Digital Music Album Review: 'Great Performances: Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez/Fantasia para un gentilhombre'

©2004, 2005 Sony Classical. ℗ 1981, 1984 Sony BMG Music Entertainment

In the fall of 2005, Sony Classical (a division of Sony BMG Music Entertainment) released a digital follow-up to Great Performances: Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez/Fantasia para un gentilhombre, a 1980s-era compact disc featuring Australian classical guitarist John Williams (no relation to the American composer and conductor of the same name) and two orchestras (one British, one American) recorded years earlier for CBS Masterworks


The digital reboot has the same title and featured soloist, but this time Mr. Williams performs the material with the Philharmonia Orchestra (Louis Frémaux conducting).

Although it shares a title with an earlier CBS Masterworks album from the 1980s that featured Williams and two orchestras (the Philadelphia Orchestra, led by Eugene Ormandy, and the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Charles Groves) in performances of the famous 1939 Concierto de Aranjuez and 1954's Fantasia para un gentilhombre (Fantasia for a Gentleman) this recording is longer and includes music by another Spanish composer who didn't write music primarily for the guitar.

While it is true that both recordings feature the same soloist and the same compositions by Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999), several details separate the 2005 digital album from its 1980s compact disc cousin.

The first, of course, is that this recording was made with one musical ensemble, London's Philharmonia Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Louis Frémaux.

The second is that in addition to the two works by Rodrigo, who, in addition to being primarily a pianist and not a classical guitarist had lost his sight at the age of three, this recording also presents five additional tracks of music by Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909).

Great Performances; Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez/Fantasia para un gentilhombre consists of the following:

1. Concierto de Aranjuez, I: Allegro con spirito
2. Concierto de Aranjuez II: Adagio
3. Concierto de Aranjuez: III: Allegro gentile
4. Fantasia para un gentilhombre I: Villano y Ricercare
5. Fantasia para un gentilhombre II: Españoleta y Fanfare de la Caballeria de Nápoles
6. Fantasia para un gentilhombre III: Danza de las hachas
7. Fantasia para un gentilhombre IV: Canario
8. Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47: Granada (Serenata): Arranged for Guitar by Williams
9. Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47: Asturias (Leyendas): Arranged for Guitar by Williams
10. Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47: Sevilla (Sevillanas): Arranged for Guitar by Williams
11. Mallorca (Barcarola), Op. 202: Arranged for Guitar by Williams
12. Cantos de España, Op. 232, Córdoba: Arranged for Guitar by Williams

The two compositions by Joaquin Rodrigo were written 15 years apart (the Concierto de Aranjuez in 1939, while the Concierto para un gentilhombre, which the composer wrote for guitarist Andres Segovia, made its debut in 1954) are perhaps the best-known guitar pieces in the classical music repertoire by Spanish composers. Rodrigo's use of old Spanish folk songs and his talent for evoking imagery of palatial gardens and orange groves is evident in the two works presented in this album, and it is not hard to see why most listeners of classical guitar most often associate the Concierto de Aranjuez (especially the Adagio) with Spain itself.

However, it's evident that Rodrigo himself was influenced by other Spanish composers, especially Isaac Albéniz, who wrote music primarily for the piano (an instrument on which he was a virtuoso), especially his Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47. Albéniz used Spanish folk songs from the country's various provinces in his works, and although he was not a guitarist, most of his famous compositions were later arranged for the stringed instrument by artists from all over the world. 

I bought the digital edition of this album from Amazon Music a few weeks ago, and I am always impressed by guitarist John Williams' artistry and musicianship. He is a virtuoso with the guitar and is recognized throughout the world as one of the most technically accomplished guitarists in music history. 

In this album, Williams shines as a solo guitarist and arranger, particularly in the five tracks dedicated to music by Isaac Albéniz. His dexterity, concentration, and sheer musicality are present whenever Williams tackles his arrangements of Albéniz's Suite Española No. 1, which were originally composed for the piano but are perfectly suited for the guitar as well. 

But Williams is also known for his collaborative works with orchestral ensembles and his philosophy that up-and-coming guitarists should not focus solely on pieces for solo guitar. There's no better Exhibit A of this ethos than the performances of Rodrigo's compositions for guitar and orchestra. In the two recordings that I have from CBS/Sony Classical, Williams has a synergy with the ensembles he is performing with, always working with, rather than trying to outshine, the orchestras in the recording studio. 

My only gripe with the digital edition is that the download adds duplicate tracks in the Concierto para un gentilhombre, so that instead of 12 tracks, I have 16. When I listen to the same album on the Amazon site's web player, the album only has 12 tracks (as it should). On my PC, however, my Amazon Music edition has the four tracks repeated, with slightly different labeling on the "dupes." 

Other than that, though, I happily recommend this digital album to fans of classical music or anyone who loves guitar music of any genre.