Contemporary Spanish guitar music

[Sean Eric Howard]

Does anyone here employ contemporary spanish guitar music in their recitals/programs? By contemporary, I mean a piece written within the past 10 years or less.

[David_Norton]

I haven't found any I like. Ask me about French, Italian, Canadian, Belgian, English, or USA music of the same time frame and and it's a different tale. I simply haven't yet encountered XXI Century Spanish music which grabs my attention. That could change with the next packet of scores I receive to critique for Soundboard; anything is possible.

[Sean Eric Howard]

I'm trying to purchase the score to Octavio Vazquez's Prelude and Fugue; it seems to be much more difficult to find contemporary pieces.

[Kjetil Heggelund]

I have wanted to play Xavier Pages piece "Tridacna" that I found for free on his homepage. Other than that I suggest you search sheerpluck.de with those criteria. Great place to learn about new stuff. They often list publishers as well.

[Sean Eric Howard]

Kjetil, thanks for the info. I'll have to head over there and have a look. Looks like AGAbril has written a new piece not published yet, and I haven't bought a single Jose Luis Turina score yet (I've heard it'll take the enamel off the teeth).

[Toccata]

I like Luis de Pablo's "Fabula"--it sounds very difficult. Cristobal Halffter's Sonata is good too. It's actually Eliot Fisk's transcription of Halffter's Solo Violin Sonata, but Fisk's transcription sounds very idiomatic, if again, frightfully hard to play!

[Sean Eric Howard]

I'm not much for playing transcriptions, though. Shoot, Cristobal Halffter's Codex I, which is written for guitar, is one of the hallmarks of guitar literature, but rarely played. I'm not familiar at all with Luis de Pablo's Fabula; thanks!

[Sean Eric Howard]

I have wanted to play Xavier Pages piece "Tridacna" that I found for free on his homepage. Other than that I suggest you search sheerpluck.de with those criteria. Great place to learn about new stuff. They often list publishers as well.

Kjetil, did you find the score to that piece on the composer's website? All I can find are mp3s; it sounds a lot like Tomas Marco or Jose Luis Turina, but with a bit less bite - like Brotons.

EDIT - I found a site that sells the score.

[Toccata]

I'm not much for playing transcriptions, though. Shoot, Cristobal Halffter's Codex I, which is written for guitar, is one of the hallmarks of guitar literature, but rarely played. I'm not familiar at all with Luis de Pablo's Fabula; thanks!

Codex 1 is quite a thorny piece. Fabula is a bit less so, or at least less pointillistic. Gabriel Estarellas has a great recording of Fabula. Amazon has some samples from it.

[Praeludium]

I just discovered two consistent pieces for guitar from major composers of our era (and there's a recording of Fabula on YouTube, by a french guitarist specializing in contemporary repertoire)

Thanks a lot. The contemporary repertoire for guitar is surprisingly huge. We're living in a golden age for the guitar.

[Sean Eric Howard]

Thanks a lot. The contemporary repertoire for guitar is surprisingly huge. We're living in a golden age for the guitar.

I agree 100%!

[yotamz]

I'm trying to purchase the score to Octavio Vazquez's Prelude and Fugue; it seems to be much more difficult to find contemporary pieces.

I know Octavio and have his Prelude and Fugue. While I like the piece's dark character it is by no means 'Spanish' sounding. I think it has more in common with Koshkin than with Torroba.

Nowadays it seems like flamenco is all the rage in Spain. The players are amazing technically and the compositions are getting pretty adventurous both rhythmically and harmonically. I recommend Jose Manuel Leon's 'Sirimusa' (it's on youtube) for a taste of 'Contemporary Spanish guitar music'.

[Sean Eric Howard]

yotamz, thanks for the info. I'm not interested in finding "Spanish sounding" pieces. I'm interested to know what new music for guitar is being written in Spain at the moment. I'll look up the Jose Manuel Leon Youtube - thank you.

[yotamz]

I see... Well Octavio lives and writes in NYC so his music doesn't qualify either.

I'm curious to hear your opinion on Sirimusa. Please let me know what you thought.

[Sean Eric Howard]

It's certainly flamenco in nature, although it strikes my ears as a lot like Ulisses Rocha, one of my favorite guitarists and one of the best on the planet.