Iguaz\u00fa<\/em><\/strong> Just as mastering Bach seems to be a rite of passage (of sorts) for many (most?) classical guitarists, so, too, it seems that taking a deep dive into the music of Brazil and other South American and Central American countries becomes more popular with each passing year. And why not? It\u2019s an incredibly rich and diverse musical heritage, so much more than just Barrios, Villa Lobos, and Lauro, to name just three titans. And also, most excitingly, it encompasses so many contemporary composers, so the catalog of great pieces to play is virtually inexhaustible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Iguaz\u00fa<\/em>, the outstanding Greek guitarist Thomas Athanaselos <\/a>offers a wide spectrum of mostly well-known pieces by Brazilian and Argentine composers, as well as three of his own works that fit in thematically and musically with his other choices\u2014indeed, the lovely title track is his, inspired by the famous Iguaz\u00fa Falls that sit on the border between Brazil and Argentina. Most of the choices here are pieces that have already been shown to be popular in the classical guitar repertoire, such as Marco Pereira’s bubbling Bate Coxa<\/em>, Dilermando Reis’ contemplative Eterna Saudade<\/em>, S\u00e9rgio Assad’s lilting and infectious Cataret\u00e9<\/em> and charming Valseana<\/em>, and two of Astor Piazzolla’s most famous works, Oblivion<\/em> and Adios Nonino<\/em>. If you know some or all of those, you can see what Athanaselos is going for: melody reigns supreme throughout; there is barely a discordant note struck on this album. Still, all is not light and tuneful. There are darker moments, as well as a beautiful sadness that emanates from a few pieces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Athanaselos’ playing is confident but never strident; he has mastered these sometimes tricky rhythms and plays them as if they are second-nature to him. His own pieces show how much he has internalized the essence of these musical forms. He captures the buoyancy of the uptempo pieces and also manages to coax tremendous feeling out of this ballad-heavy program, really making the melodies sing<\/em>. It’s a wonderful album!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bate Coxa<\/em> (M. Pereira); Frevo<\/em> (M. Pereira); Eterna Saudade<\/em> (D. Reis); Alfonsina y el Mar<\/em> (A. Ramirez, arr. R. Dyens); Suite Brasileira No. 4: Cataret\u00e9<\/em> (S. Assad); Suite Brasileira No. 4: Toada<\/em> (S. Assad); Balada par Martin Fierro<\/em> (A. Ramirez); Oblivion<\/em> (A. Piazzolla, arr. R. Dyens); Adios Nonino<\/em> (A. Piazzolla, arr. C. Tirao & T. Athanaselos); Aquarelle II: Valseana<\/em> (S. Assad); Aiteall<\/em> (T. Athanaselos); Fantasia y Mirada<\/em> (T. Athanaselos); Iguaz\u00fa<\/em> (T. Athanaselos)<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the moment, this self-released album is available only through the Danish music publisher Bergman Edition<\/a>. Hopefully it will turn up eventually on free streaming platforms, because this deserves to be heard!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thomas Athanaselos<\/strong>
(self-released)<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/classicalguitarmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Scan-2.jpeg?resize=415%2C400&ssl=1\")
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