Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez (CD review)

Also, Ponce: Concierto del sur; Garcia: China Sings! Junhong Kuang, guitar; Darrell Ang, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra. Naxos 8.579053.

By John J. Puccio

First, the contenders: The first stereo recording I ever heard of Rodrigo’s famous guitar concerto was by Narciso Yepes on a 1957 London (Decca) LP. So I have a fond affection for it, especially now that HDTT have remastered it. Then there is an equally good (and old) stereo recording from Angel Romero on Mercury and a later one on EMI that are also quite good; plus entries from Carlos Bonell (Decca), several from John Williams (Sony), several more from Julian Bream (RCA), another from Sharon Isbin (Warner), and still another from Christopher Parkening (EMI). The list pretty much goes on and on.

Now for the new contender: Junhong Kuang, with Darrell Ang and the Czech Chamber Philharmonic on Naxos. There is stiff competition for him, but the performance and recording quality certainly hold up their part of the show. Junhong Kuang is a young (b. 1999) classical guitarist who has won any number of competitions over the past decade and performed with a variety of topflight orchestras. The Rodrigo marks his second recording for Naxos.

You may remember that Spanish composer and pianist Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999) wrote the Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra in 1939, and it eventually established Rodrigo’s reputation as a leading composer for the classical guitar. I say “eventually” because it wasn’t until Yepes and Argenta recorded it in monaural in the late Forties that it really took off.

Rodrigo described the first movement Allegro con spirito as "animated by a rhythmic spirit and vigour without either of the two themes interrupting its relentless pace." Certainly, Kuang’s performance is spirited and animated. If anything, it appeared to me faster than most, which actually isn’t the case. It’s just that Kuang’s playing is so virtuosic, so dazzling, it sounds quicker than it really is. To be sure, Kuang is letter perfect (or note perfect) and remarkably precise, yet his remarkable precision loses a little something in nuance. I didn’t feel as affected by either of Kuang’s first two movement readings as I did with Yepes or the Romeros. In any case, under Kuang the first movement remains fun, and it’s assuredly lively.

Junhong Kuang

The composer said that the second movement "represents a dialogue between guitar and solo instruments” (cor anglais, bassoon, oboe, horn, etc.). What he didn’t say was how utterly beautiful it can be, something audiences have been saying for close to eighty years. Again, however, Kuang’s penchant for virtuosity works against him here more than anywhere else. I found his performance less sensitive than some of the aforementioned guitarists, although still graceful and lyrical enough.

Then there’s that perky little closing tune, the one Rodrigo said "recalls a courtly dance in which the combination of double and triple time maintains a taut tempo right to the closing bar." It seemed to me the best judged of the three movements Kuang recorded.

The couplings--Manuel Ponce’s Concierto del sur and Gerald Garcia’s China Sings--get the same treatment as the Rodrigo, with virtuosic playing from the soloist and warmhearted accompaniment from Ang and his Czech Chamber Orchestra. The Ponce work is almost as famous as the Rodrigo and charming, to be sure. The Garcia piece, dedicated to Kuang, is less Spanish in flavor than the others (two popular Chinese tunes were the inspiration) and played by Kuang with obvious affection.

Producer Kiri Stilec and engineer Vclav Roubal recorded the music at the Dukla House of Culture, Pardubice, Czech Republic in August 2019. You may recall that at one time the Decca record company was known for its “Decca Sound.” Perhaps we should label Naxos orchestral recordings as having a “Naxos Sound.” It’s slightly soft, yet fairly well detailed, and exceptionally big and widely spread out. The guitar is nicely articulated and realistically integrated with the orchestra, not too far out in front. Depth perception is somewhat limited, though, while dynamics are only moderate and the upper midrange can occasionally display some shrillness.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click below: