga Guitar Competition in Alessandria.

This programme is emblematic of the ‘Spanish guitar’, ranging from Pujol’s and Rodrigo’s respective Tres piezas españolas which descend from traditional folk styles, to Fernando Sor’s Variations on a Theme of Mozart, a showpiece which turns the guitar into a ‘miniature orchestra’.