Larget-Caplan’s Debut Compositions “honey cadence” Published

Boston, MA — Celebrated guitarist and composer Aaron Larget-Caplan announces the inaugural collection of compositions, “honey cadence,” published by the New York publisher American Composers Alliance (ACA). This groundbreaking collection of six captivating meditative guitar solos showcases Larget-Caplan’s exceptional musicality and introduces audiences to a new side of the celebrated performer.

The compositions featured on “honey cadence” were meticulously crafted by Larget-Caplan during the latter part of 2021 and early 2022. Each piece reflects his profound connection to the guitar as a medium for expressing emotions and evoking introspective journeys. The album’s meditative nature is designed to envelop listeners in a tranquil and contemplative sonic landscape, offering moments of serenity in an increasingly fast-paced world.

Released as an EP in 2022, “honey cadence” has since garnered extraordinary acclaim, amassing over 3-million streams since its debut on the label Tiger Turn, a testament to Larget-Caplan’s ability to resonate with a wide range of listeners. Produced by multi-Grammy winner Kabir Sehgal, the album exemplifies a harmonious collaboration between two brilliant minds in the world of music.

Commenting on the creative process behind “honey cadence,” Larget-Caplan expressed, “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.”

Physical scores or PDFs of the 32-page publication are available. They include notes and instructions about each of the compositions, as well as inspiring quotes by composer John Cage, Toru Takemitsu, and Larget-Caplan.

As a respected figure in the world of classical and contemporary guitar, Aaron Larget-Caplan has continuously pushed the boundaries of his craft, garnering recognition for his innovative approach to both performance and composition. “honey cadence” stands as a testament to his artistic evolution and serves as a testament to his dedication to enriching the world of music.

For further information and to explore the mesmerizing sounds of “honey cadence,” please follow Aaron Larget-Caplan on social media platforms.

***** 

honey cadence Links:

ACA (PDF & physical) • Score Collection: Bandcamp (autographed and includes free download of album)

AUDIO:
Amazon  • Apple • Spotify 

About Aaron Larget-Caplan:

Aaron Larget-Caplan is an acclaimed guitarist, composer, and educator known for his pioneering approach to classical and contemporary guitar music. With a career spanning decades, Larget-Caplan has established himself as a dynamic and innovative artist, captivating audiences with his emotive performances and groundbreaking compositions. His work has been recognized globally, earning him a reputation as a trailblazer in the world of music.

Socials: fb/ig/x: @alcguitar, yt/tt: @aaronlcguitar

About American Composers Alliance:

The American Composers Alliance (ACA) is a renowned organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of American contemporary classical music. Founded in 1937 by such luminaries as Aaron Copland, ACA has played a pivotal role in nurturing the work of composers across generations, fostering a vibrant community of creators and performers who shape the landscape of modern composition.

Composers.com 

SPANISH CANDY  • Fanfare

Aaron Larget-Caplan (gtr) • TIGER TURN 888-10 (31:58)

ALBÉNIZ Suite española No. 1, op. 47: No. 3, Sevilla. Granada (both arr. Larget-Caplan). Suite española No. 2, op. 97: No. 4, Zambra granadiana. SANLÚCAR Mantilla de Feria. TÁRREGA La Paloma. La Mariposa. Lágrima. Recuerdos de la Alhambra. MARQUINA España Cañi.

Five stars: A beautiful homage from a master guitarist to Spain. “Candy” it might be, but offered at the highest level.

Only 6 of Aaron Larget-Caplan’s 10 discs has been reviewed in Fanfare. I reviewed two of them: Honey Cadence in Fanfare 46:1, comprised of some of Larget-Caplan’s own compositions and God’s Time, a disc devoted to Larget-Caplan’s transcriptions of Bach keyboard works for guitar (47:4). This new disc, Spanish Candy is his tenth album (no flies on me for knowing this!) and celebrates his love for Spanish music and flamenco, mixing arrangements of works originally for piano with pieces for guitar. It was Spanish music that inspired Larget-Caplan as a child, so the project is clearly dear to his heart. As he says, “this music lit a flame in my heart and literally changed my life”; inevitably, Segovia was a large influence.

This is his fourth disc on Tiger Turn records (and, indeed, with successful producer Kabir Sehgal) Larget-Caplan’s trademark technical security mixed with flair and élan fits this music perfectly. He also has a long history of working with flamenco dancers in a classical-flamenco fusion via his ensemble ¡Con Fuego!.

The attractive “Zambra granadina,” the fourth and final movement of the 1888 Suite española No. 2, is deservedly popular. Larget-Caplan’s rhythmic sense is the key to the success of the reading, while his timbral excellence and variety enlivens the musical surface. The recording, close and clear, supports his every move, The more extrovert “Sevilla” (from the first Suite) speaks of blazing sunshine, propelled along by its internal rhythms. Larget-Caplan’s articulation is splendid.

Composed by flamenco guitarist Esteban De Sanlúcar (1910-89), Mantilla de Feria is a gentler beast, and here it is Larget-Caplan’s control that is so impressive, maintaining a low dynamic while projecting the spirit of dance. As he does in the habanera, La Paloma by Francisco Tárrega. The layering of bassline rhythm and sweet (and very famous) melody is exquisitely judged, the intervening registral space carrying an implicit loneliness. The next piece La Mariposa, is complex yet brief; the rather more restrained Lágrima sings a sweet song in response. Perhaps a touch more flow would have sealed the deal here: expression that works in the concert hall sometimes can feel stilted in the recording studio. No such caveats about the remarkably peaceful Recuerdos de la Alhambra (an impression helped by Larget-Caplan’s superb tremolo technique). The final offering of the five-piece Tárrega sequence is Prudent, a minor-key étude of great poignancy while maintaining its study-like demeanor.

The last piece by Albéniz follows: the serenata Granada. And what colors Larget-Caplan is able to conjure up from his guitar here! Of all the loveliness on this disc, this performance is the fairest (and if that sounds like a slender maiden, it is not by accident: there is grace galore here). Finally, Pascual Marquina Narro’s España Cañi (Gypsy Spain; the composer is better known with “Pasquina” as the surname). Larget-Caplan puts a whole lot into his performance so the listener can draw a whole lot out. Detail is brilliantly projected, while the music itself is infused with the spirit of the pasodoble.

A beautiful homage from a master guitarist to Spain. “Candy” it might be, but offered at the highest level. Recommended.  Colin Clarke

Five stars: A beautiful homage from a master guitarist to Spain. “Candy” it might be, but offered at the highest level.

This article originally appeared in Issue 47:2 (Nov/Dec 2023) of Fanfare Magazine.

LARGET-CAPLAN’S JOHN CAGE ARRANGEMENT WINS NATIONAL AWARD

The Music Publishers Association of the United States presented a Paul Revere Award for Graphic Excellence in June to Aaron Larget-Caplan for his arrangement of Bacchanale by John Cage, for two prepared guitars published by Edition Peters. The Bacchanale publication was issued in the fall of 2022 and won second prize in Music for Fretted Instruments category.

It is the third in a series of John Cage arrangements for guitar done by Larget-Caplan. The first ‘Six Melodies’ for violin and guitar from 2015 were followed by a collection of seven solos by Cage titled ‘Piano Music for Guitar’ in 2017. They are the first arrangements to receive permission from the Cage estate for publication, and have been widely acclaimed for their inventiveness, quality, and playability.

Larget-Caplan recorded all these compositions on his extensively praised album, ‘John. Cage. Guitar.’ It was issued by Stone Records (UK) in 2018. Classical Guitar Magazine said, “Aaron Larget-Caplan is fast becoming perhaps the greatest guitar advocate for the music of John Cage.”

Originally a solo work for prepared piano written in 1948 for dancer and choreographer Syvilla Fort, Bacchanale requires the performer to “prepare” the piano. Fort asked Cage for a work for percussion ensemble, but there was not enough room on stage, so Cage experimented by putting items in the piano itself like screws, bolts, washers and insulation. Bacchanale is the first of his works to do such preparations, and he would go to win a Guggenheim Fellowship and an Award from the National Academy of Arts and Letters for his invention of the prepared piano.

Established in 1964 in honor of the 200th anniversary of the first music engraving in America by the famous silversmith Paul Revere, Paul Revere Awards for Graphic Excellence were initially given as a means of alerting the music industry to the advantages of providing the best possible publication from the viewpoint of engraving, graphic arts and production standards. Today the awards still recognize outstanding examples of graphic design, with an emphasis on usability for orchestras, educators, libraries and individuals.

This is the second publication of Larget-Caplan’s to have received Paul Revere Awards for Graphic Excellence from the MPA. In 2021, Larget-Caplan’s Nights Transfigured, Volume 1 of the New Lullaby Project Anthology published in partnership with the American Composers Alliance won multiple awards: 1^st prize for Guitar Music Notesetting, and 2^nd prize for Book Design and Cover Design.

*See blog post on Nights Transfigured award

Award Information (click)

MUSIC FOR FRETTED INSTRUMENTS
1st Prize: Two Sides (Pierre Jalbert) Schott Music Corporation
Notesetter: Philip Rothman
Production Coordinator: Scott Wollschleger

2nd Prize: Bacchanale (John Cage, Arr. Aaron Larget-Caplan) Edition Peters USA
Notesetter: Aaron Larget-Caplan
Book Design: Héctor Colón
Production Coordinator: Owen Summers

PURCHASE THE SCORE:

Bandcamp (autographed by Larget-Caplan) • Alfred Music

QUOTES:

“John. Cage. Guitar. is an excellent introduction to those who want to approach [Cage] for the first time. Highly recommended.” ~ NeuGuitars (Italy)

“John. Cage. Guitar., quite properly, knows no fear in its blend of delicacy, complexity and amiable simplicity.” ~ Music Web International

AUDIO LINKS:

Stone Records • Spotify • Amazon • Apple

VIDEO: