EDUARDO FERNÁNDEZ: Between Two Worlds

EDUARDO FERNÁNDEZ

Between Two Worlds

© 2005 Labor Records (790987705929)

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In his latest Labor recording, the great Uruguayan guitarist Eduardo Fernandez travels, with equal mastery, from the folk and classical worlds of South American music to the pop music of the Beatles and the “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” of George Gershwin.

notes

LABOR RECORDS RELEASES
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
The Latin, Folk, Classical and Pop worlds of guitarist
EDUARDO FERNÁNDEZ

The new Labor release from the great Uruguayan guitarist Eduardo Fernández ranges from the great masters of South American music – classical and folk – to the Beatles and George Gershwin.

According to Fernández, no instrument is better qualified than the guitar, with its double citizenship, to cross the borders between popular, folk and classical music. And no musician is better positioned to make the point than this enormously talented guitarist. His recording is both a personal homage to the freedom to cross borders and a celebration of the instrument that makes it possible.

From the great folk guitarist-composers of Argentina, Brazil and Colombia to modern masters like the Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos, the Argentinian Alberto Ginastera and the Cuban Leo Brouwer, from the guitarist’s own arrangements of the Beatles to Brower’s evocation of Afro-Cuban ritual to duet arrangements and performances of Gershwin and Ginastera by Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Fernández shows everywhere the kind of mastery, ease and command of a wide range of idioms that tears down borders and fences.

Fernández was born in Uruguay in 1952 and began studying the guitar at the age of 7. His recorded repertoire is phenomenal; 31 recordings are currently listed for companies such as Erato, Denon, Arte Nova, Oehms Classics and English Decca, a label for which he has made 18 recordings. He has recorded Bach lute suites, music of Luciano Berio, most of Paganini’s music for guitar and violin, romantic works for guitar and guitar duets.


REVIEW / Oakland Tribune
Thoroughly inspiring music from master guitarists

Recorded in Puerto Rico over five years, this solo disc finds Uruguayan guitarist Fernandez between "two worlds" --classics and popular, both of which are completely suited to the acoustic guitar.

He plays passionately melodic solos by Augustin Barrios Mangore, Juan Falu, Leo Brouwer, Gentil Montana, Roland Dyens, Alberto Ginastera and George Gershwin -- "Fascinatin' Rhythm," (joined by the arranger, Carlos Barbosa-Lima).

Finally, he says, "as a Beatlemanic of long standing" (he was born in 1952), he couldn't resist including two of John and Paul's more "classical" tunes: "Eleanor Rigby" and "Blackbird." Fernandez is a wonderfully free player; you'll tap your toes and sing along.
--Stephanie von Buchau, CONTRIBUTOR




Bio
EDUARDO FERNÁNDEZ was born in 1952 in Uruguay and began his studies of guitar at age 7; his principal teachers were Abel Carlevaro, Guido Santórsola and Héctor Tosar. He won first prize in the Andrés Segovia Competition in 1975; his New York debut two years later won critical accolades. Fernández has returned to the U.S.A. every season since then, playing with prestigious orchestras as well as giving recitals, always to great acclaim from critics and audiences. His London debut was in Wigmore Hall in 1983 and resulted in a contract with Decca, a label for which he has made 18 recordings – solo and with the English Chamber Orchestra and the London Philharmonic – covering a wide section of the repertoire from Bach to Berio. He has also recorded for Erato, Denon, Arte Nova and Oehms Classics g performing Bach lute suites, romantic works for guitar, most of Paganini’s works for guitar and violin, and guitar duets – all solo or with other distinguished artists. He has toured extensively in Europe, the Far East, South America and Mexico. He plays both modern guitar and period instruments, is an active composer and teacher, and has served as Artistic Director of major guitar festivals in his native country and elsewhere in South America.

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  • Between Many Worlds!
    author: John R. Hedger

    This newest recording by Eduardo Fernandez is a very unique concept which holds many surprises in store for both the casual listener and the seasoned classical guitar aficionado. On the one hand, Mr. Fernandez explores his life long love of the Beatles and offers his own artfully arranged select favorites from the Fab Four. On the other hand, the maestro records some newly discovered guitar manuscripts of the 20th Century genius Heitor Villa Lobos. New versions of Etudes 10 & 11 from the Brazilian composer's work "Douze Etudes". When I first listened, I had not yet read the liner notes about these versions and thought there might be a flaw in the CD mix with all these new flashes of notes and phrasings, differing from the way I have heard the concert pieces played for so many years...What a shock!! This CD also has some great jazz arrangements of Gershwin played in duet with maestro Carlos Barbosa Lima, along with very austere works of Leo Brouwer, plus other more traditionally tonal pieces of some rarely played South American guitar composers, revealing the many facets of Latin American guitar literature. The recording here of Agustin Barrios Mangore's "Julia Florida" is about as nostalgically perfect a performance in terms of tone, melodic sensitivity, balance, and musicality as one could ever hope for...certainly not of the most virtuosic or flashiest piece penned by the Paraguayan composer Barrios, but this recording of 'Julia' has me thinking of this piece in a new light...ranking in beauty, simplicity of melody along with the greatest of the quaintly beautiful guitar classics (such as Llobet's arrangement of "El Noi de la Mare"). I didn't come to this realization until I heard Eduardo's rendition of this piece. Bravo Eduardo Fernandez!!

  • Truly a master at work!
    author: L. Raúl Romero

    Eduardo Fernández is without a doubt one of the great modern masters of the classical guitar. His command of the instrument is truly an extension of his musical self; there's hardly any separation between his musical intention and the sound that comes out of the instrument. This is the true goal of the instrumentalist, realised in it's purest form. Along with Iván Rijos, which I proudly consider a lofty companion in this category as well, Mr. Fernández represents the pinnacle of classical guitar performance...brought to us originally from Spain but uncovering its true nature and soul in Latin America and the Caribbean...

  • Wonderful unusual combination of works
    author: Petgei

    The CD contains much recorded standard works by classical composers like Barrios or Villa Lobos as well as underrecorded works by contemporaries as Juan Falu. The highlights for me are the Montana-Suite No.1, which is by far not played as much as his Suite No.2, but which is also a wonderful gem by this composer, and the Barbosa-Lima arrangements of two traditional folksongs by Ginastera, which I cannot remember to found them recorded before. Since the interpretation of all the titles of the CD is generally wonderful, I highly recommend this CD, not only for guitar-afficinados.

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