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| The Sound of Spain - Album Cover |
This CD is, in my opinion, phenomenal.
Granary Guitars is a private classical guitar collection by Alun Morgan. Some of the most historical and legendary guitars are in his collection, its the stuff dreams are made of. Do follow the link at the bottom for more information.
This CD is played by David Merrin, who is a guitar maker (luthier). He is also the luthier who performs any restoration work needed on the guitars in the Granary Guitar collection. His performance in the CD is amazing, I would have thought that he would be a professional player, rather than a luthier. The link to his website is at the bottom.
Back to the CD, each of the pieces are played with a different guitar. Some of the differences are pronounced, some hardly noticeable. My favorite track is 15, Spanish Dance No.4 by E. Granados played on a 1965, Hernandez y Aguado, Spruce & Brazilian Rosewood. The repetitive melody with harmonics is enchanting and captivating.
Track 4, Capricho Arabe by F. Tarrega played on a 1894, Vicente Arias, Spruce & Cypress is another magnificent piece.
Overall, I would believe that this CD is amazing for the price. Not just for the guitars represented, but also the level of playing and the selection of the music. An interesting piece of information is that the recordings were started in 2007, in Holy Trinity Church, Weston Hertfordshire, instead of a regular recording studio. I would recommend it to everyone who is fond of classical music. Definitely worth seeking out.
Track Listing:
1) Sor: Minuet in A major – Antonio de Lorca (2:30)
2) Sor: Study in E minor – Louis Panormo (3:19)
3) Tárrega: Gran Vals – Agustín Altimira (2:13)
4) Tárrega: Capricho Arabe – Vicente Arias (5:13)
5) Llobet: Canço del Lladre – Manuel Ramírez (2:07)
6) Albéniz: Granada
7) Granados: Spanish Dance No. 10 – Francisco Simplicio (4:46)
8) Torroba: Nocturno – Hermann Hauser I (3:31)
9) Turina: Garrotín – Santos
10) Turina: Soleares – Arcángel Fernández (2:11)
11) Albéniz: Cádiz - Domingo Esteso (4:47)
12) Granados: Spanish Dance No. 5 – Robert Bouchet (4:46)
13) Albéniz: Capricho Catalán – Ignacio Fleta (4:18)
14) Granados: La Maja de Goya – Miguel Rodriguez (4:55)
15) Granados: Spanish Dance No. 4 - Hernández y Aguado (6:30)
16) Torroba: Sonatina 1st movement – Manuel Contreras (4:04)
17) Albéniz: Asturias – Daniel Friederich (6:56)
18) Mompou: Canción – José Ramírez III (2:01)
19) Albéniz: Córdoba – José Romanillos & Son (7:15)
Total Time 79:40
