The album's instigators, Jacob Kellermann (guitarist) and Christian Karlsen (conductor), hail from Sweden, a country geographically and culturally distant from Spain.
Composition History
Joaquín Rodrigo, blind from age three, composed the Concierto de Aranjuez in Madrid in 1939, and it was seen as a source of solace for Spain after its civil war.
Album & Artwork
This album was inspired by Miles Davis's 1960 album "Sketches of Spain," which featured Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez.
Critical Reception
Long before Miles Davis's famous recording, the Concierto de Aranjuez was already recognized as the first modern guitar concerto.
Performer Biography
Jacob Kellermann, the guitarist on this album, frequently performs his own transcriptions and collaborates with composers to create new works for the guitar.
Compositional Technique
The Concierto de Aranjuez was conceived as a musical depiction of court life at the royal palace and gardens of Aranjuez around the turn of the 19th century.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Joaquín Rodrigo's works, including the Concierto de Aranjuez, are characterized by a distinctly Spanish atmosphere where folklore is a picturesque element.
