Documentary

¡Guitarra! – The Guitar in Spain (1/8)

Episode 1: The Golden Age

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Cast

Julian Bream — Guitarist

Program notes

Discover the history of the classical guitar through a serie of films with the world leading classical guitarist Julian Bream.

"I've been terribly fortunate to have played the guitar all my life, and to have had a wonderful professional life. I have travelled all over the world, I hopefully have given pleasure. I certainly have given a great deal of pleasure to myself. And the guitar is so synonymous with Spain that I find in doing these films it's a way in which I can say thank you to Spain and also to the Spanish musicians that have written for the instrument and inspired so much of the finest guitar music."

Julian Bream is celebrated as one of the world's leading classical guitarists. He is featured in this series of 8 half-hour films, shot entirely on location in Spain, playing some of the finest pieces in the repertoire of the Spanish guitar. The programmes trace the evolution of the Spanish guitar over five centuries, from 1500 to the present day. Together, its music and history paint a rich portrait of Spain and her people.

Julian Bream plays in some of Spain's most magnificent old buildings and beautiful landscapes, evoking through his performances the culture, history and society that has given birth to the music. Seville, Toledo, Madrid, Aranjuez, Barcelona, Granada, Ronda, Cordoba, the Pyrenees – these and other locations form a vivid backdrop to Bream's playing. The music demonstrates the unique, uninterrupted traditions of the genre over 500 years and includes, among others, compositions by Albéniz, Granados, de Falla, Tarrega and Rodrigo. For this series, Julian Bream asked the outstanding Spanish guitar-maker, his friend and colleague José Romanillos to make him a vihuela and a Baroque Spanish guitar.

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