Five-string banjo wizard Bela Fleck plays an arrangement of Niccolo Paganini's Moto pertetuo accompanied by Edgar Meyer at the piano on the 2001 album "Perpetual Motion," showcasing Fleck's amazing abilities on the instrument and demonstrating that he is as virtuosic on the banjo as Paganini was on the violin.
Starting out in bluegrass music, as you might expect, Bela Fleck crossed musical boundaries to be nominated for Grammy awards in more categories than any other musician: country, pop, jazz, bluegrass, classical, folk, spoken word, composition, and arranging. On the next Fretworks, his dazzling performance of Paganini will get things moving right along..
Eduardo Fernandez is a fine classical guitarist from Uruguay, and he'll be the soloist with the English Chamber Orchestra for the Guitar Concerto No. 1 in D by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. One of the staples of the guitar concerto repertoire, this work from 1939 was written for Andres Segovia and has remained the most-often performed concerto by this outstanding composer for the guitar.
We'll also go back to early 19th century Europe for a Grand Sonata that features the mandolin and forte piano with music by Johann Nepomuk Hummel, a well-regarded composer of the time and on-again-off-again friend of Beethoven. Alison Stephens plays the mandolin and Richard Burnett, the forte piano.
Swedish guitarist Mats Bergstrom will play music from 1892 evoking Spain and its cultural heritage, Capricho arabe by Francisco Taregga. It's one of his most popular compositions, along with Recuerdos de la Alhambra. We'll also hear a little piece called Paquita."
The buffalo Guitar Quartet will add a lively flourish to end the hour with their arrangement of William Byrd's Gypsy's Round from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book on their CD of Renaissance and Baroque transcriptions.
Join me for Fretworks for music of the classical guitar Saturday and Wednesday eveniongs at 7 on Classical 101.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E93X8gnQRM