Music of Spain, Mexico, Cuba, and her native Paraguay comprise this electrifying 92Y debut by guitarist Berta Rojas, a “guitarist without peer” (The Jazz Times), who is the “definitive interpreter of Barrios” (Classical Guitar Magazine).
We begin with Ponce’s Sonata Meridional, a work written at the insistence of Segovia, wherein jaunty Spanish folk-music influences are given a neo-classical cast. Next, a piece by Leo Brouwer based on three African myths demonstrates Brouwer’s mastery of spicy Afro-Cuban rhythms and touching expressivity. Then, selections from Villa-Lobos’ Études, touchstones for any guitarist, precede two works by Agustín Barrios: his wistful Dream in a Forest and the mighty La Catedral.