Rodrigo: Concierto Andaluz for 4 Guitars & Orchestra

Joaquín Rodrigo is most famous as a composer for the guitar. Here are four of his concertos for the instruments, including the ever-popular Concierto de Aranjuez and the Fantasia para un gentilhombre. Also included her are concertos for flute, with Patrick Gallois and for four guitars with Los Romeros.

The award-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet are joined by the Delaware Symphony Orchestra under the direction of David Amado for the world-premiere recording of guitarist/composer Sergio Assad’s Interchange for four guitars and orchestra. This piece is made up of five movements, four of which are written for the individual members, whilst the fifth movement is dedicated to the entire quartet. The CD also includes Rodrigo’s delightful Concerto Andaluz for guitar quartet and orchestra.

The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet are four virtuosi who bring a new energy to the concert stage with eclectic programs and dynamic musical interplay, and have become one of the most charismatic and versatile groups performing today. Their inventive, critically-acclaimed transcriptions of concert masterworks provide a fresh look at the music of the past, while their interpretations of works from the contemporary and world-music realms continually break new ground. Their Telarc debut ‘LAGQ-Latin’ received a 2002 GRAMMY® nomination in the Best Classical Crossover Album category, and their release ‘LAGQ’s Guitar Heroes’ won a 2005 GRAMMY® Award.

Three of the most beloved guitar concertos are brilliantly performed by the critically acclaimed Amadeus Guitar Duo. Dale Kavanagh and Thomas Kirchoff have toured in more than 50 countries and have enchanted audiences everywhere they go with their exuberance, virtuoso presentation and warm, sensitive guitar tone.

Described as “The Royal Family of the Guitar” Los Romeros celebrate 50 years as a guitar quartet in 2008. At the GRAMMY awards on 8 February 2007 Los Romeros were honored with the Recording Academy President’s Merit Award in recognition of their achievements. The story of Los Romeros started with Celedonio Romero (19117-1996).

A self-taught guitar virtuoso who taught each of his sons to play the guitar as soon as they were able to hold the instrument – thus Celin, Ángel and Pepe developed and brought the guitar to a global significance as individual soloists and as members of Los Romeros. The ensemble has commissioned and premiered new works and numerous arrangements over the past half century and began recording initially for Mercury (in the early 1960s) and then for Philips. This new compilation features recordings made over more than thirty years and features the ensemble as well as individual members of this remarkable family in a wide variety of original works and arrangements.

Having won the hearts of millions with his beloved Concierto de Aranjuez, the late Joaquin Rodrigo, was one of the 20th century most popular composers. Throughout a long and creative life, Rodrigo produced a series of masterful concertos and solo pieces for that most Spanish of instruments, the guitar. In addition to the timeless Concierto de Aranjuez, is the vivacious Concierto Madrigali for two guitars and the energetic Concierto Andaluz - with the Eden-Stell-Duo joining the Kavanagh and Kirchoff for a guitar extravaganza!

Includes liner notes written by Rodrigo’s daughter.

Additional notes and sung texts available online.

A welcome addition to the everexpanding Brilliant Classics’ Edition catalogue.

On this, the largest set ever compiled of one of the last century's most popular composers, we may not only renew our familiarity with the Concierto de Aranjuez, or perhaps with one of the other evermelodious guitar concertos that sustain his reputation with audiences, but also discover chamber, instrumental, choral and especially vocal works which testify to a creative imagination confident in the formation of its style but never satisfied with repetition, one which responded directly to poetic and lyric inspiration, and transformed its ideas with unfailing skill and respect for the idiom under consideration. The floating melismas that open the Cantico dedicated to St Francis of Assisi share a visionary aspect with the hymns on Qum'ran texts that are as far as can be imagined from the jolly folkloristic character of certain song‐cycles. There are plenty of homages to music of the past such as the baroqueries of the piano music, much of it written for his wife Cecilia, but one never forgets that Rodrigo was a creature of his age.

The performances gathered here are authoritative, many of them made as they were under the aegis of the Rodrigo Foundation, and many also exclusive to the Rodrigo Edition on Brilliant Classics. For anyone who loves Spanish music, anyone who wants to listen beyond the Concierto de Aranjuez, or anyone who delights in unfailingly tuneful music, this set will have a compelling appeal.