Music Web international

Angels in the Street Eduardo MARTIN (b. 1956) Iliana Matos (guitar)
GPS 1030CD [64:31]
Zane Turner. © 2007. MusicWeb International.

The review disc is interesting from a number of aspects but two in particular. All the music is from the pen of one composer: Cuban guitarist/composer Eduardo Martin. There are few modern composers for guitar who can maintain the attention of this reviewer through twenty-seven tracks of music constituting eight different compositions.

Eduardo Martin may be prolific and renowned as a guitarist, but it is quite evident from the liner-notes, the majority of which he wrote, that featured guitarist Iliana Matos is the artist the composer considers best equipped to play these compositions. The observation that ‘it takes one to know one’ is reflected in Martin’s comments: ‘She is a true artist, gifted with a magnificent technique. She possesses a clear and brilliant tone- while intimate and powerful - always used expressively. As the composer I feel very fortunate to listen to this album. I feel that in Iliana’s hands my pieces reach a higher level. The authenticity of her interpretations, energizes, renews and recreates them.’

Eduardo Martin was born in 1956. He studied guitar with Jesus Ortega and composition with Ángel Vázquez Millares and Alfredo Dieznieto, graduating from the Instituto Superior de Arte de Cuba in 1985

As a concert guitarist he has toured throughout Latin-America and Europe and his discography exceeds fifteen recordings. As a composer he has won numerous awards and commissions including Radio France International Competition and the American Composer’s Orchestra Festival. His works have been published in Europe, Cuba and the USA.

Eduardo Martin’s compositions are strongly influenced by the music of his native Cuba, but he also provides insights into other important sources of influence. Preludio, Son y Allegro (2, 3, 4) has two major influences: popular music of Cuba and the works of J.S. Bach. It is from Bach’s Preludio, Fugue and Allegro for Lute (BWV 998) that Martin derived much of his inspiration for this composition.

Written for Iliana Matos, the title track, Angels on the Street, was inspired by street musicians of different backgrounds, styles and cultures and in many parts of the world. ‘These musicians give their heart and soul in every performance without rigid formality nor compromises for whoever is listening - true Angels who make their living in this way daily.’

To ensure the liner-notes by Eduardo Martin can be fully interpreted, a glossary of terms is included e.g. ‘Son’ (3) refers to a popular Cuban dance.

There are so many interesting and intriguing aspects of the music presented on this disc that a discrete review, dedicated exclusively to the music per se, would be justified.

Iliana Matos graduated from the Instituto de Arte Superior de Cuba in 1991. Among her guitar teachers we find such illustrious names as: Francisco Rosa, Gabriel Estarellas, Miguel Bonachea, and Jesús Ortega. The list of those in whose master class she has participated includes: Leo Brouwer, David Russell, Sharon Isbin, Tania Chagnot, and Costas Cotsiolis.

Ms. Matos made history by becoming the only woman to win the prestigious ‘S.A.R La Infanta Doña Cristina’ International Guitar Competition. She is currently studying with Ricardo Gallen at the Extremadura University for the first Master of Music in Classical Guitar. Iliana also maintains an active concert career

It has been noted that musicians often excel in interpretation of music from their mother country. The endorsements and accolades from Eduardo Martin are justified in every track of the review disc: compositions inspired by Cuban popular music, from the pen of a Cuban composer and played by a Cuban guitarist synergistically weave magic.

The music is not easy to define and one hears elements of folk, jazz and classical; given the aforementioned sources of inspiration this is not surprising.

Those familiar with jazz/hybrid guitarist Earl Klugh will hear echoes of his style in Inevitable (5) and Lobison (7).

Much of the music would be eminently suited to the sound track of a quality movie, and the last item, Para Sonar Contigo (26), reminds one of the Villa-Lobos composition, Sentimental Melody, written for the film Green Mansions. On my particular disc, track 23 (Octubre) has been worn out - a brief audition will explain why.

It should be noted that Iliana Matos’ superb interpretive skills are not limited to Cuban music. Her rendition of the Chaconne from Bach’s Suite for Solo Violin (BWV 1004) elicited the following observation: ‘ Her beautiful diction of the cantabile in the Andante section made history’ - El Mercantil Valenciano Castellón, 1996.

Iliana Matos exhibits high musicality, a very refined technique, and a strong sense of rhythm. Listen to the Cuban dance Son del Barrio (26) to hear how she embraces these rhythms, combining them with percussive sounds made by striking the body of the guitar. Her beautiful tone is complemented by an instrument from the hands of luthier Paco Santiago Marin. For aficionados who may be interested, on this recording Iliana chose to use Hannabach Silver-special High Tension, Set 815 HT nylon strings.

It is with reluctance that I describe the work of a current generation guitarist as magnificent because it leaves little latitude for the future but on this occasion there is no other synonym that is more appropriate.

Regarding the future, one must recognise that fate and circumstance are not always kind to great artists. For all their magnificence, the names of past guitarists such as Angel Iglesias, Rey de la Torre and Jose Luis Gonzalez remain in relative obscurity.

If circumstances are kind to Iliana Matos, she has sufficient of all credentials necessary to take her place in the annals of guitar as one of its truly gifted and outstanding exponents.

El Nuevo Herald

Tres artistas cubanos en Madrid

WILLIAM NAVARRETE
Especial/El Nuevo Herald
Publicado el jueves 23 de augusto del 2007

Roberto Fandiño, Ileana Matos y Alberto Lauro: un cineasta, una guitarrista y un escritor, tres artistas que viven y trabajan en España, representan la activa labor de los cubanos en este país. Con ellos, como en los tiempos en que los galeones desbordantes de riquezas emprendían su viaje de regreso, España gana y, a pesar de las circunstancias, Cuba y la creatividad de su gente se multiplica en otras latitudes.

ROBERTO FANDIÑO

Nació en Matanzas, en 1929, y vive en Madrid desde 1968, año de su salida definitiva de Cuba. Desde muy joven se interesó en la cinematografía y participó activamente en el ámbito del teatro realizando escenografías para el teatro ADAD, el Patronato del Teatro y el Ballet de Alicia Alonso. Al mismo tiempo dirigió varias obras para la Academia Municipal de Arte Dramático, en Cuba.

Después del triunfo de la revolución de 1959 trabaja en el recién creado Instituto del Cine (ICAIC), recibe una beca del gobierno italiano para estudiar Historia del Arte en la Universidad de Roma y realiza sus primeras obras cinematográficas: documentales (como María Cervantes, en 1968), cortometrajes (Alfredo va a la playa, de 1963) y largometrajes (El bautizo, 1963).

En la década de los años 70, ya establecido en España, realiza dos largometrajes de ficción: María la Santa y La espuela (1976) y entre 1978 y 1979 siete capítulos de la serie televisiva El juglar y la reina, así como los cortos La mentira (1975); En el jardín oculto y el excelente documental sobre el Miami de principios de los años 80 Miami: encuentro de dos culturas (1981), hoy día una referencia para entender la impronta cubana y el desarrollo de esta ciudad.

Fandiño además de conferencista y crítico cinematográfico organiza en estos momentos un ciclo de cine cubano en la Fundación Hispano-Cubana, de Madrid.

Desempolva viejas películas y ofrece la sabiduría adquirida durantes tantos años de devoción por el cine a quienes se acercan a él para indagar sobre el séptimo arte y sobre una Cuba que tal vez no conocieron.

ILIANA MATOS

Cubana de nacimiento y barcelonesa de adopción

Ileana Matos (La Habana, 1967) es guitarrista y la primera mujer que ha ganado el célebre concurso ''SAR la Infanta Doña Cristina'' (1996) que otorga la Fundación Guerrero. Entre los muchos primeros premios recibidos se incluyen el ''Francisco Tárrega'' (1996), el ''Andrés Segovia'', de la Ciudad de Linares (2001), el de Ciudad de Vélez-Málaga (2002), entre otros.

Estudió guitarra en el Instituto Superior de Arte de La Habana y su amplio repertorio incluye obras de Albéniz, Bach, Castelnuovo, Granados, Tárrega, Villa-Lobos, Vivaldi, entre otros, que ha tocado durante sus múltiples presentaciones en Francia, Alemania, E.U., Venezuela, Chile, Marruecos, Turquía, Egipto, Jordania, etc.

Su febril actividad la ha llevado a fundar el Quinteto de la Villa y a estrenar obras de compositores como Tomás Marco, Flores Chaviano, Madais Andino, Zulema de la Cruz y Eduardo Morales. En Miami ha tocado tres veces y también ha realizado una gira por cuatro universidades norteamericanas. Además de su carrera como concertista se dedica a la enseñanza y la ejerce en el Conservatorio García Matos, de la ciudad de Plasencia.

Recientemente ha grabado el álbum Angels in the Street con el sello disquero Guitarra Solo Publications, de San Francisco, que dedica íntegramente a la música del compositor cubano Eduardo Martín.
María Luisa Anido ''La gran dama de la guitarra'', tras oírle tocar exclamó: ¡Me siento orgullosa de saber que una mujer (y cubanita) llegara a tal grado de perfección!

ALBERTO LAURO

Elogiado por la escritora cubana Dulce María Loynaz, a cuyo círculo literario perteneció, Alberto Lauro (Holguín, 1959) es un extraordinario poeta que reside en Madrid desde 1993. Graduado de Filología de la Universidad de La Habana, publicó, aún en Cuba, los poemarios Con la misma furia de la primavera (1987), Los tesoros del duende (1987) y Acuarelas (1990).

En España publicó el excelente poemario Cuaderno de Antínoo (1994). También Parábolas y otros poemas (1977) y El errante (1994), todos premiados. Ejerce también el periodismo colaborando para el diario La Razón y resultó ganador de VI premio Odisea 2004 con su novela En brazos de Caín.

Culta y sensual, a la vez que ingeniosa y muy cuidada, su primera novela merecería, una crítica más enjundiosa. En ella, Adán, Eva, Caín y Abel viven en autarcía después de haberse negado a abandonar el Paraíso. Intrigas familiares, dudas, temores, poesía, sopesadas intertextualidades y abundante ingenio permiten descubrir una trama que destaca la innegable calidad y madurez de un narrador. La novela de Alberto Lauro sobreabunda justamente en aquello de lo que carecen no pocas: ideas, pensamiento. Toda una filosofía gnóstico-erótica de los orígenes del hombre, de la esencia misma del individuo, se despliega en las páginas de esta obra original.•

Classical Guitar Alive!

Public Radio Satellite System uplink: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 at 1300 ET Channel: A68.1

This week's program features an interview recorded in April 2007 with Grammy winner David Russell, and an interview with lutenist John Schneiderman, taped in June 2007.

The program begins with Antonio Lauro's "Seis por Derecho", from David Russell's Telarc CD "Aire Latino", which won a 2005 Grammy Award for best classical instrumental soloist. David Russell speaks about his Grammy win, and the attention that award has brought. Another piece
from that CD follows: Jorge Morel's "Sonatina", dedicated to David Russell.

More from lutenist John Schneiderman's June 2007 interview: He discusses the benefits of working with other instrumentalists, and his Concerto in D by Kohaut.

The program continues with a major work written for the Russian 7-string guitar: Pavlov-Azancheev's "Sonata of Moods", subtitled "History of the Russian Guitar". The piece is in 3 movements: I: Glorious Past, II: Dead Stagnation, III: Revival of the Seven-String Guitar. Thanks to the work of performers such as Oleg Timofeyev, and music publisher Matanya Ophee, the repertoire of the Russian 7-string guitar is beginning to become known.

The Portland, Oregon-based duo of cellist Hamilton Cheifetz and guitarist Bryan Johanson perform their arrangement of Faure's Pavane.

The program concludes with three selections from the "Songs of the Calendar" (November, October, September) by Eduardo Martin, from the recent GSP recording by Cuban/Spanish guitarist Iliana Matos.

Program ID# 07-D65-00025Title: Grammy Winner David Russell/John Schneiderman InterviewsTotal length: 58:39

In Cue: MUSIC IN "Hello and welcome to.."Out Cue: MUSIC IN "...another edition of Classical Guitar Alive!"

INTRODUCTION:Bizet: Carmen Suite: PreludeLos Romeros (Philips 412-609)

PROGRAM BEGINS:Lauro: Seis Por DerechoDavid Russell, guitar(Telarc 80612)

Interview: David Russell:"Within the music world, especially in the classical music world, getting a Grammy is like getting an Oscar... ...they all had their photos taken with the Grammy."

Jorge Morel: SonatinaDavid Russell, guitar(Telarc 80612)

Interview: John Schneiderman:"I love playing with violinists, I love playing with string players... ...wanted to get out of my system for quite a while."

Kohaut: Lute Concerto in DJohn Schneiderman, Baroque luteGalanterie(Profil 5018)

Pavlov-Azancheev: Sonata of MoodsOleg Timofeyev, Russian 7-string guitar(Hanssler 98.458) Faure: PavaneHamilton Cheifetz, celloBryan Johanson, guitar(Gagliano 606)

Martin: Canciones de Calendario. Iliana Matos, guitar(GSP 1030)

OpusMusica Nº 14 - Abril 2007

Concurso de Guitarra de la Fundación Guerrero

HISTORIA

El Concurso Internacional de Guitarra S.A.R. La Infanta Doña Cristina se creó en 1985. Habitualmente se ha tenido como sede el Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid. Los ganadores de anteriores ediciones han sido:

1985. Eduardo Isaac (Argentina)
1986. José Fernández Bardieso (Uruguay)
1987. José María Gallardo del Rey (España)
1989. Alex Garrobè (España)
1990. Marco Socías Casquero (España)
1992. Zorán Dukic (Yugoslavia)
1993. Denis Azabagic (Bosnia)
1994. Aniello Desiderio (Italia)
1996. Iliana Matos Vega (Cuba)
1998. Dejan Ivanovic (Croacia)
2000. Carlos Pérez (Chile)
2002. Marcin Dylla (Polonia) 2004. Alen Garagic (Bosnia)

Musica della Sera

Classical Music 7:00-9:30pm
May 31, 2007
Hosted by: Meera Collier-Mitchell

8:00. Eduardo Martín. Iliana Matos, solo guitar. Angels in the Street. GSP

Canciones del Calendario

· Enero
· Febrero
· Marzo
· Abril
· Mayo
· Junio
· Julio
· Agosto
· Septiembre
· Octubre
· Noviembre
· Diciembre

23/09 domingo: Praça da Liberdade 17hLançamento do DVD Violões de MinasDireção: Geraldo ViannaShow com: Toninho Horta, Chiquito Braga, Juarez Moreira, Beto Lopes, Wilson Lopes, Fernando Araújo, Weber Lopes, Aliéksey Vianna.
Obs.: Esta apresentação também terá como patrocinadora master a Natura

24/09 segunda-feira: Teatro Dom Silvério 20hLorenzo Micheli (Itália) Nenéu Liberalquino (Recife)

25/09 terça-feira: Teatro Dom Silvério 20hDuo Gvito (Noruega)Krzystof Pelech e Piotr Rangno (Polônia)

26/09 quarta-feira: Teatro Dom Silvério 20hLedice De Felice (São Paulo/ França) Iliana Matos (Cuba)

27/09 quinta-feria: Teatro Sesiminas 20hOrquestra de Câmara SESIMINAS - Solistas convidados:Aliéksey Vianna, Fernando Araújo e Juarez Moreira

28/09 sexta-feria: Teatro Sesiminas 20hDavid Tanenbaum Ensemble (EUA)Sebastião Tapajós (Santarém) e Gilson Peranzzeta (Rio de Janeiro)

29/09 sábado: Teatro Sesiminas 20hIvan Rijos (Porto Rico)Lionel Loueke (Benin)

kalx.radioactivity.fm

Playlist for 'Danger Potential', 06-30-2007, on kalx at radioactivity.fm

04:55 am. Angeles en La Calle.Iliana Matos.Angels in the Street.GSP.Jazz

04:50 am. River Man. Nick Drake. Five Leaves ft. Island. Rock/Pop

04:45 am. New Disaster. Elliott Smith. New Moon Kill. Rock Stars. Rock/Pop

04:40 am. Pumping on Your. Stereo Supergrass. S/T .Island .Rock/Pop

04:35 am. Motorcar. Apples in Stereo. Science Faire. Elephant. Rock/Pop

04:30 am. Riddle Me This. Stereo Deluxe. Glam-O-ama. EFA. Rock/Pop