Milonga Del Angel Mengla Huang & Xuefei Yang

• Manuel de Falla (1876 - 1946): La vida breve:
• 1 Falla: La vida breve: Danza Española No. 1 (Arr. by Fritz Kreisler & Xuefei Yang) 03:30
• Isaac Albéniz (1860 - 1909): España, Op. 165:
• 2 Albéniz: España, Op. 165 - Arr. Fritz Kreisler/Xuefei Yang: 2. Tango 02:34
• Enrique Granados (1867 - 1916): Tonadillas al estilo antiguo, H.136:
• 3 Granados: Tonadillas al estilo antiguo, H.136 - (Arr. Gregg Nestor): 3. El Majo Discreto 01:32
• 4 Granados: Tonadillas al estilo antiguo, H.136 - (Arr. Gregg Nestor): 8. La Maja de Goya 03:51
• Niccolò Paganini (1782 - 1840): Sonata Concertata for Guitar and Violin in A Major, Op. 61, MS2:
• 5 Paganini: Sonata Concertata for Guitar and Violin in A Major, Op. 61, MS2: 1. Allegro spiritoso 07:13
• 6 Paganini: Sonata Concertata for Guitar and Violin in A Major, Op. 61, MS2: 2. Adagio, assai espressivo 03:09
• 7 Paganini: Sonata Concertata for Guitar and Violin in A Major, Op. 61, MS2: 3. Rondeau. Allegretto con brio, scherzando 02:29
• Enrique Granados: Tonadillas al estilo antiguo, H.136:
• 8 Granados: Tonadillas al estilo antiguo, H.136 - (Arr. Gregg Nestor): 9. La Maja Dolorosa 03:44
• Astor Piazzolla (1921 - 1992): Histoire du Tango:
• 9 Piazzolla: Histoire du Tango: Bordel 1900 04:13
• 10 Piazzolla: Histoire du Tango: Café 1930 06:43
• 11 Piazzolla: Histoire du Tango: Nightclub 1960 05:51
• Niccolò Paganini (1782 - 1840): Grande Sonata in A Major, MS 3:
• 12 Paganini: Grande Sonata in A Major, MS 3: 2. Romanza: Più tosto largo. Amorosamente 04:17
• Manuel de Falla: Suite populaire Espagnole:
• 13 Falla: Suite populaire Espagnole: 1. El Paño moruno 02:05
• 14 Falla: Suite populaire Espagnole: 2. Nana 02:24
• 15 Falla: Suite populaire Espagnole: 3. Cancion 01:23
• 16 Falla: Suite populaire Espagnole: 4. Polo 01:24
• 17 Falla: Suite populaire Espagnole: 5. Asturiana 02:43
• 18 Falla: Suite populaire Espagnole: 6. Jota 03:02
• Astor Piazzolla: Cuatro Tangos:
• 19 Piazzolla: Cuatro Tangos: Libertango 01:55
• Suite del Ángel:
• 20 Piazzolla: Suite del Ángel: Milonga del ángel 03:50
• Total Runtime 01:07:52

Info for Milonga Del Angel

They play acoustic instruments, of course, but there’s definitely something electric about this pairing of Chinese virtuosi, both widely considered among the most gifted players of their respective instruments. The duo are marvellously in-sync every second of this more than one-hour recital of pieces by Spanish composers Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albeniz, and Enrique Granados, Italian Niccolò Paganini, and Argentine/Italian Astor Piazzolla. The first three were pianists, of course, Paganini primarily a violinist (though also a guitarist), and Piazzolla a bandoneon player, yet works by all five have long been popular among classical guitarists.

So, Yang and Huang cover some familiar ground here—Falla’s Danza Española No. 1, Albéniz’s Tango, Granados’ La Maja de Goya, and Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango, Libertango, and Milonga del Angel being the most-played in the guitar world by my estimation. But they imbue everything they touch with so much freshness, verve, and insight. To hear Huang’s violin alternately soaring and skittering above Yang’s steady rolling accompaniment and fluid unison and contrapuntal lines on the Danza is truly to experience the piece anew. Their chemistry is strong throughout, and though the violin tends to dominate somewhat as the carrier of the melody, the arrangements are, on balance, deferential to both players. This is, not surprisingly perhaps, most evident in Paganini’s spectacular three-movement Sonata Concertata and in the “Romanza” from that composer’s Grand Sonata, both written for guitar and violin and requiring a fair amount of acrobatic playing by each. (“Romanza” is an often-played piece by solo guitarists.)

And some of the pieces are not quite as common in the guitar repertoire, such as Granados’ stately and genteel El Majo Discreto and heartbreaking La Maja Dolorosa No. 3, and Falla’s Suite populaire espagnole, parts of which occasionally turn up as solo or duo guitar pieces, but seem more common as guitar-and-soprano duets. The guitar-violin combo here is exquisite!

If you want to hear two exceptional players at the top of their craft, you really owe it yourself to listen to this. And with any luck, Huang’s popularity in the mainstream classical world might bring some of his fans into our still growing classical-guitar universe.

Mengla Huang, violin
Xuefei Yang, classical guitar

Mengla Huang
was born in January, 1980, in Shanghai, China.

At the age of four, he started playing the violin and attended the primary and secondary schools of Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Currently, he is completing a master’s degree at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music under the guidance of Prof. Lina Yu.

Mengla Huang has received awards from numerous national and international violin competitions: 2nd Prize at the Chinese National Violin Competition (China, 1998), 3rd Prize at the Yampolsky International Violin Competition (Russia, 1999), 2nd Prize at the Lipinsky and Wieniawsky International Violin Competition (Poland, 2000) and first classified at the Sendai International Music Competition, violin section (Japan, 2001).

Mengla Huang has performed as a soloist worldwide.

Nationally and internationally, Mengla Huang has already achieved considerable success. He performs from a very broad repertoire, always displaying dazzling technique, thoughtful music ideas and great passion.

Xuefei Yang
is acclaimed as one of the world’s finest classical guitarists. Hailed as a musical pioneer - her fascinating journey began after the Cultural Revolution, a period where Western musical instruments & music were banned. Xuefei was the first-ever guitarist in China to enter a music school, & became the first internationally recognised Chinese guitarist on the world stage. Her first public appearance was at the age of ten and received such acclaim that the Spanish Ambassador in China presented her with a concert guitar. Her debut in Madrid at the age of 14 was attended by the composer Joaquín Rodrigo and, when John Williams heard her play, he gave two of his own instruments to Beijing’s Central Conservatoire especially for her and other advanced students.

Xuefei was born in Beijing, & is a graduate of Beijing’s Central Conservatoire of Music, and went on to become the first Chinese musician to receive a full scholarship for postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she received the Principal’s Prize on completion of her postgraduate study.

Her international success has led her to be invited to play in more than 50 countries at numerous prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall, all Southbank venues, and Royal Albert Hall in London, as well as the Philharmonie Berlin, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Konzerthaus Vienna, Auditorio Nacional de Espana, Barcelona Auditorium, Carnegie Hall & Lincoln Center New York. In Asia she has appeared at the National Concert Hall Taipei, Hong Kong City Hall & Cultural Center, Esplanade Singapore, Seoul Arts Centre and gave the first guitar recital and concerto in the Beijing National Center of Performing Arts. Xuefei has also been invited to perform at major music festivals such as BBC Proms, Edinburgh International Festival, Shanghai MISA Festival and the Beijing international Music Festival. In 2003 she performed 54 concerts for the “Night of the Proms” Tour, appearing in Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany, to a total audience of over 800,000 people.

Xuefei is frequently invited to play with the world’s leading orchestras including Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Royal Scotland National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, & Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, China Philharmonic. Xuefei’s recent highlights include return performances with the English Chamber Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Wintertour Philharmonic, debut performances with Beijing Symphony Orchestra, China National Orchestra giving the Asian premier of the The Albeniz Concerto written for Xuefei by Stephen Goss, and an Australian tour with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra which included performing the Australian premier of Tan Dun’s guitar concerto.

Xuefei’s dedication as a recitalist will see her appear across the world throughout the season. Her engagements in the 2016/17 season include appearances in Melbourne, Seoul, Hong Kong, Beijing, San Francisco, Frankfurt, London, Bath, Istanbul and concertos with the Seoul Philharmonic, HK Philharmonic, Beijing Symphony & Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester. Xuefei also continues her successful collaboration with the Heath Quartet.

Gramophone magazine praised Xuefei as one of the leading innovators of her generation for continuing to build the guitar repertoire. Xuefei is committed to commissioning new works and making her own arrangements, with a particular interest in adding Chinese music and chamber music, many of which have appeared on her recordings. Xuefei has received new works from composers such as Chen Yi, Stephen Goss, Timothy Salter, Carlo Domeniconi. This season sees her giving at least three world premiere performances.

Xuefei has made many albums including several acclaimed recordings for EMI Classics. Her first recording received a gold disc & her second was selected as ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Gramophone magazine. Several of the recordings reflect Xuefei’s interest in expanding the repertoire. A concerto album recorded with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Eiji Oue, featuring Rodrigo’s Concerto de Aranjuez & Goss’ Albeniz Concerto. Another recording of “Bach Concertos” featured Xuefei’s innovative transcriptions of solo works and concertos by J.S. Bach. Xuefei has released two albums in 2016, her latest solo album “Colours of Brazil,” (Decca Classics) and “Songs from our Ancestors” (Globe Music) which continues her successful collaboration with Ian Bostridge in a recording made at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

Xuefei is one of the few guitarists whose artistry connect with audiences far beyond the guitar fraternity. She collaborates with an eclectic range of artists: classical musicians such as Jian Wang, Ian Bostridge, Rosalind Plowright, Sir James Galway, Elias String Quartet & the Heath Quartet; cross-over artist David Garrett. Xuefei has also appeared on numerous radio and television programmes including BBC Radio 4’s Woman's Hour, the BBC Proms, a BBC documentary ‘The Story of Guitar’, and China Central Television, who made a biographical documentary on Xuefei, & are filming another this year.

The UK classical music magazine, Classic FM, named Xuefei as one of the 100 top classical musicians of our time. In recognition of her distinguished career, Xuefei was awarded ‘Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music’ in June 2012. Xuefei continues to be ambassador & role model for guitar in China, & from 2015 she is honoured to be the artistic director of Changsha International Guitar Festival.

This album contains no booklet.