{"product_id":"tarrega-f-guitar-music","title":"Tárrega, F.: Guitar Music","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eTÁRREGA \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003e16 Preludes. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eLas dos Hermanitas. Adelita. Marieta. Mazurka. Maria. Receurdos de la Alhambra. Rosita. Pepita. Capricho árabe. Paquito. Gran vals. Alborada. Isabel. Vals. Pavana. Estudio brillante de Alard \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Mats Bergström (gtr) \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12b\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e NAXOS 8.572365 (61:45) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eFrancisco Tárrega (1852–1909), a noted composer of guitar music and its most influential Spanish virtuoso performer of the 19th century, lived in an era when not much fuss was made about intellectual property rights, I’d guess, because though he was an able composer he borrowed from some of his predecessors and contemporaries. For example, he did credit Johann Strauss II for writing the waltz Tárrega renamed \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIsabel\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e. But during this more permissive era he was not above appropriating the works of others into his “imaginative transcriptions,” much as jazz musicians include standard riffs of jazz masters, such as Duke Ellington’s signature phrases, as homages. As Mats Bergström in his album notes points out, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ePreludio sobre un tema de Mendelssohn\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is an arrangement of a section near the end of Mendelssohn’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eHebrides\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e Overture, while \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eOremus\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is an extract from Robert Schumann’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAlbumblätter\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, op. 124. The introduction to \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eLas dos Hermanitas\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e found in at least one edition of the work is almost identical to that of Frédéric Chopin’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eValse brillante\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, op. 34. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIsabel\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is an arrangement of two themes from the \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eKuss-Walzer\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e by Johann Strauss and \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eEstudio brillante de Alard\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e is a transcription of Study No. 2 for solo violin by the French composer Delphin Alard (1815–1888). Finally, Bergström mentions that “measures 13–16 of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eGran vals\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e must be one of the most frequently heard tunes of our time: It is the ring tone for Nokia mobile phones.” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eWhile Tárrega is noted for compositions of his own, particularly the 16 Preludes, he has proven an ingenious borrower of music he liked, and enjoyed writing these sections into his own, often larger, compositions. This makes him somewhat unusual, and somewhat more fun to listen to. Personally, I like playing “Spot that quote!” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe Swedish soloist Mats Bergström, with a nod to authenticity, plays a replica guitar, a one-to-one copy of Tárrega’s favorite (1888) instrument. He plays as well as any guitar virtuoso I’ve heard: robustly, yet with great control and subtlety, respect for the music, and an authoritative sense of how Tárrega must have played these pieces (probably garnered from Tárrega’s own notes, and\/or third-party written descriptions of his concerts). Bergström seems to have a bit of the historian about him, if his album notes are any indicator. In all, that makes the album a thoroughly enjoyable one, a Bergström-led tour through Tárrega’s works with some scholarly notes displaying a new angle on the compositions, making us listen intently to have the fun of spotting the next quote, all played with a tasteful and accomplished hand. Highest praise to Bergström for the research, album notes, and playing in the reincarnated style of Tárrega. And a tip of the hat to the Naxos engineers, who, once again, seem to get the acoustic just right. Very highly recommended. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Ilya Oblomov \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49607834763544,"sku":"747313236572","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1579605.jpg?v=1747171101","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/products\/tarrega-f-guitar-music","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}