Domenico Scarlatti, born 1685 (the same
year as Bach and Handel) was the son
of opera composer Alessandro Scarlatti.
He was a Neapolitan who moved to first
Portugal and then to Spain where he
settled. He was clearly influenced by
the Spanish guitar music, rhythmically
and harmonically, when he wrote many
of his 555 harpsichord sonatas. It’s
no wonder that they are popular among
guitarists.
Granada-born David
Martinez, first prize winner of the
2004 Tárrega International Guitar
Competition, opens this excellent recital
with four sonatas, nicely contrasting
in mood to form a satisfying four-movement
suite. The first sonata is played with
a great warmth, underlined by the soft
almost occluded sound, while the second
of them, the lively K 209, has an especially
memorable theme. There is no mentioning
of who made the transcriptions, nor
of the Bach piece, the difference of
course being that a harpsichordist can
play many more notes at the same time.
Regondi’s Introduction
et Caprice is quite substantial,
lasting more than ten minutes and is
typical of its composer with its sweet
melodies and somewhat improvisational
character. Even longer and more firmly
structured is Bach’s Prelude, Fugue
and Allegro BWV 998, of course written
for a keyboard instrument. Colin Cooper
states in his illuminating liner notes
that it might have been composed with
a "Lautenwerk" in mind. Bach
owned such an instrument which used
the same plucking mechanism as a harpsichord
but was strung with gut instead of wire,
lending it a sound closely reminiscent
of a lute. As played here it fits perfectly
comfortably in guitar dress.
Aguado’s Andante
and Rondo is a genial composition,
requiring fleet fingers and rhythmic
thrust but probably not leaving much
of an impression when finished. Back
in the baroque tradition we meet Regino
Sainz de la Maza, maybe best remembered
as the guitarist who premiered Rodrigo’s
Concierto de Aranjuez. He was
also a composer and a baroque enthusiast
and these four dances are in effect
transcriptions of 17th century
composer Gaspar Sanz’s music. They are
delicious original works sounding equally
well in latterday garb for the modern
six string guitar.
A big leap then to
present day flamenco celebrity Paco
de Lucia, whose Fuente y Caudal (Fountain
and Flow) from the likewise entitled
1973 album, is a virtuoso piece, requiring
among other things sure-fingered tremolo
playing. This tarantos-based work, spiced
with some daring harmonies and thrillingly
rhythmical, is to me the highpoint of
the disc, both as a composition and
as an interpretation.
Tárrega’s ubiquitous
Recuerdos de la Alhambra also
receives an outstanding performance,
uncommonly hushed and inward, and the
lovely Lágrima, with a
faint smile among the tears, pensively
played, is a fitting conclusion to a
highly attractive disc. Colin Cooper,
as is his wont, contributes an insightful
essay and the technical side can hardly
be in better hands than Norbert Kraft’s
and Bonnie Silver’s. Another feather
in Naxos’s well-filled guitar hat and
to be warmly recommended.
Göran Forsling
David Martinez (guitar) 
