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This is an interesting release. Vincent Pepe and his student Vicente Coves work in tandem, each performing a concerto and a solo guitar work by Torroba — and what works! The Concierto en Flamenco was composed for Romero, who easily melds the discipline of classical playing with the fire of flamenco.

Coves’ style is complementary to his teacher’s, but definitely not the same. His performance of the Diálogos entre guitarra y orquesta had (to my ears) a harder edge and a sense of aggressiveness to it than Romero’s playing. His performance of the Suite castellana also seemed to have a sense of urgency to it.

All in all, the two guitarists provide a fine balance and deliver a cohesive program. I’m really looking forward to the subsequent volumes of this series.

Federico Moreno Torroba: Guitar Concertos 1
Concierto en Flamenco; Diálogos entre guitarra y orquesta; Aires de la Mancha; Suite castellana
Pepe Romero and Vicente Coves, guitars; Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra; Manuel Coves, director
Naxos 8.573255

Tags: CD Review, classical guitar, Concerto, contemporary classical music, Federico Moreno Torroba, Málaga Philharmonic Orchestra, Naxos, Pepe Romero, Vicente Coves