''Aranjuez''. (Rodrigo, de Falla). Milos Karadaglic (guitar), London Philharmonic Orchestra. Deutsche Grammophon CD
Adding to the pleasure are two guitar solos by Manuel de Falla: Homenage, a tribute to Debussy, and the flamenco-infused Danza del Molinero. To complete this programme, another great solo item is Rodrigo's Invocation y Danza, paying tribute to de Falla.
These certainly show the guitarist's technical abilities and musicality as the world looks for a successor to Segovia, John Williams and Julian Bream. Here soloist and orchestra show brilliance at a mostly relaxed pace, but the sound from Abbey Road Studios is overly engineered, reverberant and filtered.
Highlight: Rodrigo's Invocation enchants.
Taneyev: String Quartets No.5 and 7. Carpe Diem String Quartet. Naxos CD
Taneyev (1856-1915) was a pivotal figure in Russian musical life, a close friend of Tchaikovsky who taught him and the teacher of Rachmaninov and Scriabin.
Influences such as Bach and Mozart can be detected in his compositions and in these quartets it is Mozart that seems closer, with much lightness and cheer while there is plenty of baroque counterpoint that delighted Taneyev. No.7 in E flat major was written in 1880 when he was in Paris and not published in his lifetime, while No.5 in
A Major was actually composed later (1903) and perhaps more inspired by Haydn and Beethoven.
Highlight: Playful Presto finale of No.5.
