British classical guitarist Nicola Hall took upon herself the daunting task of adapting Nicolo Paganini's Violin Concerto in B-minor for the guitar.
Judging from the results, she was clearly up to the challenge. We'll begin Women's History Month on the next Fretworks with her fine performance, recorded in 1992 with the London Mozart Players conducted by Andrew Litton.
Sadly, a hand injury side-lined Nicola Hall's career as a virtuoso performer on the guitar, but the few recordings she made in the 1990's are a clear testament to her outstanding abilities as a top-notch artist. It's always a pleasure for me to present one of her recorded performances on Fretworks.
Paraguayan guitarist Berta Rojas is very active today on the international concert scene, but I'll have a selection from her recording "Intimate Barrios." This well-regarded disc features her total musical rapport with her fellow countryman and one of the greatest composers for the guitar, Agustin Barrios. The album was originally released in 1998 on Dorian Recordings. Happily, after the Dorian label went under, On Music Recordings picked up "Intmate Barrios" and re-released it in 2008.
Also on the program, The Cavatina Duo, which consists of flutist Eugenia Moliner and guitarist Denis Azabagic, will perform the Fantasie Brillante on Themes from Bizet's Carmen by Francois Borne. Lutenist Eugen Dombois plays a fantasia by David Kellner, and the Canadian Guitar Quartet will start the hour with a Hungarian Dance by Johanness Brahms.
Join me for Fretworks Saturday and Wednesday evenings at 7 on Classical 101.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viuM3_T9tFo