In May and June, I had the pleasure of working with a few wonderful musicians and artists on a forthcoming recording project. I can’t say what it is for at this time, but stay tuned for an exciting and profound artistic experience.
Artists:
Violinist Irina Muresanu
Baritone Trevor Neal (Newport Classical Artistic Director)
Musician Jeffrey Lependorf (John Cage Trust Director)
Poet Charles Coe
Amazon Music – 7,193,011
Spotify – 3,416,060
Youtube – 1.8 million
Apple Music – 68K
*as of December 28, 2024
Thank you to Take Effect Reviews for a 10/10 in this February 2024 review of Spanish Gems!
Link to Review: https://takeeffectreviews.com/february-2024-2/2024/2/28/aaron-larget-caplan
“a richly diverse and attentive performance that’s profoundly technically and perfectly beautiful. 10/10”
*click image to enlarge or read the text below
February 28, 2024
Spanish Gems – Aaron Larget-Caplan
Tiger Turn, 2024
10/10
The globally praised classical guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan returns with his 11th solo album, where the Spanish classical and flamenco sounds are fleshed out with an inimitable attention to form and mood.
Francisco Tárrega’s “Capricho Árabe (Serenata)” opens the listen with Larget-Caplan’s finger acrobatics retaining the radiance of the original, but also delivered in his own meticulous spirit, and “Panaderoes”, by Esteban de Sanlúcar, offers dizzying progressions that are so flawless and precise it hardly seems like just one guitar is present.
Further along, the dance floor ready “Asturias (Leyenda)” also possesses calm moments as Larget-Caplan takes the song off Isaac Albéniz’s piano and places it on his agile guitar, while Gaspar Sanz’s “Suite Espanola: Canarios” is packed with firm, melodic gestures from the most intense piece included.
Arriving closer to the end, the intimate and reflective “Spanish Romance” tugs on the heartstrings thanks to the sublime and expressive playing, and “Sonatina”, by F.M. Torroba, exits with 3 chapters of cautious and absorbing musicianship that leaves a lasting impression.
If you’re keeping score, this is Larget-Caplan’s 2nd album of Spanish celebration, and it’s a richly diverse and attentive performance that’s profoundly technically and perfectly beautiful.
This summer, the 2022 release of my original guitar solos, honey cadence, reached 4 million streams on Amazon Music.
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This was not expected, but most welcome.
The most popular songs are a surprise to us.
Do you have a favorite?
From the honey cadence liner notes:
Composed at the end of 2021 and early 2022, the six pensive solos of honey cadence are the first of my compositions to be recorded.
I started sketching melodies and gestures that were floating in my head with the intent of creating an album of meditative intimacy, which though on the quiet side, would be able to keep one’s attention. Improvisations highlighting my preferred qualities of the guitar: tone and timbre variation, note doubling, harmonics, pitch bends, and percussion gave me the confidence and freedom to explore. Each of the six titles has a connection to music, as well as general language, i.e., ‘anticipation’ is a musical ornament and linguistically expresses expectation or prediction.
May the album add some sweetness to your life.
We are over joyed and grateful to all who have listened and continue to listen to the album
honey cadence is on all streaming services and a few physical copies are available at concerts or via Bandcamp.
Scores are published by the American Composers Alliance.
* album streams are different than song streams
Guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan is back with his 11th solo album, and second celebrating Spanish musical heritage with Spanish Gems, a collection of works from the classical and flamenco repertoire (Tiger Turn 888-11 ALCguitar.com).
Included are Tárrega’s Capricho Arabe and Adelita, Esteban de Sanlúcar’s Panaderos, Albeniz’ Asturias, Gaspar Sanz’ Canarios from Suite Española, Emilio Pujol’s El Abejorro and – perhaps somewhat surprisingly – the ubiquitous Spanish Romance.”
Torroba’s three-movement Sonatina closes a thoroughly enjoyable – albeit brief at 35 minutes – CD full of Larget-Caplan’s customary clean and sensitive playing. O
June, July, August 2024
page 61
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TÁRREGA Capricho Árabe (Serenata). Adelita (Mazurka). SANLÚCAR Panaderos. ALBÉNIZ Asturias (Leyenda) (arr. Larget-Caplan). SANZ Suite Española: Canarios. ANONYMOUS Spanish Romance. PUJOL El Abejorro. TORROBA Sonatina
Spanish Gems is another outstanding recital by Aaron Larget-Caplan. On three previous occasions, I’ve reviewed for Fanfare recitals by the Boston-based guitarist. God’s Time—Music of J. S. Bach on Guitar (Tiger Turn 888-09) (Fanfare 46:3, Jan/Feb 2023) features Larget-Caplan’s transcriptions. Nights Transfigured (Stone 888-02) and Drifting (Stone 888-03) (both reviewed in Fanfare, 45:2, Nov/Dec 2021) are Volumes 2 and 3 of Larget-Caplan’s New Lullaby Project, featuring works the guitarist has commissioned, premiered, and recorded. In all cases, I was impressed by Larget-Caplan’s lovely, singing tone, aligned with mastery of both the technical demands and idioms of the works involved. That same level of artistry may be found in Spanish Gems, a collection of favorites teeming with seductive melody, rhythm, and color (strumming effects abound). Larget-Caplan plays all the Spanish works with a compelling balance of fire and elegance, magnified by the closely miked recording. This is a most enjoyable recital. Ken Meltzer
Four stars: Aaron Larget-Caplan’s beguiling recital of Spanish guitar favorites
– Fanfare, September/October, 2024
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Complete Concert Information: ALCGuitar.com/calendar
*more concerts are being added
Honored to have ‘God’s Time: Music of J.S. Bach on Guitar’ chosen as one of the Best Albums of 2023 by The Arts Fuse and the Canadian critic James Wegg Review (JWR)
The Arts Fuse: https://artsfuse.org/284578/arts-feature-top-classical-recordings-and-concerts-of-2023/
James Wegg Review: https://www.jamesweggreview.org/YearEndBest2023.aspx
Read the articles by clicking above!
This 10th solo album from the esteemed guitarist and composer Aaron Larget-Caplan offers us Spanish and flamenco selections where he showcases his inimitable spin via the rich and mesmerizing playing.
The warm and cultured “Two Pieces”, by Isaac Albéniz, opens the listen with much charm and grace, and Esteban de Sanlúcar’s “Mantilla de Feria” follows with a more firm approach of meticulous and agile finger acrobatics.
The middle tracks belong to the swift and melodic gestures of Francisco Tárrega’s “Five Pieces”, while Albéniz’’s “Granada” finds a more intimate place to reside with its soothing and harmonic patterns.
The final track, “Espana Cani”, by Pascual Marquina” is just as intricate, where Larget-Caplan’s playful techniques touche on Spanish ideas with profound skill.
This is Larget-Caplan’s 4th time working with the multi-Grammy winner Kabir Sehgal, who helps illuminate these time honored Spanish pieces that again solidify Larget-Caplan as one of today’s most luminous guitarists.
Travels well with: Aaron Larget-Caplan– Honey Cadence; Reza Khan– Imaginary Road
Spanish Candy • Tiger Turn, 2023
8/10
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