Federico Moreno Torroba, a prominent composer for classical guitar, was primarily a man of the theatre, composing about seventy zarzuelas (operettas) over four decades.
Composition History
Torroba began composing for the guitar around 1920 after being persuaded by Andrés Segovia, a renowned guitarist and early admirer of his music.
Instruments
The guitars used by Pepe Romero and Vicente Coves for this recording were made by Pepe Romero Jr., specifically numbers 90 and 206 respectively.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Torroba's guitar works, like his zarzuelas, are characterized by their lyricism and are deeply rooted in Spanish folklore, including Andalusian flamenco.
Performer Biography
Pepe Romero, one of the guitarists on this album, is the second son of the great guitarist Celedonio Romero and has performed thousands of concerts worldwide, often with the Romero Quartet.
Compositional Technique
Torroba's Homenaje a la seguidilla incorporates elements like the distinctive seguidilla rhythm, flamenco-evocative rasgueo and picados, and harmonies that blend Andalusian and American jazz influences.
Composer Biography
By the end of his life, Torroba had composed ten guitar concertos, more than his friend Joaquín Rodrigo, with most being for solo guitar.
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Encuentro
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Jonas Tamulionis - Selected Compositions For Guitars
Night Strings: Music for Viola and Guitar
Varieté
De Marin: 3 Sonatas, Op. 15
Rodrigo: Concierto De Aranjuez / Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre / Concierto Para Una Fiesta
Castillon: Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 17b & Violin Sonata in C Major, Op. 6
Piazzolla: El Otro Astor, Music for Guitar and Strings
Türk: Six Keyboard Sonatas for Connoisseurs
Markussion
Moreno Torroba: 3 Nocturnos for Two Guitars and Orchestra & Pieces for Guitar Duet
Clerch: Conciertos
Eberl: Concerto for 2 Pianos & Sonatas for Piano 4 Hands
