RODRIGO: Complete Orchestral Music (Volumes 1-4)
December 20, 2006 by VinceL
Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo (d.1999) presents quite a story: blind from age 3, piano and violin student from age 8, incredibly prolific and popular composer. The Concierto de Aranjuez is his best known work, and perhaps the best known Spanish guitar work of the 1900s.
His wife since 1933, Turkish born pianist Victoria Kamhi Rodrigo wrote Hand in hand with Joaquin Rodrigo: My life at the Maestro’s side in 1986, translated into English in 1992. The volume reveals Victoria’s remarkable admiration for her husband. My first impression was that she wrote with such an amazed and worshipful tone, I wasn’t likely to find it interesting. But, 50-pages in, I have found it interesting. I’ll offer a post about it when I’m finished and link to it here.
About the Series:
I listened to all 9 volumes of the Rodrigo: Complete Orchestral Music series in October 2006. For some time, I have wanted to listen through this music again and revise my assessment of it. This entry revisists discs 1-4, but for variety’s sake, in reverse order of release (starting with disc 4, then 3, and so forth).
About Volumes 1-4:
RODRIGO: Piano Concerto / Musica para un Jardin (Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 4)
The second movement of “Concierto para piano y orquesta” on Disc 4 means “very cheerfully rhythmic.” Which explains everything up to 2m35sec when the cheery melody dissolves into a drumroll and discordant piano cascade (”collapse”). In the almost silence that follows, a snipet of the march plays quietly. Three times this pattern jars the hearer. Just as suddenly, at 3m18sec, delicate piano runs carry a sweet melody. This short-lived recovery collapses at 3m45sec, though springing instantly into a turbulent piano quickly cut off by blaring horns. The closing two minutes present the march, never acknowledging the central collapse. Quite curious!
The Largo is one of the prettiest, most romantic pieces I’ve ever heard! Eight pounding piano chords at 10m5sec and forward are quite effective!
Pay particular attention to the 3rd movement of the 2nd work, Musica para un jardin. The two one-movement works that round out the disc are also quite enjoyable.
RODRIGO: Concierto in Modo Galante / Concierto de Estio (Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 3)
Disc 3 offers two works for violin and two for cello, both accompanied by orchestra. I thoroughly enjoyed the soul-filled violin in Siciliana: Andantino, the middle movement of the Concierto de estio for Violin and Orchestra.
RODRIGO: Concierto de Aranjuez / Concierto Andaluz (Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 2)
Disc 2 features the world-famous Concierto de Aranjuez. However, the nearly as famous Fantasia para un gentilhombre is by far my favorite work on this disc - and may well be my favorite Rodrigo composition. See Volume 8 in this Naxos series for a flute version of the Fantasia para un gentilhombre. Also, see my next entry “Spanish Guitar Duel: Gallen vs Romero” for in-depth notes on the Concierto de Aranjuez and a comparison of two performances!
RODRIGO: Soleriana / Zarabanda lejana y Villancico (Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 1)
Disc 1 in Naxos’ 9-CD series of Rodrigo’s complete Orchestral works does not disappoint.
[...] See my entry titled RODRIGO: Complete Orchestral Works (Discs 1-4) for a fuller biographic summary and mention of his wife, Victoria Kahmi Rodrigo, and her biography of the composer. [...]
[...] blogged about those hours of enjoyable listening in these posts: RODRIGO: Complete Orchestral Music (Volumes 1-4) RODRIGO: Complete Orchestral Music (Volumes 5-9) Spanish Guitar Duel: Gallen vs. [...]