LA GUITARRA POETICA

During his lifetime, Enrique Granados was highly valued above all for the poetry of his piano playing - and his compositions also breathe the same poetic spirit. Stephen Marchionda honors the composer on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth with a highly personal selection from these works. His own arrangements for the guitar create an illuminating link to Granados' roots in Spanish folklore. In the quieter pieces, Marchionda displays the quality of his guitar playing: flageolet passages with a touch of the ethereal, yearningly traced melodic lines, and gentle arpeggios magically generating a unique color are especially fitting for the "Eight Poetic Waltzes" concluding this highly atmospheric collection. As special encores the Spain resident presents two wonderful songs brightening Andalusian and Catalonian melancholy with fine humor.