Narciso Yepes
Recuerdos De La Alhambra (Francisco Tarrega)

THE REVIEW

Narciso Yepes, a name little known to most, but mainly to those unfamiliar with the world of classical guitar.

A distinguished man, bald and with glasses, who in 1964 invented the 10-string guitar to adapt the instrument to ancient lute compositions, seemed more like a professor than a musician, in short, the complete opposite of the stereotypical image of a Spanish guitarist with long hair and sideburns playing flamenco.
The Mr. "Forbidden Games" used to respond: "I don't play with my hair" to those who mocked him for his appearance, and the fact that his name immediately recalled the homonymous film caused him some discomfort for being remembered (and more widely known) almost exclusively for having performed and made famous its soundtrack (a traditional Spanish serenade by an anonymous author), which although a pleasant and catchy piece, is nothing special for a guitarist capable of performing the most intricate scores of the Spanish folk repertoire and classical guitar in general.

The content of these recordings is proof: Yepes interprets Tarrega, and if Yepes is unknown to most, Tarrega is even more so, as he is not a contemporary figure. Tarrega was one of the greatest guitarists and composers Spain has ever had, his scores have been studied by any respectable classical guitarist, including the more famous Segovia. Tarrega (along with Segovia, of course, but much earlier) was one of the guitarists to whom we owe the development of classical guitar between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, an era when the leading instrument was the piano. Francisco Tarrega himself took lessons and played the piano, but loved the guitar and the words of his teacher Arrieta: "The guitar needs you, and you were born for it" definitively convinced him to dedicate himself to the study of his favorite instrument.

Here, Yepes performs some of the most important compositions of the Spanish master, including "Recuerdos de la Alhambra", written upon his return from a trip to Granada, the "Danza Mora" which Tarrega drew inspiration from a trip to Algeria, along with other great compositions that mainly belong to the category of classical music specifically written for this instrument, with subtle flamenco nuances and the typical genre contaminations ranging from tango to the typical Spanish "tocar" virtuosity represented by the so-called "Estudios".
This review is actually divided into two parts, because while the compositions are by Tarrega, and therefore the main substance belongs to him, it is equally true that the interpreter is highly respectable and deserves significant consideration. Beyond the technique, interpreting a piece composed by another person still requires devotion and passion to succeed at its best, qualities that the master Narciso, as the great and sensitive musician he was, had in abundance.

Analyzing song by song, or trying to describe emotions in this regard, I believe is profoundly useless. Listening to the vibration of nylon strings on wood, while even being able to perceive the physical presence of the guitarist playing, represents an internal refinement and a readiness to listen that is innate in anyone who loves the guitar and a certain form of musical expressiveness.

"The most important thing in a man is not what he knows, but what he is." - Narciso Yepes