Eight films (30 minutes each), traversing 8 periods of Spanish guitar music history (500 years in all) and filmed entirely in Spain.
1) Golden Age: Mudarra's "Fantasia", the 1st piece published for the guitar (1546) which Bream plays in the Seville Cathedral where Mudarra became a canon. Music in this entire section is played on the vihuela.
2) Baroque Guitar: In the 17th century the vihuela gave way to the Baroque guitar. Sanz said that it was "neither perfect nor imperfect but what you make of it".
3) Classical Heritage: Sor, arguably the most distinguished guitar composer of his era, was regarded as a minor composer in general European music. But the work that "hits the jackpot" for him is his "Variations on a Theme by Mozart".
4) Transition to Romanticism: Upon hearing the playing of flamenco guitarist, Paco Pena, Bream tries his hand at this style and looks ill at ease. Tarrega and his transcription of music by Malats. He preferred playing his own work. Bream plays "Capricho Arabe" and "Recuerdo de la Alhambra".
5) Poetic Nationalist: Granados, found inspiration in the paintings of Goya, whose art Granados expresses is his music. He never composed for the guitar, but we can hear that transcriptions of his work dominate the guitar repertoire--sounding like original guitar compositions.
6) Spirit of Spain: Albeniz, student of Liszt, believed to have been perhaps the greatest Spanish musician of the 19th century. It was in Andalusia where he wrote most of his finest music. He also never composed for the guitar, but the prolific transcriptions of his work, as in the case of Granados, grace the guitar repertoire.
7) Twentieth Century: Torroba's "Sonatina", the 1st extended piece written for the guitar in more than 100 years. Then Falla, apparently the greatest Spanish composer ever, he was the 1st to write for the guitar without being able to play it--and only one piece, dedicated to Debussy--but it's considered one of the most outstanding guitar pieces ever written.
8) Rodrigo's Concerto de Aranjuez: This whole section is devoted to a performance of this concerto.
The non-Spanish author who brought the spirit of Spain to the English speaking world, is Ernest Hemmingway. The non-Spanish musician who brought the spirit of the Spanish guitar to the English Speaking world is Julian Bream in this DVD.
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