Raphaella SMITS
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RECORDINGS -CD ACR -CD Walter-Brouwer-Henderickx -CD Mertz-Giuliani2 -CD Spanish Folksongs -CD Legnani-Sor -CD Manjon -CD Vila-Lobos a.o. -CD Weiss-Bach -CD Sor-Coste -CD 20th Century -CD Mertz-Giuliani -LP Tedesco -LP Coste -LP Sor-Kaufmann -LP Dowland -LP Blauwe Steen

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NEDERLANDSE
VERSIE

PROGRAM

Johann Kaspar MERTZ (1806-1856)
1. La Rimembranza
2. Le Gondolier (Opus 65 No 3)
3. Pianto dell'Amante < audio sample>
4. Souvenir de Choulhoff-mazurka
5. Ständchen
6. Liebesbotschaft
7. Le Carnaval de Venise (Opus 6)

Mauro GIULIANI (1781-1829)
8. Grande Ouverture (Opus 61)
9. La Chasse-rondeau (Opus 109)
10. Variazioni (Opus 112)

FEATURES

artist: Raphaella Smits, guitar
titel: THE ROMANTIC GUITAR
composers: Johann Kaspar MERTZ and Mauro GIULIANI
label: Accent Records, BE
CD number: ACC2 8863
recorded: at Parochiecentrum Onze-Lieve-Vrouw, Boom, BE, August 1988
instrument : 8-string guitar by John Gilbert (USA) (1980)
total duration: 63'46"
illustration: detail of the decoration on a guitar by Altimira, Barcelona (1850)

 THE ROMANTIC GUITAR
Raphaella SMITS plays Johann Kaspar MERTZ and Mauro GIULIANI.

PROGRAM
FEATURES
ABOUT THE COMPOSERS
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY

ABOUT THE COMPOSERS

"In the first half of the 19th century Vienna was the musical centre of the world, and certainly a centre for the guitar as well. The “Viennese Classic” is the interweaving of the Italian bel canto and the German romantic.

There were many musical evenings where the most outstanding guitarists made their appearance before the elite of Vienna: among them Mauro Giuliani from Naples and Johann-Kaspar Mertz from Pressburg (now Bratislava). The guitar clearly enjoyed an enormous popularity.

"For me Giuliani is a Haydn-Mozartian composer, a model of good style, well-balanced in form and harmony. His Sonata forms a superb example of it, in which he just happens to use the guitar as an instrument, as a medium for his universal music. No wonder he was a celebrity during his stay in Vienna.

In 1986 Jim D'Addario introduced me to Mario Maccaferri. This legendary figure then played me several pieces by Mertz, who was completely unknown to me. It was a revelation, a wealth of material à la Schubert and, even more, à la Liszt. Mertz is the supreme romantic with his inevitable vibrato, rubato and his demand for a personal artistic investment.”
Raphaëlla Smits

Read also Pieter Andriessen's interesting comparison of 'The Romantic Guitar' with 'Harmonie du soir', Raphaella's second Mertz-Giuliani album of 2003.

WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY

Magazine <Luister (BE)> wrote:
"Pure perfection and a beautiful atmosphere. This CD is a gem!"
Norbert Stich of the <General-Anzeiger (DE)> wrote:
"In some pieces of Mertz, there is so much sensuality that one believes hearing Chopin at the guitar."
Mike Joyce from <The Washington Post> wrote:
"Smits again proves her mastery by combining exceptional fluid phrasing with a keen sense of dynamics."
Marc Fichefet from the magazine <Musicalia (BE)> wrote:
"Raphaella Smits grants these compositions a well-cared-for interpretation, musical refinement and a beautiful range of timbre and expression. With this recording she proves she acquired the grandmastership of the instrument."
Eugene C. Braig IV (Columbus, OH) wrote at <amazon.com>:
"Raphaella Smits (the sadly unnamed-by-Amazon guitarist on this recording) is a competent player with a lush, expansive tone and panache for grand, romantic interpretation. This approach to Mertz is absolutely gorgeous."
François Dry of <Les Cahiers de la Guitare (FR)> says:
"Grâce à de très bons moyens techniques Raphaella Smits parvient à tirer le maximum d'intérêt de ces pièces qui pourraient sembler un peu pâles à une lecture superficielle, mais prennent tout leur valeur sous ses doigts. N'est-ce pas le propre des grands interprètes ?"
S.A. of the magazine <Ritmo (ES)> wrote:
"Y lo que desde luego merece los mas encendidos elogios es la colosal interpretacion, impecable desde el punto de vista técnico y liena de calor y pasion, que nos ofrece Raphaella Smits, que se revela como una de las maximas estrellas actuales de este instrumento. Solo por oirle tocar merece la pena tener el disco."
G.D. of the <Revue Privilège> wrote:
"Beaucoup de couleur dans le jeu vivant et chaleureux de Raphaella Smits qui respire large, à la dimension de la rêverie sentimentale romantique. En résumé: une vivante incursion dans un domaine riche et peu connu de la guitare."
Jacques Van Deun from <De Standaard (BE)> wrote:
"Raphaella Smits presents an emotionally experienced and a sonorous varied performance, showing at the same time a refined sense of style."
Schallplatten-tips from <Die Welt (DE)> wrote:
"Die CD bietet Gelegenheit, einen der kreativsten Komponisten für Gitarre weiderzuentdecken. Raphaella Smits spielt mit großem Einfühlungsvermögen."

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