LENNON – McCARTNEY: (arr TAKEMITSU): Yesterday; Michelle; Here There and Everywhere: BARBARA (arr DYENS): Gottingen: SCHUBERT (arr MERTZ); Standchen; Die Post; GARDEL LE PERA (Arr ANIBAL ARIAS): Volver: R.CAMPO VIVES/ZULETA: Fantasia Caribe Sobre el Tema ‘La Gota Fria’: BREL (Arr DYENS) Ne Me Quitte Pas.
Irene Gomez
Here is a beautifully recorded and played set of very diverse pieces, that all have one thing in common, they mean a great deal to Irene Gomez and were significant in that they played a large part in her upbringing.
So we have three extremely well – known John Lennon and Paul McCartney pieces that need no introduction from me! They all come from that fascinating book by Takemitsu where he takes their pieces, and give them a little touch of his own style, and so in other words, they don’t slavishly follow the recorded version, but there is enough of the original there to give the listener many fabulous moments, and as a result are beautifully guitaristic and always extremely involving.
The beautiful Gottingen by singer/composer Barbara is a work I only came to know in Roland Dyens’ fabulous (but oh so difficult to play!) book of Chansons Francaises Volume 1 ,not that Irene Gomez has any difficulty in playing it, as her performance is wonderful and natural , as are all her other performances here.
Carlos Gardel’s well – known Volver has been arranged for guitar solo a few times, and this one is by Anibal Arias, and a lovely work it is, sounding utterly natural as a solo.
The only work new to me is the Fantasia by Rafael Campo – Vives, a Columbian composer whose work was based on the song La Gota Fria, and is a real highlight on this wonderful CD of beautiful pieces.
The final recording is Jacques Brel’s famous song Ne Me Quitte Pas (If you Go Away) as arranged by Roland Dyens. Of course any writing from Dyens is going to be superb, and his imaginative and beautiful arrangement is nothing if not a gorgeous finale to what is a CD of lovely pieces, marvelous playing, and beautifully clear recordings. Irene Gomez has excelled herself with this wonderful CD
Chris Dumigan
Comments