Recovered Gems: Music From The Andrés Segovia Archive – Matthew Slotkin

GENRE: Classical/Guitar
COMPOSERS: Lennox Berkeley, Aloÿs Fornerod, Pierre de Breville, Fernande Peyrot, Pierre-Octave Ferroud, Henri Martelli, Raymond Petit, Cyril Scott

Performed brilliantly by Matthew Slotkin, the Andrés Segovia Archive consists of a series of compositions written for the great Spanish guitarist that he largely did not perform during his lifetime, including pieces by composers familiar to guitarists (e.g. Alexander Tansman, Federico Torroba) as well as singular works by important composers from the early twentieth century (e.g. Cyril Scott).

Acclaimed guitarist, Matthew Slotkin, brilliantly presents and performs The Andrés Segovia Archive.

“I spend my life asking everyone for pieces for my guitar. Rejecting some of them is something which causes me real pain.” -letter from Andrés Segovia to French composer Henri Collet

The Andrés Segovia Archive consists of a series of compositions written for the great Spanish guitarist that he largely did not perform during his lifetime. The series was edited and published by the Italian guitarist and scholar Angelo Gilardino, who began sorting and cataloging the materials at the Andrés Segovia Foundation in Linares, Spain in 2001. Many of the works in the archive were written in the period that encompassed Segovia’s successful tours of Europe in the 1920s and 1930s. In particular, his debut performance in Paris in 1924 resulted in a rich tranche of new compositions from leading composers of the time, several of which are included in this recording. While a small selection of the works in the archive have entered the standard repertoire, many others have been performed and recorded rarely.

These lesser-known works represent a significant contribution to the solo guitar literature of the twentieth century, as well as an enrichment of Segovia’s legacy.

Matthew Slotkin is an acclaimed performer, teacher, and scholar, and has appeared in leading venues on six continents. A commitment to contemporary music has resulted in premieres of numerous works. He is part of the duo, Dez Cordas, who has two recordings on Summit Records.

Referenced Catalogued Recordings on Summit Records as part of the duo, Dez Cordas: “Pilgrimage” and “Gone Away”