Michael Kolk Mosaic Classical Guitar Favourites

Ferdinand Rebay was born in Vienna where he studied piano and composition, winning the Brahms Prize. He wrote operas, a symphony, concertos and many songs, but was increasingly drawn to writing for the guitar for which he wrote 600 pieces of various kinds. The three sonatas recorded here are little known and reflect Rebay’s immersion in Romantic neo-Classicism. Themes are lyrical, utilising folk song, energetic March themes and variations, with a tapestry of emotions both sombre and exuberant.

Classical guitarist Xuefei Yang announces the release of Guitar Favourites, her next album by UMG China on the Decca label due for release on 24 November 2022.

The Chinese guitarist Xuefei Yang is, in the words of the Irish Examiner, "an unlikely guitar hero," coming from a country where the classical guitar had only a slight presence. She was the first player to study guitar at the conservatory level in China, the first Chinese guitarist to launch an international career, and the first to present guitar performances at Beijing's prestigious National Center of Performing Arts. Yang was born in Beijing on March 15, 1977.

This marks the first album ever recorded of Australian guitar concertos, starring internationally acclaimed classical guitarist Karin Schaupp with two different orchestras. Schaupp turns her attention to these modern pieces, all composed between 1989 and 1995, by Ross Edwards, Philip Bračanin and Peter Sculthorpe, representing their major works for the instrument. A fourth piece, the inspiration for the album title, is Mosaic for Adrian Walter by Richard Charlton, himself a guitarist.

Karin Schaupp is one of the most outstanding guitarists on the international scene, acclaimed not only for her breathtaking technical mastery, but also for the passion and intensity of her playing. With this album she celebrates the rich and vibrant Australian guitar repertoire, presenting four concertos that create a uniquely Australian musical landscape. Peter Sculthorpe’s Nourlangie was inspired by the ancient beauty of Kakadu in Australia’s far north, and the resonances between the music’s notes speak of the strength and serenity of the land. Ross Edwards was drawn to the rich flora and fauna of Arnhem Land and the magnificent turquoise of the Arafura Sea beyond. His joyous ‘dance/chants’, celebrating the mysterious and infinitely changing patterns of birdsong and the insect chorus, frame an exquisitely calm, song-like slow movement.

List of Albums:
1. The Guitar Is The Song
2. Echoes of London
3. Guitar Concertos - Bach, Handel, Marcello
4. Bach - The Four Lute Suites
5. Spanish Guitar Favourites
6. The Seville Concert
7. Spirit of The Guitar
8. Guitarra Espanola
9. The Guitarist John Williams
10. Echoes of Spain - Albeniz
11. The Ultimate Guitar Collection - Disc 1
12. The Ultimate Guitar Collection - Disc 2
13. Guitar Recital - Paganini, Scarlatti, Giuliani, Villa-Lobos
14. The Baroque Album
15. Latin American Guitar Music by Barrios and Ponce
16. Vivaldi Concertos
17. Iberia
18. John Williams and friends
19. Plays Bach and Scarlatti
20. The Great Guitar Concertos - Disc 1
21. The Great Guitar Concertos - Disc 2

He English cellist, Michael Kevin Jones, studied Music Performance Piano/Cello at Royal College of Music in London.