Guitar Pepe Romero

In the early nineteenth century, when the virtuoso guitar concerto was born, Italy and Spain produced their share of outstanding musicians who were, like British inventions, more likely to prosper outside their homeland: Sor and Aguado left Spain, Carulli and Molino departed from Italy; all four converged on Paris where, no doubt with much exaggeration, the rivalry of the supporters of the last two was depicted in a cartoon. Molino has derived negligible posthumous benefit from recording or concert performance, nor has Carulli done much better, the spotlight resting doggedly on some of their contemporaries.

An acclaimed Italian guitar virtuoso and composer, Mauro Giuliani, along with Fernando Sor, was one of the last great classical proponents of his instrument until its revival in the early twentieth century. He studied counterpoint and the cello, but on the six-string guitar he was entirely self-taught, and that became his principal instrument early on. Italy abounded with fine guitarists at the beginning of the nineteenth century (Carulli remains the most familiar today), but few of them could make a living because of the public's preoccupation with opera. So Giuliani embarked on a successful tour of Europe when he was 19, and in 1806 he settled in Vienna, where he entered the musical circle of Diabelli, Moscheles, and Hummel. He solidified his reputation with the 1808 premiere of his Guitar Concerto in A major, Op. 30, and was soon heralded as the greatest living guitar virtuoso. Even Beethoven noticed Giuliani, and wrote of his admiration for him. Perhaps to return the favor, Giuliani played cello in the 1813 premiere of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7.

Boccherini's style is completely characteristic of the period in which he lived, the period, that is, of Haydn rather than that of Mozart or Beethoven. He enjoyed a reputation for his facility as a composer, leaving some 467 compositions. A great deal of his music is designed to exploit the technical resources of the cello, in concertos, sonatas, and, particularly, in chamber music for various numbers of instruments, including a remarkable series of quintets with two cellos. The twelve quintets for guitar and string quartet, of which eight have survived, are arrangements by the composer of works written for pianoforte quintet in the late 1790s. The set of six quintets were dedicated to the Marquès de Bénavent, an enthusiastic amateur guitarist.

A strictly traditional flamenco record, Pepe Romero's 1987 recording Flamenco! features not only his own sterling guitar work, but also singer Chano Lobato's expressive vocals and, in an inspired touch that not enough flamenco artists have thought of, two genuine flamenco dancers, Maria Magdalena and Paco Romero. Flamenco, after all, is dance music, and as in some forms of English contra dancing, Appalachian clog dancing, and other forms of folk music, the percussive sound of the dancers' shoes (and the female dancer's traditional castanets) is intended as part of the music.

A handsome 11 CD box set honouring the unique art of Pepe Romero, who celebrates his 70th birthday in 2014. This set offers a broad spectrum of Pepe s art from various periods in his career. It moves from the Baroque through to twentieth-century works and features solo, chamber and orchestral performances.

Pepe Romero has played the guitar for as long as he can remember, debuting at the age of seven. His father was the legendary guitarist Celedonio Romero and was his only teacher. Along with his father and brothers Celin and Angel, Romero formed the Romeros Quartet, and riding on the heels of Celedonio's celebrity in Spain, embarked on an international career that made them the most famous guitar ensemble in the world.

Timeless music, both complex and well ordered, satisfying for intense listening or as subtle background.
Pepe Romero has played the guitar for as long as he can remember, debuting at the age of seven. His father was the legendary guitarist Celedonio Romero and was his only teacher. Along with his father and brothers Celin and Angel, Romero formed the Romeros Quartet, and riding on the heels of Celedonio's celebrity in Spain, embarked on an international career that made them the most famous guitar ensemble in the world.