The album's concept was inspired by the 2022 war in Ukraine, which made Benjamin Britten's Violin Concerto, a work reacting to the Spanish Civil War, feel more relevant than ever.
Album & Artwork
The album's program aims to tell a story by arranging musical works to create unexpected connections and impact on the listener.
Compositional Technique
Francisco Tárrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra, originally a guitar piece, is arranged for solo violin using a 'ricochet' bow technique to imitate the guitar's tremolo.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Benjamin Britten, a passionate pacifist, expressed his anguish about the Spanish Civil War and his search for hope in his Violin Concerto.
Composition History
Georges Bizet wrote his opera Carmen in 1875, just before his death at the age of 36, and it became the most well-known Spanish work in classical music.
Critical Reception
Benjamin Britten's Violin Concerto was rarely performed for its first 60 years but is now widely regarded as one of the greatest violin works of the 20th century.
Composition History
Sergei Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto was partially written in Spain and premiered there, just half a year before the brutal Spanish Civil War broke out.
