BARRIOS: Danza Paraguaya: BACH (Arr. Barrios) Allemande from Lute Suite No1 BWV996; SCARLATTI (Arr.Barrios) : Sonata K481: GRIEG ( Arr Barrios) Anitra’s Dance from Peer Gynt: MORENO TORROBA (Arr Barrios) : Dansa Castellana: MOZART ( Arr Barrios) : Minuet: ALBENIZ ( arr Barrios) Sevilla: BACH ( arr Vea /Hoymer) Variation No25 from Goldberg Variations.
Tormund Vea and Sondre Hoymer
Digital: 27 minutes 51 seconds
Tormund Vea and Sondre Hoymer are two of Norway’s most talented players and shortly after meeting at the Norwegian Academy of Music in 2013 set up their duo. This latest recital of 8 pieces has been recorded mainly because they consist of newly discovered duet pieces both written, and arranged by Paraguayan Agustin Barrios Mangore, and they are the first players to record them. They have been very careful to keep to the very detailed fingerings that Barrios placed in the scores. Incidentally having spent a good few years researching Barrios and being the first person to transcribe his entire recorded work, I have a great love for the marvelous work of this composer/performer, so was fascinated at the thought of ‘new’ Barrios.
As it turns out the only original work here is his most famous piece the Danza Paraguaya that already exists in quite a few and slightly different solo versions , so a newly found duet version was an intriguing prospect. As it turns out it is lots of fun, and a great start to the album.
From here on in, we are talking arrangements of well – known works, beginning with a fascinating version of the Allemande from Bach’s Lute Suite No1, a moving Scarlatti Sonata, and a lovely warm version of Grieg’s Anitra Dance from his Peer Gynt. To find a duet version of Federico Moreno – Torroba’s solo guitar piece Dansa Castellana is really interesting, and it suits is new guise brilliantly. After a fun version of a Mozart Minuet, we get Albeniz’s Sevilla, which really does sound wonderful, and as its difficulty factor is very high, really takes some playing, and our duo make an effortlessly fine job of it.
The final arrangement is, I gather, one by our duo, and not Barrios, but whoever did it, it’s a superb one, and ends this recital beautifully.
The music is wonderful, the playing effortless sounding and the recording very clear and close, and so I can only say that this recital deserves to be heard by all.
Chris Dumigan