The Divan of Moses Ibn Ezra, Op. 207, was composed nearly 30 years after the Guitar Concerto, allowing Castelnuovo-Tedesco to revisit themes of exile with a more bitter and disillusioned perspective.
Historical Context
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, a Jewish composer, was forced to leave his beloved homeland of Italy and emigrate to the United States due to the racial laws enacted in 1938.
Performer Biography
Ronja Weyhenmeyer, the soprano, is a German-born coloratura soprano who completed her studies with honors at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome.
Instruments
Pietro Locatto, the guitarist on this album, plays instruments built by his father, luthier Luigi Locatto, including one inspired by a guitar played by Francisco Tárrega.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Castelnuovo-Tedesco believed that serene and happy music could be created even during tragic times, challenging the romantic notion that an artist's work must always reflect their suffering.
Composition History
The Guitar Concerto no. 1, Op. 99, was inspired by the support and friendship of Andrés Segovia, a Spanish guitarist, during Castelnuovo-Tedesco's difficult period before exile.
Composer Biography
Castelnuovo-Tedesco identified strongly with Moses Ibn Ezra, a 12th-century Spanish Jewish poet, seeing parallels between Ibn Ezra's exile and his own, as well as that of his Spanish-Jewish ancestors.
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