Christian El Khouri's concert for the 7th 'Festival de Musica da Primavera' in Viseu, Portugal, was broadcast live by the national Portuguese radio Antena 2 in 2014.
Performer Biography
Christian El Khouri, the performer on this album, is a guitar professor at the 'Conservatorio F. Cilea' in Reggio Calabria.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Fernando Sor's music is noted for its harmonic sophistication, earning him the nickname 'Beethoven of the guitar' from critic François-Joseph Fétis.
Composer Biography
Fernando Sor, born José Fernando Macario Sors, came from a wealthy family in Barcelona with a military background, and he initially pursued a military career.
Cultural Impact
The theme for Sor's Variations Op. 28, 'Malbrough s'en va-t-en guerre,' is a well-known French folk song still sung today with lyrics like 'For he's a jolly good fellow'.
Composition History
Sor's opera Telemaco nell'isola di Calipso, which was once thought lost, was first performed in 1797 when he was not yet twenty and was revived in 1999.
Composer Biography
After Napoleon's troops invaded Spain in 1808, Sor worked for the French occupying government, leading him to move to Paris in 1813 when the French left Spain.
You might also enjoy...
Guitar Recital: Dimitri Illarionov
Guitar Recital: Smits, Raphaella - Mertz, J.K. / Giuliani, M.
A Spanish Portrait: Llobet, Tárrega, Granados, Albeniz
