20 Confinements of Guitar

(пусть гитара останется с нами навсегда)

Villageoise by John DUARTE (1919-2004) from PETITE SUITE FRANÇAISE; I commissioned the great composer in 1974: the purpose was to enrich our guitar repertoire with French music.
« Villageoise » is the first movement, both elegant and facetious.

Le Trouvère et la Douce Dame Jolie by John DUARTE from PETITE SUITE FRANÇAISE; This second movement is a courtly love story:
A troubadour plays chords on his guiterne while getting close to a balcony where a douce dame jolie stands expectantly.
Seeing him approaching, she sings in a major mode.
They then sing together and get into a dance, accompanied by a tambourine.
They then bow to each other.
The troubadour plays two interrogative chords, but gets no reply.
Worried, he plays the chords again.
The douce dame jolie replies with a song, in a minor mode, this time.
Dismayed, the troubadour moves away, playing sad chords…

La Rondette by John DUARTE from PETITE SUITE FRANÇAISELast movement; a witty round dance, both elegant and lively, in the Renaissance style.

Boléro, by Maurice Ravel (arr. Peter Kraus); a bold transcription of the celebrated work.

Ragtime by Pierre LERICH (1937-2008):  this was a great present from the author for my birthday in 1993.

Etude 22, by Napoleon COSTE (1805-1883): great piece to warm up!.

La Chasseby Mauro GIULIANI (1781-1829): An accurate depiction of a hunting session, with hornets, the pack of staghounds, the poor doe, the village dance, the mort….

African Danceby Charles CAMILLERI (1931-2009) :this composer from Malta masters both the African and the European cultures..

Etudeby Matteo CARCASSI: (1792-1853) A delicious moment, far from the madding word..

Variations on a French folk song ‘J’ai du bon tabac’ by Mario CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO (1895-1968):: In the 30s, a musical critic in Geneva wrote that, even if Segovia performed « J’ai du bon tabac », it would be superb anyhow. The great Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco took the challenge. His experience was that snuff meant sneeze…

J’ai du bon tabac, (fugue) by Mario CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCOThis is the final fugue of this extraordinary suite.

Sakura by Yuquijiro YOCOH (1925-2009) : very refined variations on the popular Japanese folk song

Moorish Dance by Esteban de Sanlúcar (1910-1989): Based on Andalucian traditional music — the origin of Flamenco — here is my rendition of the original composition.

Zulquei Walz  by José OLIVEIRA QUEIROZ (1910-1968):: A sensual composition by Brazilian composer Jose Olivera Queiroz who dedicated the work to his wife Zulmira (hence the title: ZULmira QUEIroz).

Tango en Skaï by Roland DYENS (1955-2016): The perpetual Argentine sensuality

Andante Armonioso ‘à la Bellini’ (anonymous): this manuscript was apparently found in an attic. To me, a major work, a sweet heartbreaker. But who was this mysterious Pezzoli who signed the arrangement? And where did he find such a glorious theme?Merci to the Guitar Foundation of America

Sonata for Guitar and Words by JP JUMEZ (1943-)the sound of words associated to the meaning of notes [Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez is used in the first poetry]