The 10 pieces on this album are drawn from a 1694 collection called Poema Harmónico, by Spanish composer Francisco Guerau. Despite the guitar's strong association with Spain, guitar music of this period hasn't been terribly often recorded; this will be a welcome release for many collectors and specialists. The nine pieces are fairly substantial, running from just under five minutes to more than nine minutes long. They bear the names of dances, songs, or ground bass patterns, but they are like Bach's treatments of dances, or ...
Read More
The 10 pieces on this album are drawn from a 1694 collection called Poema Harmónico, by Spanish composer Francisco Guerau. Despite the guitar's strong association with Spain, guitar music of this period hasn't been terribly often recorded; this will be a welcome release for many collectors and specialists. The nine pieces are fairly substantial, running from just under five minutes to more than nine minutes long. They bear the names of dances, songs, or ground bass patterns, but they are like Bach's treatments of dances, or, more accurately, Couperin's: sophisticated and ornate. Indeed, given the nature of some of the Spanish songs that formed the basis for the instrumental art of the period, Guerau, a priest, was forced to include a disclaimer stating that his textless works were "morally neutral" -- the "Marizápalos" referred to in the title of track 2 was apparently a pretty hot number. The dance rhythms are still quite clear, however, and some of the pieces, especially the Jacaras de la costa,...
Read Less
