Misa en si Menor

This classic set of recordings by Narciso Yepes was originally released as a box in 1992 and is now reissued in an economical box set. Supported by an evocative cover photo from of the Lion's Court in the Alhambra in Granada, this is a great anthology of guitar solo works and guitar concertos stretching from the 16th to 20th centuries.

In light of the "chill-out" trend of the 1990s, major labels released many albums of slow, meditative pieces to appeal to listeners who wanted relaxing or reflective background music. Deutsche Grammophon's vaults are full of exceptional recordings of classical orchestral music, and the performances by Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic are prominent in the label's catalog. The slow selections on Karajan: Adagio are in most cases drawn from larger compositions, though these movements are frequently anthologized as if they were free-standing works. Indeed, many have come to think of the Adagietto from Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5 as a separate piece in its own right, largely because of its evocative use in the film Death in Venice. Furthermore, the famous Canon by Johann Pachelbel is seldom played with its original companion piece, the Gigue in D major, let alone in its original version for three violins and continuo; it most often appears in an arrangement for strings.

Anthony Bailes - Apollon Orateu
17th-century french lute music by Denis Gaultier (1603–1672) & Ennemond Gaultier (1575-1651)
EAC+LOG+CUE | WV: 301 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Ramee # RAM 0904 | Country/Year: Europe 2009
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque, Lute

Close examination reveals these works to have a sophistication unparalleled in any other lute music if the period. One is immediately struck by the economy of the writing in which no note is superfluous and the musical structure is reduced to its essence. The music places great demands on the lutenist.