Classics from their premieres, Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez and Fantasia para un gentilhombre have had many superlative recordings over the years, from
Segovia to
Bream and
Williams, and this 1994 recording by
Pepe Romero can stand with all but the very best of them.
Romero's agile technique, alert rhythms, and full, ringing tone make him an ideal performer of this music, bringing out Rodrigo's sprightly tempos and singing melodies with effortless beauty and grace. Accompanied by the always elegant
Neville Marriner leading the ever polished
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, these performances have wonderful lightness without sacrificing the soulful depths of the Concierto's central Adagio. Also included here are three less well-known works by Rodrigo: his short but stylish Cançoneta for violin and string orchestra played by violinist Augustín Leon Ara, plus two works for solo guitar played by
Romero: the slyly sensual Invocation et danse and the lovely and evocative Trois petites pièces. The performances are captured in clean, bright sound that will please fans of the works.