DCD 045 - Boston Guitar Fest

The Boston Guitar Fest is quite a prestigious event. A joint project of Northeastern University and the New England Conservatory, it's a week-long celebration of the guitar and guitar artistry. One of the high points of the Boston Guitar Fest is the juried performance competition.

One of the prizes for that competition is a recording with VGo Recordings. In 2006, there were two co-winners, but lasts year there was one standout performer -- Christina Pérez Madiedo.

This episode of the DCD Classical 'Cast we sample selections from Madiedo's prize recording, as well as revisit tracks from the previous year's co-winners, Steve Lin and Joseph Williams, II.

- Ralph

This program we play:

Antonio Lauro: Seis por Derecho
Cristina Pérez Madiedo, guitar
VGo Recordings

Agustin Barrios: Sueno en la Floresta
Cristina Pérez Madiedo, guitar
VGo Recording

Alessandro Scarlatti: Sonata K. 96 (arr.for guitar)
Joseph Williams, II, guitar
VGo Recordings

Manuel Llobet: Scherzo-vals
Steve Lin, guitar
VGo Recordings

Leo Brouwer: Guitar Sonata (final movement)
Cristina Pérez Madiedo, guitar
VGo Recordings

DCD 044 - Richard Arnell

Con Brio Records has released a new CD by the MusicaNova Orchestra, conducted by Warren Cohen. The performances -- and the repertoire -- were so compelling, I just had to give the release its own podcast episode.

The disc is the U.S. recording premier of two symphonies by British composer Richard Arnell. Arnell was a contemporary of Benjamin Britten, and shortly before the Second World War lived and worked in the United States. Stokowski, Ormandy and other prominent musicians championed his music, and with good reason.

Arnell's compositions use the post-romantic language of Roy Harris, Walter Piston, and late Ralph Vaughan Williams. This isn't pretty music, but it is lyrical and well-crafted.

This episode of the "DCD Classical 'Cast" we sample part of both symphonies from the recording. But the only way to truely appreciate Arnell's work is to hear the Fourth and Fifth Symphonies in their entirety -- which you can do, thanks to the MusicaNova Orchestra and Con Brio Recordings.

- Ralph

The program we play:

Arnell - Symphony No. 4, Movement 2
MusicaNova Orchestra, Warren Cohen, conductor
Con Brio Records

Arnell - Symphony No. 4, Movement 3
MusicaNova Orchestra, Warren Cohen, conductor
Con Brio Records


Arnell - Symphony No. 5, Movement 3
MusicaNova Orchestra, Warren Cohen, conductor
Con Brio Records