Dance —Jason Vieaux, guitar; Escher Quartet (Azica 71328)
This July release from Cleveland-based Azica Records features Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux and the Escher Quartet in quintets the musicians have performed for the past decade around the world: Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Guitar Quintet Op 143; Aaron Jay Kernis’ 100 Greatest Dance Hits; and Luigi Boccherini’s Guitar Quintet No. 4 “Fandango.” Castelnuovo-Tedesco composed the Guitar Quintet for his long-time friend, the great Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia, who premiered the work in 1951. Luigi Boccherini composed an enormous amount of music for guitar. What makes his Guitar Quintet No. 4 memorable is its finale, a Fandango, the Spanish dance in moderately fast triple meter that first appeared in the 18th century. Rounding out the disc is 100 Greatest Dance Hits, a 1993 work that represents the lighter side of composer Aaron Jay Kernis. About the piece’s name, Kernis says, "I borrowed the title from those old K-Tel advertisements on late night TV for 100 Greatest Motown Hits or 100 Greatest Soul Hits." Each of the four movements embraces – or pokes affectionate fun at – a different musical genre.