Jorge Luis

Lily Afshar has many virtues as guitarist whose mission has been twofold: by contributing to the Iranian Guitar Scene via her pedagogic activity in that country, and by showing the rest of the world a small part of the musical potential that the Iranian tradition has for the guitar repertoire. In that sense, her five pieces (arranged by herself) are a significant contribution for any listener, not only guitarists. Her interpretation of Domeniconi's well-known Koyunbaba gives a meaningful connection with the Iranian tradition. The rest of the album, however, is not new at all (Tárrega, Albéniz, etc.). Sure, these authors are classics for a reason, yet among the many interpretations we have of Albéniz's Asturias already, Afshar's does not sound different or better than those we already know. Maybe you can think of a thematic connection with the Spanish repertoire concerning the music of al-Andalus, but otherwise these are two different albums: the first one (described at the beginning) is magical and a must in your collection; whereas the second... isn't.

Bolivar's Tierra de sol is represents a significant contribution to the Guitar Music of Venezuela. Together with Williams's "Diablo Suelto", and Nirse's González's "Guitar Music of Venezuela", Bolívar decides to explore new perspectives for the Guitar Music, especially the work of Luis Ochoa. Luis Ochoa was a great exponent of Latin American Guitar Music and, particularly of Venezuela. His music and arrangements, however, haven't been fully explored yet. In that sense, this work is also an hommage to Ochoa's, whose contributions to the guitar are still in the need of more attention.

By 2003, we were still in the need of a comprehensive selection of the Guitar Music of Venezuela. Of course, we had the repertoire scattered in other recordings, especially those of Alirio Díaz. Inspired probably by Diaz, who was his professor at a certain point, John Williams takes us to the Venezuelan plains (the famous "llano venezolano") by means of his music and his interpretation of the various genres that figure in that tradition: joropo, vals venezolano, and so on. This album includes not only the works of Antonio Lauro, but also other key figures from the Venezuelan guitar music, like Vicente Emilio Sojo and Heraclio Díaz. The actual inclusion of Alfonso Montes performing the "cuatro" was a wise decision and the performing of "El Adiós" takes us to a whole new level of musical nostalgia. Without doubt, El Diablo Suelto shall be considered now, after almost 20 years from being released, a key album in every guitar music collection.

After seeing Topchi's interpretation in a Festival in Moscow I was really eager for the release of this album. Marko Topchii is an extraordinary guitarist, whose performative strength is beyond imagination. A proof of that is the interpretation and premier of Koshkin's "Introduction & Vivace" (one of the most difficult set pieces in a GFA competition) and Dyens's "Sonatina Libre". The rest of the selection, however, was rather disappointing: Jose's Sonata has been played dozens of times in the Naxos Laureate collection (Garibay, Larousse, Buono, just to name a few), let alone Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Cappricio (where Topchii's strength backfires in a version of unnecessary histrionism). The Guitar Repertoire is expanding and it needs to be played by guitarists like Topchii's, whose technical skills and interpretative passion are unmatched. Naxos Laureate albums need of course gifted guitarists, but they also need people eager to show the world the potential of the guitar and to expand its language. Otherwise, we have extraordinary guitarists (like Topchii, who is the best young guitarist nowadays in my view) with ordinary repertoires.

Piazzolla's dedication of his Five pieces for guitar to Roberto Aussel (which you can listen to in his album "Tristón") becomes once again meaningful in this selection of both contemporary and classics of the "rioplantense" tradition. Aussel has carefully selected representative pieces of known and novel composers (for instance Jewsbury). There are many reasons to have this album in your collection, for instance the interpretation of Moscardini's 'Suburbio' (which is becoming already a new classic in the repertoire), which is, to my believe, the best there is. The colours of Aussel's guitar really make him an artist of almost pictorial proportions. Tragedy, nostalgia, remembrance and love are all depicted in the thirteen pieces here selected.

The repertoire presented here has a thematic consistency that invites the listener to explore different geographies in the guitar landscape from historically connected musical traditions: Greece, the Balkans, Turkey, Armenia, Iran. It is a delightful foray that shows that Guitar Music is more than the well-worn repertoire we all know. A distinguished pupil of Iakovos Kolanian, George Tossikian provides us here with an elegant interpretation that has the virtue of joining with the musical traditions here represented. An extra virtue of this recording is that finally we get to have a comprehensive approach to this geographical corridor (once only scattered in rare recordings) in one single album, This album is a must for guitar music lovers.