Rafael Andia "Inmemorial"
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works for two equal guitars : I - Nana works for solo guitar : (**) Grito Rojo (*) Claire Sananikone
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Stemming from the Spanish Republican diaspora, Rafael Andia began with flamenco guitar before devoting himself to classical guitar. His compositions are gathered here for the first time on CD. Rafael Andia pursues the ideal of an expressionist flamenco, freed from tradition, thought of as a volontary distortion of reality and enriched by the European twentieth century. This record is dedicated to the memory of all these, living or dead, who have suffered from the Spanish Civil War, tragic consequence of the military rebellion of 1936, and especially to republican musicians and poets whose wings were cut off or life truncated
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recorded on 21/12/2012
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Press Review (selection)
Magazine de la guitare classique
Sébastien Llinares
Classical Guitar Juin 2014
Introduced in the program notes as having ancestral roots in the Spanish Republican diaspora, i.e. a political, artistic and cultural exile, since the attempted eradication and expulsion of artists and intellectuals by the victorious Nationalists of the Spanish Civil war. Rafael Andia is one of the most prominent if not mercurial figures of the classical guitar scene; involved equally in the avant-garde, classical and the baroque, being a professor since 1971 at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris.
Inmemorial, a three part 'panorama' (written over a four-year period) is a tribute to those who suffered, and still suffer from those terrible times which started from the military rebellion in 1936. To clarify what is meant by 'two equal guitars' (deux guitares égales), the notes explain: 'both guitars are treated as two solo independent superimposed polyphonies'. The musical language unsurprisingly is mostly flamenco inspired and the poems of Federico Garcia Lorca are essential foundations for the structural ambiance.
Deep music, cante hondo, and the Notas Negras (dark sounds) evoke the torment and passion, in the true sense of the word, of a world where pain and misery mingle with love and hope. The two guitars at first do sound independent of each other, and then it starts to make sense. The sounds are ravishing and the playing equally so, especially building up to the finale of Revolucionario.
Claire Sananikone is a name new to me. She studied at the Ecole Normale de Musique with Alberto Ponce and has had a much decorated early career, with many prizes etc. The solo of Grito Negro is a deeply lyrical piece, using many flamenco forms, including bulería, farruca and serrana, and the cante chico (lighter and more jovial than cante jondo). Her playing is vivacious and she brings a complete control of tension to the fore.
Rafael Andia celebrates the conclusion of the recording in romantic fashion with the Jota Heroica, as lovers of Tárrega's Gran Jota will appreciate its unabashed triumphal sentiments. For a glorious moment, there are shouts of joy.
This is an earthy and profound recording, like its subject matter, and while listening one feels that the home of the guitar truly resides inside the soul of Spain.
Recommended for lovers of the heady perfumes of the darker corners of Andalucia.
