Federico Mompou: Suite Compostelana; Canciones y danzas

On this CD:

1. Suite compostelana for guitar
Composed by Federico Mompou

2. Cançones i dansas for piano
Composed by Federico Mompou

Federico Mompou: Suite Compostelana; Canciones y danzas, Music, Federico Mompou, Peter Fletcher, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music

Average customer rating:

Catalan music full of rich muscial spices - performed by a master of the guitar

Great transcriptions, but an even more sparkling performance!

Peter Fletcher makes the guitar sing

Exciting new material for the guitar!

Excellent performance and transcriptions

Federico Mompou: Suite Compostelana; Canciones y danzas
Federico Mompou , and Peter Fletcher
Manufacturer: Centaur
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000068R0P
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

Preludio
Coral
Cuna
Recitativo
Cancion
Muineira
No. 1 Cancione: Petiteta I'Han Casada - Dansa: La Danza De Casteltersol
No. 2 Cancione: Dotze Cavallers - Danza: Galop De Cortesia
No. 3 Cancione: El Noi De La Mare - Danza: Sardana (Original)
No. 4 Cancione: A La Vora De La Mar - Danza: Ball Del Cira
No. 5 Cancione Y Danza: Original
No. 6 Cancione Y Danza: Original
No. 7 Cancione: Muntanyes Regalades - Danza: L'Hereu Riera
No. 8 Cancione: El Testament D' Amelia - Danza: Un Pobre Pages
No. 9 Cancione: Rossinyol Que Vas A Franca - Danza: Original
No. 10 Cancione And Danza: Catigas De Alfonso X
No. 11 Cancione And Danza: Tema De La 'Patum' De Berga
No. 12 Cancione: La Dama D'Arago - Danza: La Mala Nova
No. 13 Cancione: Cant Dels Ocells - Danza: Al Bon Cacador
No. 14 Cancione: Quan Jo Era Petitet - Danza: Original

Customer Reviews:

Catalan music full of rich muscial spices - performed by a master of the guitar.......2006-01-06

You want this disk. You really do. I don't care whether you have ever heard fine guitar playing before or not; this disk is something special. Peter Fletcher brings so much mastery and inspiration to this music that you will hear things in guitar playing that you had not suspected before. I heard so many different tonal colors, articulations, and timbres that were absolutely in the service of the music that I was dumbfounded. Frankly, how he achieves some of these sounds is beyond me. How do you mute the chords you are strumming while bringing out a compound melodic line (that is a single melodic line that is really two lines) - listen to track 8 to hear this.

Federico Mompou was a fine Spanish (specifically Catalan) composer who lived from 1893 - 1987. He wrote mostly for the piano, but did write some pieces for guitar. The Suite Compostelana was written for Segovia and has become a mainstay in the repertoire of classical guitarists. Few can play it with the mastery and poetry of Peter Fletcher and we are glad to have it on this disk. The Canciones y danzas (Songs and dances) were written for piano, except for number thirteen (track 19 here), which was written for guitar. So, Mr. Fletcher has transcribed all the others for guitar. And he achieved a great deal in his transcriptions. They all sound like guitar music, but extremely demanding guitar music. There is so much going on in the way of accompaniment and melody that you would be forgiven if you thought two guitars were playing, but it is all done with two hands, one guitar, and a special musical talent.

Yet, the playing sounds so effortless and music is so free and wide ranging. While it is certainly tonal music, Mompou uses very interesting harmonies that add a great many Spanish spices. When he uses dissonant harmonies they are never there to be merely harsh, they sound rich and just right.

I would love to watch Mr. Fletcher play and see how he gets all those musical effects. This kind of musicianship lets you know there is so much more to this instrument than you would suspect from the kind of guitar playing we normally here and is lauded as "great". Once you here this, nearly everything else will not satisfy.

Great transcriptions, but an even more sparkling performance!.......2005-07-15

If you're a classical guitar fan, you should know at least a little of Mompou's music. Fletcher did, and obviously got the bug, because he delivers a great deal more of Mompou's piano pieces by transcribing them for guitar for the first time. This takes a lot of time and hard work of which Mr. Fletcher is to be applauded. However, the real applause goes to Peter's performance. No mistaking Fletcher for a Parkening protege (and fan) here - the playing sparkles! Great phrasing, dynamics and tone color really breath the life into these - Mompou would be proud. A VERY enjoyable listen and I must add, a great recording (specifically of the engineering too - the guitar has been captured wonderfully on this album). Highly recommended!

Peter Fletcher makes the guitar sing.......2003-10-18

Usually I only write reviews of CDs when the CD inspires me to do so, either negatively of positively. In this case, I'm happy to say that it was positive inspiration. After listening to this CD I was amazed at the subtleties of expression that Peter Fletcher exudes from his guitar. It's as if the guitar is singing to you. This is what the guitar is all about. No other instrument can sing in such subtleties and it can only truly "sing" in the lap of the best performers. Let me give you an example of what I mean. Listen to the sample of the beginning of the Preludio from the Suite Compostelana performed by Mr. Fletcher. It starts out barely audible and subtly increases in volume then diminishes then increases again; this arching of dynamics is true musical poetry. Listen for the tasteful use of vibrato and color throughout these pieces. It's what makes these this CD so interesting, enjoyable and touching to listen to. (NOTE: Color on the guitar is achieved in several ways, one by plucking the strings closer to the bridge or farther away. Closer to the bridge gives a tinnier sound and farther away gives a warmer rounded sound). Let's compare Peter Fletcher's performance with another young guitarist, Antigoni Goni on Naxos (ASIN: B0000014FB Catalog number 553774 or 8553774). Try sampling Ms. Goni's performance of the Preludio and compare it to Mr. Fletcher's. You'll see that Ms. Goni's does not add the dynamics and color that Mr. Fletcher does. To be honest though, I did like Ms. Goni's slower tempo on the Canción from the Suite Compostelana, but over all Mr. Fletcher takes the prize for me. In fact, I've listened to various pieces of the Suite Compostelana performed by Mr. Segovia, Mr. Parkening, Mr. Tennant, and Mr. Bream as well. All have their strengths and weaknesses. Mr. Fletcher's is the most poetic and musically satisfying performance of all of them. Regarding the rest of the CD, Mompou's 14 Canciónes y Danzas. I was first introduced to these piano pieces in 1997 by Stephen Hough on the Hyperion label (CDA66963) and in 1998 by Jordi Maso on Naxos (8.554332). All but No. 13 were transcribed for the guitar by Peter Fletcher himself. No. 13 is an original composition for guitar. This is the first and only recording of these pieces on guitar. Thanks to Mr. Fletcher, this adds a major work to the guitar repertoire. His transcriptions reveal a superb kinship with Mompou's music. His performances of the 14 Canciónes y Danzas are superbly subtle and delicate and sometimes bold and brash when called for by the music. His love for Mompou's music shines through. You'll find much touchingly beautiful music to replenish your soul in this CD. The recorded quality is very good. THIS CD IS A MUST HAVE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

Exciting new material for the guitar!.......2003-06-21

Here is a wonderful new set of pieces to add to the often too-limited repertoire for the classical (read:Spanish) guitar. Mompou was a Catalan composer who wrote not only for guitar, but also for piano. Mr. Fletcher plays these pieces with the proper combination of inner feeling and outer flash. To his further credit, he transcribed most of the pieces here for guitar from their original piano versions in an Atlanta coffeehouse. Raise a cup of Java and listen one of the most exciting classical guitar CD's in years!

Excellent performance and transcriptions.......2002-10-02

The Suite Compostelana is a staple for concert guitarists, and here receives a beautifully shaded and shaped performance. The real treats are the guitarist's own transcriptions of Mompou's atmospheric and translucent piano miniatures, many of which I'm guessing may only be known to connoiseurs. This is fine playing, very well recorded and generous at nearly 80 minutes.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Recommended Music:

25 Years of Being Childish

Romantic: Strauss Jr., Offenbach

So Long Marianne [Import]

Music: Umbersun

Return Of The Jedi (1997 Deluxe Special Edition) [Soundtrack]

Street Block [Explicit Lyrics]

Slack Alice Live in Toronto 69

Special (parts 1 & 2) [CD-single]

Shamrock & Heather

Piano Concerto 1 / Rhapsodies