This Saturday on Fretworks, I'll have, "Music from the Time of Cervantes," with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet from their new CD, New Renaissance. The selections, arranged by William Kanengiser, are mostly by anonymous 15 th to 17 th century Spanish composers, but the CD also includes pieces by Diego Pisador, Luys de Navarez, and Antonio Martin y Call.
Chinese guitarist Xuefei Yang has "Sevilla," from the Suite Espanola of Isaac Albeniz; a collection of pieces evoking different parts of Spain. This is music was originally written for the piano but it sounds naturally suited to the guitar.
Pentatone Classics has remastered and reissued a fine recording, originally a 1977 release from Deutsche Grammohon, with guitarist Narciso Yepes and the London Symphony Orchestra performing the Guitar Concerto of Brazillian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. Elements of folk and modern composition combine in this engaging concerto from 1951 written for Andres Segovia.
Violinist Gil Shaham and guitarist GoeranSoellscher team up for an arrangement of the Violin Sonata in D, D. 384 of Franz Schubert. There is a precedent for playing Schubert on the guitar, since he played the instrument himself and many of his songs were published with guitar accompaniment.
Finally, as summer comes into full swing this weekend with the Solstice, we'll journey to Hawaii for some authentic slack-key guitar playing from Moses Kahumoku, who performs Pohakuloa on a nylon-string classical guitar.
Join me Saturday and Wednesday evenings at 7 for music of the classical guitar on Fretworks on Classical 101.
