Ensemble de guitares COPLA

Asturias, Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) 1

Originally called Prélude, this piece in G minor written for piano was first published in Barcelona in 1892 under the overall title Chants d'Espagne opus 232 by Juan Bautista Pujol Publications (Isaac Albéniz’s teacher). It opened a cycle of two compositions: Orientale and Sous le palmier. Isaac Albéniz named it Leyenda when it was published for the second time by Union Musical Española, this time with two additional pieces: Cordoba and Seguidillas. The name Asturias was given to it long after Isaac Albéniz’s death by the German publisher Hofmeister. He included it in a new 1911 entity called Suite española (although Albéniz never intended this piece for this suite) and gave it a title not chosen by the composer. This decision is all the more incredible when we discover that this music has nothing to do with the folk music of the Asturias region of northern Spain, but is rather influenced by the Andalusian flamenco tradition. The atmosphere of a bulería would be the first festive and cheerful inspiration. The delicate, complex melody of the middle part is reminiscent of Arabo-Andalusian music, with its typical intervals. The song resembles a flamenco copla in which love, grief, jealousy, and tragedy compete for dramatic intensity. Like a call to prayer issued by the Muezzin from the top of his minaret, this intense song, chiselled by the composer, guides the listener through the recapitulation of the first part and then offers a slow, contemplative hymn finale.

Francisco Tárrega, recognising that Albéniz’s piano piece was written in a very ‘guitaristic’ style, transcribed the piece for guitar in E minor, a key more suited to his instrument. In this transcription for the Copla Guitar Ensemble, the key of G minor is retained, restoring the bewitching, mysterious quality of the original piece. The starting point for this arrangement is a magnificent orchestration of the Suite española by the conductor Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.

 

Danse macabre, Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)1

A symphonic poem, Danse macabre was composed in 1874 to the poem “Egalité- Fraternité” by Henri Cazalis from “Les heures sombres”. Its premiere on 24 January 1875 under Edouard Colonne’s baton, was particularly surprising because of the unusual use of a xylophone in a symphony orchestra.

Camille Saint-Saëns quoted the main theme in his Carnival of the Animals in 1886. The Danse macabre is in fact an expanded orchestral version of one of his earlier works for voice and piano, written in 1873 and entitled Scène de sabbat nocturne. The twelve strokes of midnight sound as an introduction. In the original score, it is the “violin of death” that seems to tune in, playing the first sarcastic theme inspired by Guido of Arezzo’s diabolus in musica. This is followed by a slower, more melancholic waltz. The fugato of this second theme offers a jumping, almost grotesque parody of the Dies irae. The clattering of bones is followed by the crowing of the cock as the dead disperse with the appearance of light. The first 10 lines of Henri Cazalis’s poem were quoted at the beginning of the original score.

 

 

Addio del passato, Sempre libera, Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) 1

Francisco Tárrega has adapted these two famous themes from La Traviata into a solo guitar version in which he reproduces the sensitive, lilting world of Giuseppe Verdi. The arrangement for the Copla Guitar Ensemble is based on the opera’s original score, but includes two relevant innovations by Tárrega: a passage of harmonics linking the two themes, and a treatment of the theme of Sempre libera using a tremolo, a typical guitar technique. In Verdi’s opera, the Sempre libera aria appears well before the Addio del passato aria, which is set in the latter part of the work.

 

Addio del passato is one of the greatest arias in the lyric opera published works. This extremely languid theme, which requires a very slow tempo, must be sustained by deep expression in order to convey Violetta’s great weakness which accompanies her sadness. She understands that it is all over and that it is now too late to live and be happy.

 

When Alfredo confesses to Violetta that he secretly loves her, she is torn between this budding feeling, which she would like to respond to, and her irresistible desire for unrestricted freedom. With its strong dramatic momentum, Sempre libera demands boundless virtuosity to convey Violetta’s desires. In a state of emergency, she tries to persuade herself that what she needs is the freedom to live her life, despite the bittersweet mixture of love, tragedy, and joy.

 

 

Fandango, Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) 1

The fandango is a traditional Spanish dance that can be accompanied by song. It is danced by a male couple, often to the accompaniment of percussion instruments skilfully orchestrated between the castanets and heel-claps of the dancers. The constant acceleration of the tempo can become one of its characteristics.

Luigi Boccherini entered the service of the Spanish Court and never ceased to use the Iberian essence in his compositions. Composed in 1788 as part of a cycle of eight quintets for guitar and string quartet, the quintet in D Major G448, known as the “fandango”, is divided into two parts. The grave assai, a brief introduction, highlights a calm, elegiac theme before the rapid, brilliant outburst of the second movement: a frenzied, hectic fandango full of fantasy and surprises that captures all the elegance of Spanish music in breathtaking fashion. From its jubilant aspect, the composer’s pleasure in pleasing carries the listener away in a festive joy... The mischievous, somewhat roguish side of the piece adds a touch of fantasy that is so characteristic of Boccherini’s writing.

 

West Side Story: I Feel Pretty, Somewhere, America, Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) 5

West Side Story was originally a musical created on Broadway in 1957, which in 1961 became a film of the same name directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, a worldwide success. It is a modern version of the Romeo and Juliet story transposed to New York in the 1950s. Tony, a former Jets member who has distanced himself from the gang, and Maria, the sister of the leader of the rival gang , the Sharks, fall in love. The couple must endure the opposing forces of their respective clans. Steven Spielberg made a memorable new film version in 2021.

I Feel Pretty The very optimistic lyrics of the song I Feel Pretty sung by Maria stand in contrast to the fact that she doesn’t know at that precise moment that Tony, her true love, has just killed her brother Bernardo. During this scene, her friends tease her for being a little childish. Leonard Bernstein draws on frenetic Latin-inspired rhythms. Everything exudes joy and innocent happiness.

Somewhere In both Stephen Spielberg’s version and the stage version of West Side Story it is Valentina who sings this tune just after I Feel Pretty. However, in the first film in 1961 this tune was moved, and it was Maria who sang it when Tony died in her arms.

AmericaIn the Sharks, the American dream espoused by the girls in the gang contrasts with the nostalgia of the boys for their faraway island. They all sing together, dance furiously, clap their hands to emphasise the high points, and clash in a brilliantly choreographed battle. Leonard Bernstein accentuates the exotic side of the song with the rhythmic use of the huapango, giving it a very Latin style by contrasting the 3 for 2. Exuberance, speed, and optimism are the unifying elements of this frenzied dance.

 

Saurat, Arnaud Sans (*1960) 2

This piece was specifically written for the Copla Guitar Ensemble. A lullaby (canción de cuna) whose theme is initially fragmented between the different voices, before coming together in a lyricism of romantic inspiration. This progression evolves with a certain rhythmic ambiguity, shifting between a 6/8 and a 3/4. Saurat is a village lost in the high mountains of Ariège. Arnaud Sans, whose paternal family comes from this Pyrenean valley, wanted to recreate the slow, traditional atmosphere of this magnificent, secret place by following the sound of the village church bells. The on-stage interpretation of this piece can be supported by a series of photographs (taken by Jean-Jacques Salva) of this sleepy valley gently awakening to the melancholic sound of the lullaby.

 

Oblivion, Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) 3

In 1984, Astor Piazzolla composed Oblivion for the film Henry IV by Italian director Marco Bellocchio. This moving, nostalgic piece is set to a rigorous rhythm that leaves plenty of room for the development of a lyrical, introspective melody. Oblivion is a slow milonga, a musical genre considered to be the predecessor of tango and very popular in Uruguay and Argentina. The nonchalant magic of this mysterious dance is often poignant, sensual, and cruel, seductive, and insubordinate. The choreography of the milonga imitates a kind of rhythmic march without elaborate figures, unlike its successor the tango. Oblivion’s melody is extremely melancholic, evoking sadness while speaking of love. It is also very sophisticated harmonically, giving way to a nostalgia evoked in a soft, distant whisper.

 

 

Atardecer en Buenos Aires, Norberto Pedreira (*1960) 4

Norberto Pedreira is an Argentinian composer who has lived in Paris for over thirty years. He belonged to the movement of young Latin American musicians who, from the 1970s onwards, sought new expressions based on their countries’ folklore. Thus, he opened new avenues of musical inspiration thanks to his incessant desire to blend his native culture with that of jazz. His childhood memories, expressed through Atardecer en Buenos Aires, reminisce about the green, circular streets in which he grew up, surrounded by the unique neighbourhood life that is so characteristic of Buenos Aires. At the request of the musicians of the Copla Guitar Ensemble, Norberto Pedreira rewrote this piece for their sextet, a poetic journey to recapture his childhood images. Many mirror effects in Atardecer en Buenos Aires take the music from sensual milonga to languorous tango.

 

Concierto de Aranjuez (2nd mov), Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) 5

The Concierto de Aranjuez is named after the gardens of the Palacio Real de Aranjuez, built in the 16th century and remodelled until the 18th. The palace is located in the eponymous town of Aranjuez in the Madrid region, some forty kilometres from the capital. Joaquín Rodrigo wanted his guitar concerto to transport the listener to another time and place. He hoped his work would have the power to capture “the fragrance of the magnolias, the song of the birds and the trickle of the fountains” in the garden of this famous palace. The genesis of the concerto’s second movement lies in a dramatic episode in the composer’s life. Joaquín Rodrigo’s wife, Victoria, was pregnant with their first child while the composer was on a concert tour. Upon learning that his wife was in a critical physical condition, he returned home as quickly as possible, but while doing so he did not know whether his wife would survive. On his arrival, Joaquín Rodrigo found his wife alive but not his child. By his own admission, in this Adagio the composer wanted to express both the anguish of the unbearable wait for his return and the prayer he had made for Victoria and his child to be spared. The transcription for the Copla Guitar Ensemble is based on Joaquín Rodrigo’s magnificent dialogue between the guitar and orchestral instruments such as the oboe, bassoon and English horn. Joaquin Rodrigo used to say that the last harmonics of this movement symbolised the flight of his child’s soul. This masterpiece of guitar published works is rooted in the most profound Spanish impressionism.

 

1 Transcription and arrangement by Arnaud Sans published by L’Empreinte Mélodique Publications

2 Transcription and arrangement by Arnaud Sans published by Oz Publications

3 Transcription and arrangement by Martin Vieilly

4 Published by L’Empreinte Mélodique Publications

       5 Transcription and arrangement by Arnaud Sans

 

The Copla Guitar Ensemble, made up of six guitarists, offers an attractive and original line-up. The sextet formula brings a dynamism, charm, and musical movement that only the guitar can create.

Because the guitar is a solo instrument, and because of its polyphonic importance, the guitar sextet offers a richer palette of sounds and colours. The repertoire covers a wide range, from traditional to classical music, from the 18th century to the present day: Spanish and South American trends, as well as French and Mediterranean music are widely represented.

These musicians, who have won 1st prize at the French National Music Conservatories (Conservatoires Nationaux de Musique) and the Normal School of Music of Paris (Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris), all have something in common: they were all taught by the master Alberto Ponce. The guitarists in the Copla Ensemble have taken part in a number of recordings, including the complete works of Emilio Pujol, and recital albums. These six different but complementary personalities (Clarisse Sans, Martin Vieilly, Giorgio Albiani, Léonard Chantepy, Hugo Brogniart, Arnaud Sans) make this ensemble a very rich blend.

 

Guitars

Daniel Friederich (1984-1986-1992), Mirko Migliorini (2017, 2018), Hugo Cuvilliez (2014)

Dominique Delarue (2016), Jean-Noël Rohé (2021)

Bass guitar: Dominique Delarue (2003)

Octave guitar: Renaud Galabert (2012)

Cuatro guitar: Dominique Delarue (2010)

 

Sound recording, mix and mastering : Roberto Rossi, Giorgio Albiani

Photo cover : Marie Sans

Translation english : Stéphanie Papasavva