Classical guitarist Jason Vieaux will be performing with the Richmond Symphony this Saturday and Sunday, for Altria Masterworks: Piazzolla and Rodrigo. Here is a small preview of his playing (via NPR). Below, his notes on Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, which he will play this weekend.
So many people are familiar with this wonderful work for guitar and orchestra, and there are many others who may not know it by name but certainly know the 2 nd movement tune. That theme has been in movies and commercials, interpreted by jazz musicians like Miles Davis and Chick Corea, and even featured during extended improvisations by Led Zeppelin during their 1977 tour.
If you would have asked Rodrigo what the profoundly sad music of the 2 nd movement “meant”, he would probably have replied that all three movements of the Concierto simply represented his thoughts, feelings and inspirations surrounding the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, a honeymoon location for Rodrigo and his wife, Victoria. But Victoria would later reveal in her autobiography that the 2nd movement was composed quickly by Rodrigo, in an outpouring of emotion over the loss of their firstborn during childbirth. Guitarist Pepe Romero reports that the final upper-register notes that the guitarist plays to finish the movement represent the child’s soul ascending to heaven.
I’ve probably performed Aranjuez well over 100 times at this point in my career, but the experience of performing it for a live audience only gets richer and more meaningful for me with each concert season. I look forward to working with Maestro Smith and the Richmond Symphony in sharing this great music with you all this January in Richmond.
Best,
Jason
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