Pepe Romero Guitar Concertos

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 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.

Various Artists - 101 Guitar (2016) {6CD Box Set Decca 478 3655 rel 2012}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.70 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 998 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 69 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2012, 2016 Decca Music | 478 3655
Classical / Guitar

Chopin said there is nothing more beautiful than the sound of a guitar, save perhaps two, and this wonderful collection includes perennial favorites for one, two and even four guitars. Two CDs include favorites for solo guitar and guitar duet; another two feature concertos with orchestra, including Rodrigos Concierto de Aranjuez; the fifth disc is devoted to the music of Bach; and finally a disc of popular music arranged for the guitar. With a running time of over 7 hours of music this box set provides excellent value for money. Features some of the greatest guitarists in the Decca catalogue, including Pepe Romero, Eduardo Fernández, Alexandre Lagoya, and "The Royal Family of the Guitar", Los Romeros Celedonio, and his sons, Angel, Celín & Pepe.