SPIRIT OF THE GUITAR

Regarded as one of the leading Brazilian guitarists of the younger generation, Bellinati is hailed by many as successor in the lineage of great Brazilian guitarist/composers such as Jobim, Powell and Gnattali. In his compositions, he recreates Brazilian styles such as Baião, Maxixe and Frevo, blending influences from contemporary jazz and classical music. Baião de Gude draws its inspiration from a game of marbles called ‘Bolos de Gude’, which is played in the street by the children of Brazil.

Baião Malandro (Smart Baião) by Egberto Gismonti is a mischievous, rhythmically engaging as well as ambiguous, and aggressive composition. The popular baião rhythm originated in the north-east of Brazil and was pioneered by the folk-singer Luiz Gonzaga. Like many of Gismonti’s works, Baião Malandro differs in each of its incarnations due to the improvisatory nature of the composer’s performances. The particular version that James Jervis has chosen to arrange appears on Gismonti’s album ‘Alma’ where it can be heard in the form of a piano solo with synthesised sounds.

In addition to being one of the most beloved and enduring operas of all time, this work has found a home on the symphonic stage, most notably with an orchestral suite of some of its most popular excerpts. In this arrangement of six movements from Carmen for guitar quartet, a special emphasis was put on retaining the distinctly Spanish sound of the music, which finds a natural home on the guitar.

The current suite begins with the Aragonaise, with strumming fanfares and imitations of castanets. Next is the timeless Habanera, a sensual aria based on a melody by Iradier that explores the lyric possibilities of a single line melody on the guitar. It is followed by the flamenco-inspired Seguidilla, which explores a wide range of articulations and colors available on guitar quartet. The ever-popular Toreadors features boisterous strummed chords and extended trills, while the delicate Entr’Acte is a gradually unfolding masterwork of lyric counterpoint. The final Gypsy Dance creates a slowly building tension with repeated staccato figures, finally erupting in the famous and furious coda.

© William Kanengiser

Alfonsina y el mar is a song by pianist Ariel Ramirez and writer Félix Luna. Alfonsina and the sea, as it translates to English, is a tribute to Argentine poet Alfonsina Storni who tragically took her own life by jumping into the sea. This is a unique version for four guitars expertly woven together by master arranger, composer and guitarist Roland Dyens.

Andy Scott is a Northwest (UK) based composer, saxophonist and educator with a distinctive musical voice that encompasses elements of jazz, world and contemporary classical styles. He is a founder member of the Apollo Saxophone Quartet and teaches at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

One of Andy’s most popular compositions, ‘Salt of the Earth’ started life as a three-movement Concerto for Tuba with Brass Band! Andy has arranged the piece for a number of ensembles and soloists, and in this case was delighted to continue his collaboration with the AGQ, with Mike Baker undertaking the arranging duties.

The composer writes “Influenced heavily by jazz & latin music, ‘Salt of the Earth’ is fast and furious. The main melody moves over changing chords that are underpinned by a pedal note before the release of a montuno-inspired B section. Moving away from chord changes, the introduction, bridge and coda are written as two virtuosic single-line parts.

The title of the piece was inspired by the salt mining industry in my home county of Cheshire East. Underground networks of roads stretch for miles, whilst overground, huge football pitch-size salt mountains provide a surreal landscape.”

A Mi Pueblo (For my people) is a haunting piece of music, written by the Paraguayan harpist Ismael Ledesma. This arrangement for four guitars captures the textures achieved by the harp along with the beautifully simple melody.

Manhã de Carnaval is the principal song in the 1959 Brazilian film Black Orpheus. It became one of the first Bossa Nova compositions to gain popularity worldwide and it is considered one of the most important songs of that style.

Hasta Alicia Baila (Until Alicia Dances), a Cuban rumba (guaguancó), was written by Eduardo Martín for Alicia, a friend of the composer’s, in an attempt to get her up and dancing! The guaguancó is a traditional ‘call and response’ form of the rumba, featuring percussive effects from instruments such as the tumba, llamador, and quinto. The guitars imitate these drums throughout the piece, giving it its rhythmic drive and authentic flavour.

Antonio Carlos Jobim is one of the most celebrated and influential Latin American musicians of all time. Largely credited with the creation of Bossa Nova (an amalgam of samba and ‘cool jazz’), some of his songs have become all time classics, famous throughout the world, including ‘The Girl from Ipanema’, ‘Desafinado’ and ‘A felicidade’.

‘Lamento no Morro’ first appeared in 1956 on the album ‘Orfeu da Conceição’. Originally a play by Vinícius de Moraes, ‘Orfeu da Conceição’ was set to music by Antônio Carlos Jobim who also conducted the 35 piece Grande Orchestra Odeon featuring legendary musicians, Roberto Piava on vocals and Luiz Bonfá on guitar.

De Ushuaia a la Quiaca is the Argentinian equivalent of Land’s End to John o’ Groats and is part of the soundtrack of the movie ‘Motorcycle Diaries’. The film is a biopic about the written memoir of Ernesto Guevara, best known as the Marxist guerrilla leader Che Guevara. The composer, Gustavo Santaolalla, won a BAFTA for his work on this film and later went on to compose the music for other successful films such as ‘Brokeback Mountain’, ‘Bebel’ and most recently ‘The Last of Us’.

‘Minor Swing’ (composed in 1937) is one of the most popular and celebrated compositions of legendary gypsy jazz guitarist, Django Reinhardt (1910-1953). He recorded the piece six times throughout his career in various different guises, most famously with Stéphane Grappelli and the Quintette du Hot Club de France in 1937, and it is considered to be one of his most covered works. It was included on the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet’s 2012 Chandos Records CD, ‘Final Cut’ inspired by the inclusion of ‘Minor Swing’ in the film ‘Chocolat’ (2000). Johnny Depp’s performance of ‘Minor Swing’ makes up a memorable part of the Golden Globe-winning soundtrack (for Best Original Score) by Rachel Portman (b.1960), and perfectly depicts the gypsy origins of Depp’s character.

The playful and almost cheeky opening to ‘A Furiosa’ is slightly deceptive as to the character of the rest of the piece. What ensues is a wonderfully catchy and fun melody based around the energetic dance rhythm of the Brazilian Maxixe. Bellinati wrote this piece as a tribute to the incredibly virtuosic and talented street musicians of Brazil, known affectionately as ‘The Furious Ones’ on account of their astonishing technique and speed. This fun dance is full of rhythmic excitement and flair.