Barrios: Julia Florida (Edson Lopes, guitar)
- 6 years ago
"According to Rico Stover, guitarist and author of the seminal book Six Silver Moonbeams: The Life and Times of Agustin Barrios Mangore, Julia Florida has proven to be Barrios most popular work. I came to play Julia Florida because I had been asked to include some Latin American music for a concert that I was playing last summer. In discussing what I might play with my dear friend, composer-guitarist Van Stiefel, he exclaimed, “I challenge you to play Julia Florida.” Van put it to me in that manner because he knew of my snobbery and lack of real appreciation of Barrios’ eminent gift and contribution to our repertoire. Since I’ve known Van—beginning as my student at Yale on through to the present—he has always been a great advocate and admirer of Barrios’ music.
Truth be told, I have always loved teaching Julia Florida, and because of this (and Van’s challenge) I decided it must be in the set with pieces by Brouwer, Villa-Lobos and Lauro.
From the commencement of my relationship with the piece, I have been struck by its soulfulness and honesty. I would die to write a piece this beautiful and balanced. It is a composition any composer could learn from and admire. I will always be grateful to Van for “ putting it to me” to learn it.
I love the two-bar introduction. It perfectly evokes the movement of waves, which is apt since it is subtitled Barcarola. The melody that follows is to die for! The B-minor section is wonderfully mysterious and is a magnificent contrast to the D major opening section. The composer seamlessly modulates to the later A-minor section and skillfully returns to D major. The harmonics at the closing of the piece are iconic!
Barrios’ command of the guitar is second to none. He had a magnificent intuitive sense of how to coax the most sublime sonorities from the instrument. Guitars do nothing but smile when Barrios’ music is played on them!
While practicing the piece, I found myself continuously adding little ornaments. I simply could not help myself! In addition to being a virtuoso and brilliant composer, Barrios had a reputation as a fabulous improviser. Below is a statement of Jose Candito Morales from guitarist-author Rico Stover’s seminal book Six Silver Moonbeams:
“Morales stated that many times he heard Barrios improvise in his own concerts, and when queried afterward why he “changed” a piece, he replied, “ Che, inspiration overtook me, and I forgot I was giving a concert!”
With this knowledge, I decided that Mangore would have approved of the wee passing tone I added in the repeat of the B-minor section and the flourish I added at the closing of the piece. I have often repeated the measure (5 measures form the end) prior to the closing harmonics in concert. Depending at the tempo that I am playing, it seems natural to do so. I did not repeat that measure in this recording. My little ornaments are played with the utmost respect to the legendary
Truth be told, I have always loved teaching Julia Florida, and because of this (and Van’s challenge) I decided it must be in the set with pieces by Brouwer, Villa-Lobos and Lauro.
From the commencement of my relationship with the piece, I have been struck by its soulfulness and honesty. I would die to write a piece this beautiful and balanced. It is a composition any composer could learn from and admire. I will always be grateful to Van for “ putting it to me” to learn it.
I love the two-bar introduction. It perfectly evokes the movement of waves, which is apt since it is subtitled Barcarola. The melody that follows is to die for! The B-minor section is wonderfully mysterious and is a magnificent contrast to the D major opening section. The composer seamlessly modulates to the later A-minor section and skillfully returns to D major. The harmonics at the closing of the piece are iconic!
Barrios’ command of the guitar is second to none. He had a magnificent intuitive sense of how to coax the most sublime sonorities from the instrument. Guitars do nothing but smile when Barrios’ music is played on them!
While practicing the piece, I found myself continuously adding little ornaments. I simply could not help myself! In addition to being a virtuoso and brilliant composer, Barrios had a reputation as a fabulous improviser. Below is a statement of Jose Candito Morales from guitarist-author Rico Stover’s seminal book Six Silver Moonbeams:
“Morales stated that many times he heard Barrios improvise in his own concerts, and when queried afterward why he “changed” a piece, he replied, “ Che, inspiration overtook me, and I forgot I was giving a concert!”
With this knowledge, I decided that Mangore would have approved of the wee passing tone I added in the repeat of the B-minor section and the flourish I added at the closing of the piece. I have often repeated the measure (5 measures form the end) prior to the closing harmonics in concert. Depending at the tempo that I am playing, it seems natural to do so. I did not repeat that measure in this recording. My little ornaments are played with the utmost respect to the legendary