With Christmas just a week away, the next Fretworks abounds with beautiful music for the classical guitar that evokes the holiday spirit. Giovanni De Chiaro is back this week with A Festival of Carols from his "Christmas on Guitar" CD.
The guitar family, the Romeros, perform an original work for four guitars and orchestra written for them by the Italian composer, conductor, and virtuoso viola player, Massimo Paris. The 22 minute X'mas Suite is part of the group's "Christmas with Los Romeros" CD from Deutsche Grammophon.
Soprano Kathleen Battle will join guitarist Christopher Parkening for a gorgeous performance of Charles Gounod's Ave Maria, which is based on J.S. Bach's Prelude No. 1 from The Well-Tempered Clavier with Gounod's original melody added. Then Parkening and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra play more Bach arrangements from two different cantatas.
Solo guitarist Brandon Yip returns with Joy to the World and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. May it be so, and join me for the next Fretworks here on Classical 101 Saturday and Wednesday evenings at 7.
