Spanish Dances
The Brazilian Guitar Quartet
Composers: Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Joaquin Turina, Joaquin Rodrigo, Federico Mompou, Isaac Albéniz
“The Brazilians played with one mind … and conveyed all the mystery, joy, passion and pride in this music… this was magical music making.” —Palm Beach Daily News
In this, the 2011 Latin Grammy–winning Brazilian Guitar Quartet’s sixth album on Delos, the ensemble pays homage to its rich and varied heritage as exemplified by the music of Spain – which, in turn, gave rise to Latin American music. With roots going back more than a millennium, the nation’s wide–ranging regional musical styles are most idiomatically represented by the more than 1,000 dance–forms native to the Iberian peninsula.
The album’s eighteen bewitching selections – mostly dances – are derived primarily from piano works by six of the best–known 20th–century Spanish composers: Isaac Albéniz, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Joaquin Rodrigo, Federico Mompou and Joaquin Turina.
The BGQ, while best known for its brilliant interpretations of Latin American music, shines brightly in this repertoire – having a special flair for the quintessential Spanish sound and spirit. They offer the richest sonic depth and range of any guitar quartet, thanks to the use of two eight–string guitars: sonorities that are thrillingly captured in Delos’ exceptional, audiophile–grade sound.
