La Guitarra Romantica-Llobet, Pujol, Tárrega

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La Guitarra Romantica: Llobet, Pujol, Tárrega

Recorded:

September 30, 1983 and April 22, 1984 (selections 2-6)

October 1-2, August 23-24, 1990 (selections 1 and 7-18)
Location: Wardour Chapel (Chapel of All Saints) at Wardour Castle, Wiltshire, Dorset, England
Instrument: Guitar :

*José Romanillos, 1973 ( Bream likely used this guitar for the 1983 and 1984 recording sessions).

*Kevin Aram "Myrtle", 1988 (likely used on the Llobet and Pujol pieces and Tárrega's "Mazurka" as well).
Producer: James Burnett
Recording Engineer: John W. Bower
Label: RCA Victor Red Seal
Released: July 1991

Francisco Tárrega: Mazurca in G
Francisco Tárrega: Etude in A
Francisco Tárrega: Marieta
Francisco Tárrega: Capricho árabe
Francisco Tárrega: Prelude in A minor
Francisco Tárrega: Recuerdos de la Albambra
Joaquín Malats (arr. Tarrega): Serenata Española
Emilio Pujol: Tango Español
Emilio Pujol: Guajira
Miguel Llobet: Canciones Populares Catalanas - La nit de Nadal
Miguel Llobet: Canciones Populares Catalanas - Lo rossinyol
Miguel Llobet: Canciones Populares Catalanas - El Mestre
Miguel Llobet: Canciones Populares Catalanas - La filadora
Miguel Llobet: Canciones Populares Catalanas - El testament d'Amelia
Miguel Llobet: Canciones Populares Catalanas - Canço del lladre
Miguel Llobet: Canciones Populares Catalanas - Plany
Miguel Llobet: Canciones Populares Catalanas - El Noi de la Mare
Miguel Llobet: Canciones Populares Catalanas - L'hereu Riera

Webmaster's note:

All of the Tárrega compositions (except for the Mazurca in G) were recorded during the "Music of Spain" period. Three of the Tárrega pieces (Etude in A, Prelude in A minor and Recuerdos de la Ahambra) were released on "¡Guitarra! The Guitar in Spain" in 1985 but the rest did not surface until a few years later on this recording in 1991. It would make chronological sense that the material on La Guitarra Romantica was likely meant to be Volume 6 of the series. A "Music of Spain", vol. 2, 3 and 6 never surfaced before Bream's tenure at RCA came to a close. There has never been any indication that material was recorded for these "missing" LP volumes. It would be lovely if a number of unreleased recordings were still sitting in the vaults at RCA waiting to be rediscovered. Volume 2 and 3 would most likely have been comprised of Spanish baroque music played on the vihuela and baroque guitar. I'm sure it never happened-an opportunity missed.

La Guitarra Romantica almost appeared to be a release done to meet a contractual obligation. The climax of the whole "Music of Spain" series had come and gone with the release of the movie ¡Guitarra! A Musical Journey Through Spain and companion LP ¡Guitarra! The Guitar in Spain. There did not appear to be significant promotion for this release, the cover photo was an outtake form the ¡Guitarra! The Guitar in Spain LP and no significant liner notes to speak of were included. The larger presentation of the LP almost compelled the record companies to add more photos and commission writers to write liner notes that were interesting to read. Sadly the LP format had been just about eliminated from most record stores by the end of the 1980's. The release was even forgotten by Graham Wade in his wonderful and very thorough book about Julian Bream called The Art of Julian Bream.

No known release

La Guitarra Romantica: Llobet, Pujol, Tárrega (initial CD release)

RCA Red Seal. RD 60429

Reissues:

No reissues of this album were done as a single disc.

Compilations:

LP
¡GUITARRA! THE GUITAR IN SPAIN

RCA Red Seal . Released 1985

This is an example where the compilation came before the actual album.

This double LP was comprised of newly recorded material on the first LP and the second LP was essentially a compilation of the Music of Spain albums that had been recorded prior. The Tarrega pieces on this LP had yet to been recorded earlier but had yet to be released for the Music of Spain series. This collection includes Tárrega's "Etude in A", "Prelude in A minor" and "Recuerdos de la Ahambra" from the LP album above.

¡GUITARRA! THE GUITAR IN SPAIN(2 CD compilation along with new material )
RCA Red Seal. R30C1001/2. Japan. Released 1986

This is an example where the compilation came before the actual album.
This double LP was comprised of newly recorded material on the first LP and the second LP was essentially a compilation of the Music of Spain albums that had been recorded prior. The Tarrega pieces on this LP had yet to been recorded earlier but had yet to be released for the Music of Spain series. This collection includes Tárrega's "Etude in A", "Prelude in A minor" and "Recuerdos de la Ahambra" from the LP album above.

GUITARRA - THE GUITAR IN SPAIN (1 CD compilation along with new material )
RCA Red Seal. 6206-2-RC . Released 1987
The 2 disc CD release above had very limited distribution and a 1 disc CD release of Guitarra - The Guitar in Spain was the version primarily available in most regions. All the new recording for this album were included but only a hand full or the compilation selections were included due to the space limitations of one CD. This collection includes Tárrega's "Prelude in A minor" and "Recuerdos de la Ahambra" from the LP album above.

THE ULTIMATE GUITAR COLLECTION (2 disc compilation)
RCA/BMG 74321 337052. Released 1996
Selection from the LP album above included in this compilation is Tárrega's "Recuerdos de la Albambra".

THE ULTIMATE GUITAR COLLECTION -VOLUME 2 (compilation)
BMG Released 2000
Selection from the LP album above included in this compilation is Tárrega's "Capricho Arabe".

SPANISH GUITAR RECITAL (compilation)
RCA Red Seal/BMG. 74321 68016 2. Released 2001
Selections from the LP album above included in this compilation are Malats' "Serenata Española",
and Pujol's "Guajira" and "Tango Español"

THE ESSENTIAL JULIAN BREAM
RCA Red Seal. 886972134024. Released 2008
Selections from the LP album above included in this compilation are Tárrega's "Recuerdos de la Albambra", Malats' "Serenata Española" and Pujol's "Guajira"

THE ESSENTIAL JULIAN BREAM (2 CD compilation)
RCA Red Seal. 855289124 / 0888837469623. Released 2013
Selections from the LP album above included in this compilation are Tárrega's "Recuerdos de la Albambra" and "Capricho Arabe"

Compilation CD Box Sets:

JULIAN BREAM EDITION - THE ULTIMATE GUITAR COLLECTION (box set compilation)
RCA Victor Gold Seal/BMG Music. Released 1993.
Disc (vol.) 26 - Music of Spain: La Guitarra Romantica (JBE)
This compilation disc includes the entire LP La Guitarra Romantic in addition to 3 Turina pieces not on this album.

MUSIC OF SPAIN - COMPLETE COLLECTIONS (box set compilation)
RCA Red Seal/Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Released 2005
CD 4: This compilation disc includes the entire LP La Guitarra Romantic in addition to 3 Turina pieces.

THE COMPLETE RCA ALBUM COLLECTION -CLASSICAL GUITAR ANTHOLOGY (box Set compilation)
RCA Red Seal/Sony Music Entertainment. Released 2013.
Disc 40 - La Guitarra Romantica

Guitar notes:
"In August 1986. Julian purchased the guitar "La Cancion" from me in October of that year. A second guitar "Myrtle" was purchased in 1988. Both instruments were used by Julian for concerts worldwide and "Myrtle" was used to record the Popular Catalan Folksongs by Miguel Llobet on the recording "Julian Bream- La Guitarra Romantica"" Thank you to the Delcamp member "Lovemyguitar" and Marten Falk for alerting me to the guitar information on luthier Kevin Aram's site.