Rodrigo: Fantasía para un gentilhombre & Concierto de Aranjuez Xianji Liu, Orquesta Sinfónica de RTVE & Pedro Amaral

• Joaquín Rodrigo (1901 - 1999): Fantasía para un gentilhombre:
• 1 Fantasía para un gentilhombre: I. Villano y ricercar 04:57
• 2 Fantasía para un gentilhombre: II. Españoleta y fanfarria de la caballería de Nápoles 09:47
• 3 Fantasía para un gentilhombre: III. Danza de las hachas 02:06
• 4 Fantasía para un gentilhombre: IV. Canario 05:01
• Concierto de Aranjuez:
• 5 Concierto de Aranjuez: I. Allegro con spirito 06:12
• 6 Concierto de Aranjuez: II. Adagio 11:37
• 7 Concierto de Aranjuez: III. Allegro gentile 05:07
• Total Runtime 44:47

Info for Rodrigo: Fantasía para un gentilhombre & Concierto de Aranjuez

In May 2016, I went to the Royal Palace of Aranjuez right after I was awarded the best interpretation of Joaquin Rodrigo Concertos (Special Award to the best interpretation of Fantasia para Gentilhombre granted by the Victoria and Joaquin Rodrigo Foundation). I was walking along the palace when the most ecstatic part of Concierto de Aranjuez came to my mind. I tried following the footprints of Joaquin, feeling what he might have felt at his time, experiencing a combination of Spanish historical architectures and classical music, and dreaming about playing the famous concerto at this very place someday. Joaquin Rodrigo completed his greatest masterpiece Concierto de Aranjuez in 1939 in Madrid, which brought him great fame as one of the greatest representatives in Spanish music spectrum, along with I. Albeniz, E. Granados, M. Falla, J. Turina. And his works helped raise the classical guitar to a historic high recognition. The two concertos in the album mean quite differently to me. It was through performing Fantasia para un Gentilhombre that I further understood Joaquin Rodrigo, as a performer myself for the first time. (Xianji Liu, winner of the 50th Franciso Tárrega International Guitar Competition in Benicàssim)

Xianji Liu, guitar
Orquesta Sinfonica de Radio Television Espanola
Pedro Amaral, conductor

Xianji Liu
the first ever Chinese-born winner of the Franciso Tárrega International Guitar Competition in Benicàssim is an emerging star in the world of the classical guitar. He was awarded first place at the VI Concurso Internacional de Guitarra Clásica GSD, and a special prize for the best performance of Fantasía para un Gentilhombre by Rodrigo, as well as a variety of scholarships, including the Zuyd, Holland, and the prestigious DOMS-Stiftung Basel. He has performed as a soloist with orchestras and in recital throughout Europe, China and the US, and has been invited to perform at a variety of festivals. Xianji is also a member of the Beijing Guitar Quartet. After completing his bachelor’s degree with Professor Zhi Chen at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Xianji continued his studies with Roberto Aussel at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne. He is currently completing the Konzertexamen with Ricardo Gallén at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar.

Booklet for Rodrigo: Fantasía para un gentilhombre & Concierto de Aranjuez