VA - Segovia & His Contemporaries, Vol. 13 (2020)

Following the development of electrical recording technology in 1925, which revolutionized the sound quality of 78 rpm shellac discs, there was an explosion of recordings made by Spanish classical guitarists. Although dozens of discs were released in Spain and elsewhere, very few of these have ever been heard since their initial release in the 1920s and 1930s. DOREMIs Segovia and His Contemporaries series has released a number of recordings from this period, most notably Volume 12, devoted to Tarrega and his disciples. The present release reveals the artistry of more of Segovias contemporaries born in the 19th century, whose names and achievements have fallen into total obscurity. The Catalan school of guitarists, based in Barcelona, in a line of descent from Fernando Sor, is represented by an eclectic set recorded by Juan Nogués and Alfredo Romea, including not only Sor but such rarities as a Nocturno by their teacher Miguel Mas, a Bolero of Napoléon Coste, and Julian Arcas original version of the Jota Aragonesa, later adapted by Tarrega. The Andalusian Juan Parras del Moral, like Segovia from Jaén, a close friend and fellow guitarist from Segovias youth, and a remarkable virtuoso, plays several warhorses of the repertoire, including the earliest known recording of Albénizs Asturias. The unique folklore-influenced compositions of the Basque guitarist Anselmo Ojembarrena provide a fascinating counterpoint to the primary repertoire. From the Canary Islands comes two solos played by Lopez Arencibia, and the Madrilenian Miguel Ángel Martinez, a student of Daniel Fortea, provides Tárregas arrangement of Arcas Jota and the evocative Danza Mora, redolent of Spains Moorish period. And finally, we present freshly digitized and restored versions of several of Segovias very first recordings that reveal more brilliantly than ever the astonishing beauty of sound so characteristic of him.