Santa Rosa Scorcher

Microcosm and macrocosm, might and focus: On her new GENUIN CD, pianist Marie Rosa Gunter combines Ludwig van Beethoven's late "Hammerklavier Sonata" and his "Bagatelles" op. 126 with Anton Webern's aphoristic Variations op. 27, as well as the world premiere recording of Variations on "Jerusalem" by Braunschweig composer Ulrich. The CD is an insight into magnificent later works in a highly demanding pairing born out of the silence of the pandemic. Once again, the pianist, who teaches at the University of Music and Drama in Hanover, brings out a CD with profundity at the highest level following her production featuring Bach's Goldberg Variations!

Brazilian singer, songwriter, and guitarist Rosa Passos is known worldwide for her stunning voice and her interpretations of classics as well as her own originals. Her last two records reflect this: 2004's Amorosa was a tribute to João Gilberto, while 2005's Rosa por Rosa was a collection of Passos' own songs. So it's nice, then, that her subsequent effort, Rosa, contains some of both. The album is, in short, reflective of what she is, a combination of the past and present. It's simple, too, in that perfect way: just her and her guitar and 15 tracks to show them off. The sound throughout the record is very consistent, with Passos' smooth, sensuous voice coupled with the warm tones of her guitar. It produces a very welcoming effect, and the two instruments complement each other so well that there almost seems to be something missing during the opener, an a cappella version of Garoto's "Duas Contas"…

As disco became an important part of the international music business, European producers began working in exotic flavors into the disco beat to create unique and competitive recordings. A good example of this trend is Santa Esmeralda, a Spanish-themed studio group that wove elements of flamenco, salsa, and other Latin musical styles into its Euro-disco sound. Although the group's sound was about as genuinely Spanish as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (Santa Esmeralda was the brainchild of French record producers), the result was a crossover success that spawned several club-favorite albums and a notable pop hit in the band's Latinized cover of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood".