Through the magical musical talent and death defying fingers of guitar virtuoso Grigory Goryachev the worlds of Spanish art music and flamenco are brought together in this brilliant debut CD. As we hear here so clearly, the line leading from 19th century Spanish piano virtuoso Isaac Albeniz to flamenco guitar masters Sabicas and Paco de Lucia is alive with tantalizing musical connections.

The distinctive sound of "Spanish" music is actually the result of the cross-pollenation of many cultures over a long period of time. In fact, Spain is unique amongst all European nations in that it was in past centuries dominated by the Islamic people, the Moors, for longer than it has yet to have been ruled by the Christians!

In addition, the influence of the Spanish Jews (Sephardim) and above all of the long maltreated gitanos (gypsies) permeated Spanish music. The Reyes Catolicos ("Catholic kings") tried desperately to purge all non-Christian elements, but, as the great psychologist Carl Jung has so sagely pointed out, what we try to drive out the door comes back in through the window!

Even the Reyes Catolicos couldn´t rid Spain of the magnificent fortress called the Alhambra (one of whose towers is called the Torre Bermeja!), the whirl of popular dance (heard in Cadiz and in the main section of Asturias), the sound of water running in long aquaducts from the mountains into the city of Granada (so tellingly captured in Albeniz´s music!) or even the muezzin´s call to prayer (as in the middle section of Asturias!)

In flamenco music the drone of the Moorish lute was kept alive in the Danza Mora; the keening lament of the Gitanos found expression in the Soleá and the Tarantos; the wild cross rhythms of popular dance exploded in the Fandangos and Bulerias.

Thanks to this latest scintillating disc from VGo Recordings, we can now all join in the festivities.

Eliot Fisk
Boston
May 8, 2006