The Virtuoso Guitars Of Presti & Lagoya
Transcript of The Virtuoso Guitars Of Presti & Lagoya
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Two guitars that play as one: this is the phenomenon of Ida Presti and
Alexandre Lagoya, the guitar duo which has been enthusiastically received
on four continents—and now, in the United States. Following the Presti-
Lagoya triumphant debut in Town Hall on January 22, 1961, Elektra presents for the first time in the United States recordings of this exciting
duo, which has been called by the French publication Combat “one of the
wonders of the world.”
Presti and Lagoya began to attract international recognition as out-
standing artists after their appearances at the festivals of Aix-en-Provence,
Bordeaux, and Menton, in 1955. But before they decided to collaborate as a
duo, each was a well-known soloist. Ida Presti was born in France and
began the study of the guitar under the guidance of her father. Her first
recital was given at the historic Salle Pleyel, Paris, at the. age of ten; she
was soloist at the Concert Society of the Conservatoire and the Pasdeloup Concerts at the age of thirteen, being the first guitarist to be accepted by these societies. Proclaimed a musical prodigy, she took part in the centenary celebrations of Bizet, Berlioz, and Paganini. Her distinguished partner,
Alexandre Lagoya, was born in Egypt of a Greek father and an Italian
mother. He began playing the guitar at the age of eight and made his debut
when he was thirteen, in Alexandria.
As can be expected from two such noted soloists, in the music that
forms their repertoire as a duo there is no such thing as a first or second
guitar: the parts are of equal importance. Mr. Lagoya, the transcriber,
has scored each selection with musical discrimination and in complete faith
with the spirit of the composer. In performance, Miss Presti and Mr.
Lagoya are in absolute command of their instruments; the precision, the
rapport, the unanimity of their playing are astounding. Yet the impressive
feature of their performance is its complete external unity combined with
equally complete mutual expressive understanding. As an artistic unit they
are perfectly paired in the balance and refinement of their teamwork.
“In the hands of the Presti-Lagoya duo, the guitar exhales the poetry of
the ages. Its stunning percussive rhythms, limpid harmonics, variety of
color, expressive shading, and delicacy of tone render it symphonic.” (The
New York Herald Tribune report from Paris.)
True, when Miss Presti and Mr. Lagoya joined forces in 1955 to form
a duo (and also, incidentally, to get married!), the concert stage was
deprived of two excellent soloists, but it has gained instead this magni-
ficent duo, which uxquestionably enriches the world of music. For, playing
a perfectly matched pair of guitars made totheir specifications by the French
guitar maker Bouchet, the Presti-Lagoya duo introduces a type of music
seldom heard before: music for two classic guitars.
Side One
Courante 1:54, Allemande2:54, Allegro 2:54 (from the Third English Suite) (Johann
Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750)
The Bach suite is an assortment of highly stylized dances, the first two of
OUTSTANDING
HIGH: FIDELITY
RECORDINGS
which are the Allemande and the Courante. According to Alfred Kreutz, the six English Suites for harpsichord are so called because they are written _
“in the English style’’—that is, opening with a Prelude, in contrast with the -
smaller French Suites, which have none. The interweaving melodic and
rhythmic themes of these three selections from the Third English Suite -
are examples of Bach’s ingenuity as a contrapuntist, which has never
been surpassed. a «3
Sonata 7:00 (Longo No.33;Kirkpatrick No. 87) (Domenico Scarlatti, 1685- 1757) Domenico Scarlatti, son of the renowned Alessandro, is the principal com- —
poser of baroque keyboard sonatas and the father of modern piano-playing. |
However, as some of Scarlatti’s harpsichord pieces were inspired by that guitar, it is not unfitting that guitarists of today look to him for works
suitable for their instrument. The lyrical quality of this sonata is par-
ticularly effective in transcription for two guitars.
Sonata 4:46 (Longo No. 23; Kirkpatrick No. 380) (Domenico Scarattt 1685- 1757)
This sonata, chosen from the nearly 600 sonatas Scarlatti wrote for the
harpsichord, is a delightful display of sparkle and grace. Reflecting the
influence of Spanish music on the great Italian composer who spent the
last 37 years of his life as a musician at the courts of Lisbon and Madrid,
it suggests the Spanish bolero. It is in binary form, in 3/4 time, and quite
elegant in style.
Side Two
Oriental 4:55 (Danza Espafiola No. 2) (Enrique Granados, 1867-1916)
Granados, one of Spain’s most important composers of modern times, is
(along with Albéniz and Falla) one of the founders of the Spanish national
school. Oriental, second of twelve Spanish dances for piano, is of Andalusian
character and evocative of the period when Spain was under fens
of the Moors.
Andante ::os, Menuetto 2:40, Rondo ::40, -Gigue 1:40 (Suite No. 1)(Giovanni Batista
Marella)
Marella was a celebrated Italian guitarist and composer of the late 18th
century. (His exact birth and death dates are unknown.) This is the first
of six suites which he wrote for two guitars, published in the year 1762. The
lyrical melodies of these pieces proclaim their inventor’s Italian back-
ground; they are gracious, airy, and charming. :
Clair de Lune 5:10 (Claude Debussy, 1862- 1918)
Clair de Lune is one of the best-known works of the French impressionist |
composer Claude Debussy. Included in his Suite Bergamasque, which was
written originally for piano, Clair de Lune has since been transcribed for
various instruments and combinations of instruments, and for symphony
orchestra. This setting for two guitars preserves a certain fragile beauty
inherent in the original piano composition but often lacking in scorings for
large ensembles. The guitar as an instrument is well suited to the poetic
mood of the piece. oe Martha Nelson.
production supervisor — MARK ABRAMSON engineering — MARIO MIZZARO, Vanguard Recording Society, Inc. dace Studios)
cover painting & design — WILLIAM S. HARVEY
The Presti & Lagoya concerts in the United States and Canada are presented under the direction of Sol Hurok. All selections, except the suite by Marella, transcribed by Alexandre Lagoya.
TECHNICAL DATA
This fine ELEKTRA recording has been engineered: to exacting standards and under the most carefully con- irolled acoustic conditions using techniques and equipment developed during our ten years of continuing research and axperience.
All ELEKTRA master tapes are recorded on wide-range, distortion-free multi-channel Ampex tape machines ain conjunction with specially adapted and precisely phased Telefunken, AKG, RCA and Altec microphones. ate Transfer from tape to disc is accomplished on an automatic margin- -controlied Seully lathe employing aj -~ Western Electric feedback cutterhead equipped. with a thermo stylus. At every step in production extensive} _ ¢ quality-control measures are rigidly enforced to insure a musically satisfying and technically perfect recording ©) that encompasses the full range of human hearing. Playback equalizers should be set to the RIAA curve. e/J
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