Franz Halász, the guitarist on this recording, was the first German guitarist to win first prize at the renowned Andrés Segovia Competition in Spain in 1993.
Composer Biography
Antonio José, a composer on this album, was shot near his birthplace during the Spanish Civil War, less than two months after the execution of the poet Federico García Lorca.
Historical Context
Spain's rich musical tradition was on the periphery of Western concert music until the late 19th century, when a wave of musical nationalism produced its first internationally recognized composers.
Instruments
The guitar has been a national instrument in Spain since the Middle Ages, with its sound pervading both folk and nationalist concert music.
Composition History
Manuel de Falla's only work for guitar, "Homenaje pour le tombeau de Debussy," was written in 1920 at the request of Miguel Llobet, an early modern guitarist, for the Paris Revue Musicale.
Composer Biography
Joaquín Turina, a composer featured on this album, initially studied in Paris but was converted to the music of his native Spain after meeting Isaac Albéniz, another Spanish composer, in 1907.
Compositional Technique
Turina's guitar pieces often blend scholastic, cyclical forms derived from César Franck with the improvisational nature of flamenco art, and combine Moorish scales with Impressionistic harmonies.
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