Francisco Tarrega: Guitar Music - Naxos (USA) - NXS 8572365 - 747313236572

Francisco Tarrega, the most influential Spanish virtuoso performer of the nineteenth century, was a charismatic romantic who, with a cigarette in his mouth, mesmerized his audiences for hours with his performances. On this disc, Swedish Royal Academy member Mats Bergstrom expresses the 'light and shade' of Tarrega's music (sans cigarette!) on a modern instrument based on an 1888 model owned by the composer himself. The 'Preludes', composed between 1889 and 1909, are particularly well regarded pieces, while the other works include original compositions and imaginative transcriptions.

Notes:

Recording information: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008).

Reviews

A dance to a constantly surprising refrain

Mats Bergstrom's new Francisco Tarrega disc on Naxos is a perfect introduction to the music of this very appealing composer. The Classical Guitar (CG) community knows this music well, of course, but the non-specialist who loves classical music might not be familiar with most of these pieces. That person would be very lucky to come across this disc! There are exceptions, though, to the general obscurity of this music. In his excellent liner notes, Bergstrom points out one of the most well-known musical fragments in the world: the ubiquitous Nokia mobile phone ring-tone comes from measures 13-16 of the Gran Vals. Go to the Wikipedia article "Nokia_tune" to check this out. I wonder how many people know that these 13 jaunty tones were written by Francisco Tarrega? My favourite piece on the disc is also fairly well known: the "Recuerdos de la Alhambra". This lovely piece was on a great Julian Bream LP from the 1960s that introduced me to the classical guitar; that record also included the Villa-Lobos Preludes. It was used to great effect in Hugo Blick's superb British TV series "Sensitive Skin", where it underlined the themes of betrayal, loss, and sadness. This short work is a rare example of a piece of music whose virtuosity is completely overtaken by the mood of the piece. The music is heartbreakingly sad, and it's only when you stop and think about it that you realize how hard it must be to play! Bergstrom's version is a perfect example of virtuosity with only one aim: to communicate the music itself. The best thing about this disc is discovering all the other moods that Tarrega can evoke in short pieces - many are only one or two minutes long. Some are adaptations of popular music by composers of the day, while others are original character pieces in the form of salon pieces: waltzes and mazurkas, especially. According to Larry Hart's great lyrics to the Rogers & Hart song "My Romance," My romance doesn't need a castle rising in Spain Nor a dance to a constantly surpising refrain Maybe not, but that's what you get in the music of Francisco Tarrega. Playing a replica of Tarrega's favourite guitar, Mats Bergstrom and Naxos (with its customary splendid presentation and engineering) together present one of the most impressive discs of classical guitar music I've heard in a very long time!

Submitted on 01/25/10 by Dean Frey

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude, for guitar in D minor ("Moderato")

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 28 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude, for guitar in A minor ("Allegro Moderato")

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 50 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude, for guitar in G major ("Allegretto")

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude for guitar No. 16 in E major

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude for guitar No. 1 in E major

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 49 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude for guitar No. 4 in B minor

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 4 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude, for guitar in A major ("Andante")

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude for guitar No. 21

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Etude for guitar No. 17, Sobre un tema de Mendelssohn

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 4 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Etude for guitar No. 4 in B minor

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude for guitar No. 8 in A minor "Lágrima"

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 2 min. sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: circa 1880-1905

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude for guitar No. 14 in A minor

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude for guitar No. 7 in G major

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 3 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude, for guitar in D major ("Andantino")

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude for guitar No. 9 in D minor "Endecha"

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 12 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: circa 1880-1905

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Prelude for guitar No. 10 in D minor "Oremus"

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Las dos hermanitas, vals for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 4 min. 23 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Adelita, mazurka for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 39 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: circa 1880-1905

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Marieta, mazurka for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 2 min. 32 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: circa 1880-1905

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Mazurka for guitar in G major

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 2 min. 45 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Maria, gavotte for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 39 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: circa 1880-1905

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Recuerdos de la Alhambra, for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 5 min. 40 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: circa 1880-1905

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Rosita, polka for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 39 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Pepita, polka for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 46 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Capricho árabe, for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 5 min. 19 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: circa 1880-1905

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Paquito, waltz for guitar in C major

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 2 min. 29 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Waltz

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Grand valse, for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 3 min. 22 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Waltz

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Alborada for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 2 min. 20 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Isabel, vals for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 1 min. 47 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Vals for guitar in D major

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 2 min. 35 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Waltz

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Pavane for guitar

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 2 min. 30 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Francisco Tárrega (1852 - 1909) : Etude for guitar No. 20, Estudio brillante de Alard

Performer: Mats Bergström (Guitar)
Notes: Nilento Studio, Kållered, Sweden (10/20/2008-10/21/2008)
Running Time: 2 min. 23 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Written: circa 1880-1905

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