Festiva

Description

Federico Moreno Torroba (1891-1982) started his musical studies with his father who was an organist and a teacher at the conservatory of Madrid. Later on, he went to Conrado del Campo’s classes to learn composition. From his very first works onwards, Moreno Torroba definitely opted for a markedly national style. His large production of zarzuelas is extremely successful, especially « Luisa Fernanda » (1932), which was performed more than eight thousand times ! Determined as he was to reestablish the guitar as his country’s national instrument, he composed several pieces inspired by popular music from central Spain.

Dusan Bogdanovic (1955), a composer and a guitarist, mainly composes for the guitar. He is the author of numerous works including a guitar concerto, several sonatas (a.o. the « Jazz Sonata »), studies, variations as well as music for two, three and four guitars… In his works, Bogdanovic mixes classical style, jazz and ethnic music. He is one of the outstanding composers who have in the most recent times contributed to renewing and enriching the guitar repertoire.

Leo Brouwer (1939) once more displays an extraordinary variety of sounds in his « Paisaje cubano con campanas ». In his work, he requires from the guitarist to alternate playing either with the left hand only, or with the right hand only. The guitarist is also asked to strike the strings instead of plucking them. By imposing this techniques, Brouwer aims at evoking the music of bells. The first part of this piece is based on melodic and harmonic elements whereas rhythm is being emphasized in the second part. Leo Brouwer also composed a « Cuban Landscape with Rain » for four guitars.*

Eduardo López-Chávarri (1875-1970) was born in Valencia, Spain, where he started studying. He then carried on his studies with Carlos Pedrell. López-Chávarri wrote many original books relating to the history of music and translated important musicological works. He taught the aesthetics and history of music at the conservatory of Valencia while being a musical critic and a composer.
López-Chávarri wrote a.o. a concerto, a rhapsody for piano and orchestra and several chamber music pieces. His guitar sonata consists of three movements composed in a vigorous, postromantic style.

* Recorded by Los Angeles Guitar Quartet on GHA 126.001