Agustín

BARRIOS
Guitar Music • 5
Pericón • Choro da saudade • Danza paraguaya No. 1
Celil Refik Kaya
Agustín Barrios (1885–1944) choro form, a type of music originally denoting urban appeared on Laurindo Almeida’s album Guitar Music of
Guitar Music • 5 ensemble music comprising wind instruments and guitars. Latin America, issued in 1955 on Capitol Records (P8321).
The word saudade is one of those untranslatable Portuguese The work was described on the sleeve note as ‘a classical
There is some obscurity over Agustín Barrios Mangoré’s friend, Martín Bor y Pergola, who wished to dignify the words referring to  ‘a feeling of longing, melancholy, or work without folk or popular elements, its principal
birthplace. Recent research has claimed he was born in Villa compositions in this way. Only two other pieces, Vals, Op. 8, nostalgia, supposedly characteristic of the Portuguese or characteristic is that it treats the guitar as a single-voiced
Florida, north of San Juan Bautista, in Southern Paraguay. No. 4, and Preludio, Op. 5, No. 1, were provided with opus Brazilian temperament.’ A smooth performance demands instrument. No two strings are plucked simultaneously until
He showed great musical ability early on, and first studied numberings. Clearly inspired by the aura of Chopin’s that the guitarist has hands capable of playing the extended the final cadence. All the harmony is unfolded horizontally
guitar with Gustavo Sosa Escalda. Aged 13 he attended the waltzes, Barrios creates his own unique atmosphere of positions of the left hand bass line without undue effort. The – that is, it is inferred from the succession of melodic events,
National College in Asunción, where he soon established a enchantment and romance. composer’s ability to write in many different South some of which are of course only figurations of broken
reputation as an outstanding guitarist. In 1909 Barrios made Pericón, the title referring to a folk dance from the River American musical genres is apparent here in his vibrant re- chords.’
his first visit to Buenos Aires. After this he became a Plate area, was recorded by Barrios in 1928. The pericón creation of a Brazilian style. Romanza No. 1 ‘Romanza en imitación al violoncello’
travelling artist, giving recitals in many countries including became the national dance of Uruguay following the Preludio in E minor ‘Pequeño preludio’ (‘Little Prelude’) (‘Romance in Imitation of the Cello’) was written in Brazil
Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Venezuela, Costa Rica, publication in 1887 of a version entitled Pericón Nacional is a brilliant study with resemblances to the composer’s Las in 1918 and recorded by the composer on 10 May 1928. Its
El Salvador, Mexico and Cuba, among others. by Gerardo Grasso (1860–1937). This was a group circle abejas (‘The Bees’). Within a few bars Barrios has packed use of melody in the bass against a two-note accompaniment
In August 1930 in Bahia, Brazil, Barrios made his first dance of the Uruguayan and Argentinian pampas originating a variety of technical exercises for both right and left hands is most expressive, its historical antecedent being Study, Op.
public appearance as ‘Chief Nitsuga Mangoré’, ‘the Paganini in the late 18th century. Barrios’ version of the dance is one that demand considerable dexterity. 6, No. 1 by Fernando Sor in the early 19th century. This
of the guitar from the jungles of Paraguay’. ‘Nitsuga’ was of his comparatively neglected pieces, though guitarist Rico Invocación a la luna (‘Invocation to the Moon’) was Romanza has also been given the titles Página d’album
Agustín spelled backwards, and ‘Mangoré’ the name of a Stover regards it as one of the composer’s ‘greatest works’. performed by Barrios in concert in 1932 under the title (‘Album Page’) and Fuegos fátuos (‘Wild Fires’) in other
legendary Guaraní chief. Quite dramatically, Barrios dressed It is virtuosic from beginning to end, and a composition of of Fiesta de la luna (‘Fiesta of the Moon’), described by contexts.
up in native costume, complete with headdress and feathers. great momentum and dynamic energy. Rico Stover as another ‘Guaraní inspired’ work from Zapateado caribe (‘Caribbean Zapateado’), arranged
This phase concluded around 1934 when the Paraguayan Julia Florida, dedicated to Barrios’ pupil Julia Martínez ‘indigenous themes’. Barrios recorded the work in 1943. here for solo guitar, was composed in 1931 and had its first
ambassador to Mexico advised Barrios that the Nitsuga de Rodríguez, was written in Costa Rica in 1938. This Petit Pierrot, Marcha (‘Little Pierrot, March’) recorded performance in Trinidad. Later, Barrios arranged it for guitar
presentation was ‘not dignified or appropriate’. romantic piece, in the style of the barcarolle, perhaps owes by the composer in 1913, presents a good-humoured theme duo and performed it in a concert with Raúl Borges in April
In 1934 Barrios travelled to Belgium, performing at the some of its inspiration to Mendelssohn’s Venetian Gondola reminiscent of a circus orchestra accompanying various acts. 1932, in Caracas, Venezuela. While in El Salvador, a further
Royal Conservatoire, Brussels before moving on to France, Song (Songs without Words, Op. 19, No. 6), which was As a guitar piece it is sophisticated, one episode presenting arrangement was made for three guitars, and this is the only
Germany and Spain. He played in Madrid on 1 December transcribed for guitar by Francisco Tárrega. the theme quasi-orchestrally on the middle and lower strings extant version of the piece. Zapateado, literally meaning
1935, staying in Spain for three months before returning to Danza paraguaya No. 1 (‘Paraguayan Dance’), described with a treble flourish reminiscent of woodwind. ‘tapped with the shoe’ refers to the flamenco dance, a
South America. by Rico Stover as ‘perhaps Barrios’s most popular work’, Estudio No. 2, also known as Estudio en arpegio (‘Study virtuosic solo for a male dancer. The genre is akin to the
In 1939 he suffered a heart attack while in Mexico City. was composed around 1926, and over the course of the years in Arpeggios’) was written in 1941, and is one of Barrios’ tanguillo rhythm, and alternates between 2/4 and 6/8 time
Barrios, having partially recovered, then went to El Salvador the composer wrote down at least five versions as well as an most appealing studies, its gentle tune and harmonic signatures.
where, with the help of the country’s president, he was arrangement for two guitars. The form of Danza paraguaya progressions being reminiscent of the studies of the early Abrí la puerta mi china (‘Open the Door, My Country
appointed as professor at a music school. He died in San No. 1 is known in its native country as polca paraguaya 19th-century masters such as Fernando Sor (1778–1839) and Girl’), contained in a manuscript of 1905, is the earliest
Salvador on 7 August 1944. (‘Paraguayan Polka’). Dionisio Aguado y García (1784–1849), but with an composition by the composer found so far. The piece re-
Barrios’ significance in guitar history, apart from his Estudio in G minor, dedicated to Don Martin Borda y expressive quality that represents Barrios’ late Romanticism. creates aspects of the tango, and with its delicate glissandi
frenetic life of recitals and travels, is his legacy of recordings Pagola and composed in 1920, has a Bach-like quality. The Gavota al estilo antiguo (‘Gavotte in the Old Style’), and harmonisation demonstrates distinct influences from
and compositions. He was also the first guitarist to realise key is unusual for the guitar, and offers some fresh and composed on 29 August 1941, is Barrios’ tribute both to the Tárrega in its texture and mood.
the possibilities of the new art of recording, and recorded illuminating moments of colour and tonality. Baroque and to Tárrega’s transcriptions of similar works. Estudio del ligado in D minor (‘Slur Study’) is a
more than 50 tracks for the Atlanta and Odeon labels between Estudio No. 3, in the more customary key of E minor, But the melodic line and sweetness of the harmonies bring delightful exercise, Bach-like in its restraint, helping the
1910 and 1942. These enabled later generations to notate his reveals the composer’s mastery of the concert étude genre to the music an essentially personal voice, characteristically student to develop the tricky art of slurred notes on a fretted
compositions, especially when definitive manuscripts were following the precedent of early 19th-century masters such the composer’s own. instrument. It was written in 1941 during Barrios’ prolonged
not extant. as Fernando Sor (1778–1839) and Mauro Giuliani (1781– Preludio in G minor, Op. 5, No. 1 was composed in stay in San Salvador where he was an esteemed teacher as
Vals, Op. 8, No. 3 (‘Waltz’), composed around 1919 while 1829). Uruguay in 1921 and published in Buenos Aires in 1929. well as recitalist.
Barrios was in Brazil, is one of his few works to be given an Choro da saudade is acknowledged as one of Barrios’ This Preludio was one of the first of Barrios’ pieces to be Variación al estudio No. 3, also from the El Salvador
opus number. This was said to be on the advice of Barrios’ finest compositions. The piece is written in the Brazilian recorded by a later generation of concert recitalists, and phase of Barrios’ travels, is a pleasing addition to the more
 complex Estudio No. 3 featured earlier in the selection. Vals de primavera (‘Springtime Waltz’), written around
Estilo y pericón  is an another ideal representation of 1921 and performed in recitals by Barrios during the early
Barrios’ ability to re-create the indigenous essence of varied 1920s, is a joyful evocation of spring. After the opening
South American musical cultural idioms.  Estilo  is an melody in the treble, contrasting sections use the bass strings
Argentine song type related to the triste or tonada, usually for the melody before ascending higher. This piece also
provided with a passionate song text. The pericón is an brings in some interesting modulations from A major to F
Argentinian national dance which involves the waving of and C before the recapitulation.
handkerchiefs. Diana Guaraní is an extended work, rescued, in the
Estudio del ligado in A major is a brilliant exercise in the absence of a manuscript, by Rico Stover from a number of
difficult art of slurs, which on the guitar involves the process non-commercial out-takes recorded in El Salvador in 1943.
of the left hand fingers ‘hammering on’ or ‘pulling off’, The composition’s episodes include various effects such as
necessitating an individual and equal strength between all snare drum imitations, tambora (drum sounds), rapid scale
combinations of fingers. runs, arpeggiated passages, ornamentation, and other
Isabel, Gavota is a tribute to Barrios’ lover around 1908, virtuosic devices.
Isabel Villalba, with whom the composer had two sons. The La paloma, Habanera (‘The Dove’), written by Sebastián
relationship, in one form or another, seems to have survived de Iradier (1809–1865) in the 1850s, presents one of the
until the early 1920s, but was complicated by his lengthy world’s most popular tunes. Its habanera rhythm was
absences from her. originally a Cuban genre brought back to Spain by sailors
Variación al estudio No. 6 presents a lively afterthought and blended with the flamenco tanguillo style. It had
to Estudio No. 6 (available on Guitar Music, Volume 4 Naxos previously been arranged for guitar by Francisco Tárrega.
8.573897), an arpeggiated study with wide sweeps across
the fingerboard in both directions. Graham Wade
Publishers: Belwin-Mills Publishing Corp., Melville, NY 1 2 6 7 & *, Zen-on Music Company Ltd. 3–5 8 !–$ )
™ £, Les Productions D’OZ 9 % ( ¢ ∞, Mel Bay Publications Inc. ^, composer’s manuscript 0 ¡

Celil Refik Kaya

Celil Refik Kaya was awarded First Prize at the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar
Concerto Competition in 2012 and has since received multiple awards from several
prestigious American guitar competitions, as well as the Rising Young Musician of
the Year from the Donizetti Classical Music Awards in Istanbul in 2017. Kaya has
performed in the most prestigious concert halls and festivals around the US and
Turkey, including Carnegie Hall, the Frick Collection Museum, the New York City
Guitar School (NYCGS), the Round Top Festival Institute, Brevard and the Ankara
International Music Festival, as well as numerous radio and TV broadcasts
̧ etin

throughout the US and Turkey. Born in Istanbul, Celil Refik Kaya studied in Turkey
Photo © Orhan Cem C

with his father Mehmet Refik Kaya, Yusuf Doğan Büyüköğüt, Raffi Arslanyan and
Soner Egesel. He later undertook his master’s degree at the Mannes School of Music,
New York, with Michael Newman and privately with Sharon Isbin. Kaya is only the
third recipient of Harvard University’s prestigious Dumbarton Oaks Early-Career
Musician Fellowship, and also holds the Harrington Fellowship at The University of
Texas at Austin under the study of renowned guitarist Adam Holzman. Kaya is also
an avid composer, with his chamber and instrumental works being performed
throughout the US, Turkey, South Korea and Australia. www.celilrefikkaya.com
Agustín Barrios Mangoré’s first public appearance was as ‘the Paganini of the guitar from
the jungles of Paraguay’. This flamboyant image was soon retired, but his legacy as a
composer has endured and flourished, as have the recordings he made as the first guitarist
to take advantage of new technology from as early as 1910. Ranging from romantic
enchantment to fearsome virtuosity via works with Bach-like restraint, this programme 8.573898
embraces Barrios Mangoré’s art from his earliest known piece, Abrí la puerta mi china, to
the reconstruction of the substantial Diana Guaraní from a recording made in 1943. DDD
Agustín Playing Time
BARRIOS 84:32

7
(1885–1944)
Guitar Music • 5

47313 38987
1 Vals, Op. 8, No. 3 (‘Waltz’) (c. 1919) 4:05 $ Romanza No. 1 ‘Romanza en imitación al
2 Pericón (1928) 5:07 violoncello’ (‘Romance in Imitation of
3 Julia Florida (1938) 4:30 the Cello’) (1918) 3:07
4 Danza paraguaya No. 1 (‘Paraguayan % Zapateado caribe (‘Caribbean Zapateado’)
Dance’) (c. 1926) 2:03 (1931) (version for solo guitar) 2:56
5 Estudio in G minor (1920) 2:24 ^ Abrí la puerta mi china (‘Open the Door,
6 Estudio No. 3 2:04 My Country Girl’) (1905) 4:17

2
7 Choro da saudade (c. 1929) 6:00 & Estudio del ligado in D minor (‘Slur Study’)
(1941) 1:40

www.naxos.com
Made in Germany

Booklet notes in English

 & 훿 2019 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
8 Preludio in E minor ‘Pequeño preludio’
(‘Little Prelude’) (1939) 0:27 * Variación al estudio No. 3 (1941) 2:29
9 Invocación a la luna (‘Invocation to the ( Estilo y pericón 2:51
Moon’) (1932) 4:04 ) Estudio del ligado in A major (1941) 0:56
0 Petit Pierrot, Marcha (‘Little Pierrot, ¡ Isabel, Gavota (1913) (arr. Tony Morris) 2:39
March’) (1913) (arr. Tony Morris) 3:18 ™ Variación al estudio No. 6 1:02
! Estudio No. 2 ‘Estudio en arpegio’ £ Vals de primavera (‘Springtime Waltz’)
(‘Study in Arpeggios’) (1941) 2:14 (c. 1921) 5:07
@ Gavota al estilo antiguo (‘Gavotte in the ¢ Diana Guaraní (1924) (arr. R. Stover) 8:47
Old Style’) (1941) 2:04 ∞ Sebastián de Iradier (1809–1865):
# Preludio in G minor, Op. 5, No. 1 (1921) 5:23 La paloma, Habanera (‘The Dove’)
(1859) (arr. A. Barrios Mangoré) 3:36
Celil Refik Kaya, Guitar
Recorded: 5–7 March 2018 at Fellowship Church, Englewood, Florida, USA
Producers: Norbert Kraft and Bonnie Silver • Engineer and editor: Norbert Kraft
Booklet notes: Graham Wade • Guitar: Glenn Canin, Mill Valley, California • Publishers: See booklet
Cover photo: Pantanal wetlands, Paraguay © Julian Peters / Dreamstime.com