This week on Fretworks, I'll start the hour with a British group, the Pro Arte Guitar Trio in a recording from the early 1990s. They'll play Le Grand Tango by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla. This Grand Tango was originally written for cello and piano and dedicated to Mstislav Rostropovich.
American guitarist Brandon Yip has, Sakura, Theme and Variations by Yuquijiro Yocoh. It's a beautiful setting of the popular Japanese folk song "Sakura," or "Cherry Blossom."
The big work for the hour is an early recording from 1968 by Australian born guitarist John Williams with the English Chamber Orchestra. We'll hear the Guitar Concerto No. 1 in A of Mauro Giuliani. The Italian guitarist-composer was one of the great virtuosos of the early 19th century, and this is one of the best guitar concertos from that period.
Russian guitarist Anton Baranov was the winner of both the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition and the Francisco Tarrega Competition in 2013. He'll perform Sonatine by Maximo Diego Pujol from his recent Naxos release.
To conclude the hour, we'll go back to the time of William Shakespeare for music of John Dowland performed on the lute by one of its greatest masters, Paul O'Dette. Join me Saturday evening at 7 for Fretworks for music of the classical guitar here on Classical 101.