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Sharon Isbin knows how to pick classical guitar works just about as well as she knows how to play them (which is to say, exceptionally well). On her Grammy Award-winning
Dreams of a World, she explored folksy classical guitar works from around the world. On this disc, the music of two guitar concerto world premieres is less-familiar and just as exciting. Christopher Rouse's
Concerto de Gaudi for Guitar and Orchestra is rooted in the Spanish idiom, but it has numerous twists and turns. Isbin gets plenty of tricky solo flights here, but the piece also features some truly explosive brass and percussion moments reminiscent of orchestral works by
Ives and
Revueltas. Tan Dun's commission for Isbin is less structured; there's plenty of improvisation where the guitarist is required to use tremolo to make her instrument sound like a Chinese lute, or
p'i-p'a. Again, you'll hear the influence of Spanish composers, though you never lose the influence of Eastern tonalities in Tan Dun's Impressionistic work. It's a fantastic showcase for Isbin's talents, though not necessarily a piece you'll want to hear every day. These live recordings boast great sonics, and the Gulbenkian Orchestra is in fine form.
--Jason Verlinde
