News

This 11-CD box-set brings together his entire legacy for Warner Classics and bears witness to his unique artistry which prompted the New York Times to write of him “…a warmth and a singing quality that would undoubtedly have made Segovia smile”.

Tonar Music proudly announces that “Music from Cuba and Spain; Sierra: Sonata para Guitarra” – featuring internationally renowned guitarist Manuel Barrueco – has received a Latin GRAMMY nomination in the category Best Classical Album. Nomination goes to the artist Manuel Barrueco and the producer, Asgerdur Sigurdardottir.

“Cuba and Spain” includes compositions and arrangements of music by Spanish and Cuban composers, such as Narváez, Albéniz, Cervantes, Iradier, Malats, Granados, Nin-Culmell, as well as Sonata para Guitarra by Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra, which was also nominated in the category Best Classical Contemporary Composition.

“The original idea for this recording was to explore musical connections between Cuba and Spain. Later I thought it would be important to include Roberto Sierra’s magnificent Sonata para Guitarra. Though Sierra is not from Cuba or Spain, he is from Puerto Rico which is a country with a culture so similar to Cuba’s that they have been described as “the two wings of one bird” (de un pájaro las dos alas)” says Barrueco.

In 1987­­ I recorded four dances from Manuel de Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat in the first of what would turn out to be more than a dozen recordings for the EMI label. Since then, I have frequently been asked when I was going to publish them. I never did because I thought they were extremely difficult, to the point of being almost unplayable. These revised versions, though still quite difficult, are much more playable and apt to result in more convincing performances.

I have added alternative options in some places. The passages labeled “ossia” offer a more playable alternative to some very difficult spots, while those labeled “original” are just as they were in my original transcription. I have included them because, even if I no longer play them that way, I can see how some players might prefer the original transcription in those places. In Dance of the Neighbors, players should consider not playing the basses in parentheses in the opening measures of the piece, as omitting them helps make its performance more fluent and musical. For those who may be curious to see all the differences between the original and these revised versions, we have included the original transcription manuscripts.

The order in which the pieces are presented here is an order I feel works well, but players may also consider the following order: Dance of the Neighbors, Dance of the Corregidor (The Night), andMiller’s Dance.

It has been said that one can hear the guitar in all Spanish music. I’m not sure I agree, but it is definitely heard­­ in these dances by Manuel de Falla.

Manuel Barrueco

Manuel Barrueco has released a new recording with music of Cuba and Spain and Roberto Sierra's "Sonata para Guitarra." In addition, Tonar has published two books with Barrueco's transcriptions from the recording. Five Spanish Dances by Cervantes and A la Cubana by Granados, La Morena by Malats, and La Paloma by Iradier.

Suite Española, Op. 47

Complete version of the extended suite transcribed by Manuel Barrueco

I.       Granada (Serenata)

II.      Cataluña (Curranda)

III.    Sevilla (Sevillanas)

IV.    Cádiz (Canción)

V.     Asturias (Leyenda)

VI.    Aragón (Fantasía)

VII.   Castilla (Seguidillas)

VIII.     Cuba (Capricho)         

Tonar Music announces a new publication of music by Fernando Sor, edited and fingered by Grammy nominated guitarist Manuel Barrueco. At the same time, Tonar Music releases a CD with the same music, performed by Manuel Barrueco.

Tonar Music announces a new recording, Fernando Sor, (Tonar 61201) featuring Grammy nominated guitarist Manuel Barrueco performing music of the celebrated Spanish guitar virtuoso and revered composer, Fernando Sor (1778-1839). His music is flashy and virtuosic, and he was often called “the Beethoven of the guitar” by his contemporaries.

Says Barrueco:
“This Sor recording includes several of my own personal favorites as well as a few little-known works that perhaps deserve more attention. In my opinion, Sor’s genius comes through most clearly in his short pieces, many of them perfect little gems filled with elegance, balance, refinement, and above all, beauty.”

The new CD features Barrueco’s own edition of specially selected works by the composer, an edition which is being published at the same time on Tonar Music:  Fernando Sor: Selected Works (Tonar 61215)
 

"No. 58: Manuel Barrueco, Robert Ruck, and a Guitar" (Nicholas Simmons) is a beautiful new coffee table book about Manuel Barrueco's legendary Robert Ruck guitar, which narrates the history of Manuel Barureco and Robert Ruck, and includes beautiful pictures of the guitar. Available on TonarMusic.com.

Few authographed books are available.

"Meng," first CD of Meng Su for which Manel Barrueco is the executive producer, is out. If you detect a noise anywhere, it is because the executive producer sat inside the studio with her during the recording.

Tonar Music©announces the release of its fourth music publication in the Manuel Barrueco Collection: “Sonata No. 7 in G Major, BWV 1019”by J. S. Bach, originally for violin and harpsichord, here transcribed for three guitars by Manuel Barrueco.

The “Sonata No. 7 in G Major, BWV 1019”is available recorded on a CD, China West with Manuel Barrueco and the Beijing Guitar Duo. Fingerings are included in this publication which includes the score (42 pages) and three guitar parts (16 pages each).

“Sonata No. 7 in G Major, BWV 1019”by J. S. Bach is available now on TonarMusic.com.  (Tonar 50901) [ISMN 979-0-800040-00-9]

Manuel Barrueco's student and trio partner, Meng Su, took the gold medal in the fourth triennial Parkening International Guitar Competition in Malibu, California in May, after a stunning performance of the "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Joaquín Rodrigo in the final round of the competition.

The Parkening International Guitar Competition is one of the world’s foremost guitar competitions with the largest prize purse of any classical guitar competition. After three days of intense public performances, Meng Su was awarded the gold medal, the Jack Marshall Prize of $30,000.

When not concertizing around the world, Meng Su is finishing her third graduate degree at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, under the tutelage of legendary guitarist and preeminent pedagogue, Manuel Barrueco.

Meng Su has made two recordings for Tonar Music© with her duo partner Yameng Wang in the Beijing Guitar Duo: “Maracaípe” which received a Latin GRAMMY nomination in 2010, and “Bach to Tan Dun” released in 2011. In addition, Tonar Music© released “China West” a trio recording of music of China and the west with Manuel Barrueco and the Beijing Guitar Duo in 2014.

This is Manuel Barrueco's transcription of the Chaconne from the Partita II in D Minor, BVW 1004, by J. S. Bach as he recorded it on "Chaconne-A Baroque Recital" Originally for solo violin. Audio sample and purchase available HERE.

© 2014 Tonar Music, Inc.
International copyright secured. All rights reserved.
ISMN 979-0-800040-03-0

“MEDEA – Spanish guitar music by Albéniz, Granados and Manolo Sanlúcar” has received a Latin GRAMMY nomination as “Best Classical Album.” The CD features Manuel Barrueco performing solo Spanish guitar music by Albéniz and Granados, and the evocative orchestral piece “Medea” by flamenco composer Manolo Sanlúcar, one of the key figures in the evolution of the flamenco guitar, with the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and Spain’s most prominent conductor, Víctor Pablo Pérez.

Barrueco himself arranged a concerto-length suite from the hour-long ballet Medea for the classical guitar, with the blessing of the composer. The hauntingly beautiful melodies leave no-one untouched! Says Barrueco:

As I was learning Medea, I found that to play it in a strictly classical style did not quite convincingly project the emotional content of the music. I found that a little more of a flamenco touch not only sounded better, but that it was indeed necessary. I finally arrived at a style of playing that to my ears sounded something like “flamenco dressed in tails”.

This is Manuel Barrueco's transcription of the Five Sonatas by D. Scarlatti that he recorded on "Chaconne-A Baroque Recital" (Click here for the CD) originally for harpsichord, transcribed for guitar by Manuel Barrueco

Legendary guitarist Manuel Barrueco and his protégés, the Beijing Guitar Duo offer music, ranging from the baroque to the twenty-first century, demonstrating the guitar’s unique ability to capture the many voices and moods of China and the Western World, in a stunning showcase of artistry and virtuosity.

Tonar Music announces the release of its first music publication in the Manuel Barrueco Collection: “Suite Nr. 1, BWV 1007”by J. S. Bach, originally for cello but here transcribed and fingered for solo guitar by Manuel Barrueco (Tonar 31201).

The suite is in six movements:
Prelude
Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Menuet I & II
Gigue

Barrueco recorded this transcription on his CD “Chaconne – A Baroque Recital,” released on Tonar Music in October 2012 (Tonar 21015).

ISMN 979-0-80040-01-6

Tonar Music^© announces the release of collectible fine art poster, based on its CD cover of the “Virtuoso Guitar Duos” from the Manuel Barrueco Collection.

The original CD cover used a painting by Nicholas Simmons, the renowned watercolor artist. For the poster, Mr. Simmons superimposed Manuel Barrueco’s 1972 Robert Ruck guitar, which is Barrueco’s first guitar, the one he used for over 20 years in concerts and he still uses for select recordings.

The poster is available in two sizes: 30 x 30 inches (76 x 76 cm) with 2-inch (5 cm) border, and 15 x 15 inches (38 x 38 cm) with 1.5-inch (4 cm) border. The poster is printed on a heavyweight Epson matte paper, using archival inks, ready for framing.

The larger poster is autographed by Nicholas Simmons and Manuel Barrueco.

 “VGD Poster” is available on TonarMusic.com, which ships world-wide.

For more information on Nicholas Simmons, click HERE.

Manuel Barrueco discusses his baroque and latest recordings in a feature article in Classical Guitar magazine, December 2013 issue.

Buy the magazine here: http://www.fretsonly.com/fretshop/classical-guitar-magazine-december-2013.html

“MEDEA – Spanish guitar music by Albéniz, Granados and Manolo Sanlúcar” features Manuel Barrueco performing solo Spanish guitar music by Albéniz and Granados, and the evocative “Medea” by flamenco composer Manolo Sanlúcar, one of the key figures in the evolution of the flamenco guitar. Medea is performed with the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and Spain’s most prominent conductor, Víctor Pablo Pérez.

Barrueco arranged a concerto-length suite from the hour-long ballet Medeafor the classical guitar, with the blessing of the composer. The hauntingly beautiful melodies leave no-one untouched! Originally conceived for two guitars and orchestra, Barrueco made the one-guitar arrangement presented here. Says Barrueco:

As I was learning Medea, I found that to play it in a strictly classical style did not quite convincingly project the emotional content of the music. I found that a little more of a flamenco touch not only sounded better, but that it was indeed necessary. I finally arrived at a style of playing that to my ears sounded something like “flamenco dressed in tails”.

Click here to listen to the "Medea" podcast.

7-minute work for classical guitar and flute, inspired by the television show "I Love Lucy" which ran from 1951-1957, one of the most famous sitcoms of all time.

With its Latin percussive guitar grooves and demanding flute theatrics, this work is a musical tip-of-the-hat to the show and its star, Lucille Ball.

Guitar part edited by Manuel Barrueco. 

Tonar Music^© announces the release of “Chaconne – A Baroque Recital” featuring Grammy nominated guitarist Manuel Barrueco.  The new CD features Barrueco’s own transcriptions for the classical guitar: Suite No. 1 in G Major, one of Bach’s most transcribed cello suites; five Sonatas by Scarlatti, K11, K32, K27, K474, and K531; Suite No. VII by Weiss; and the CD concludes with the Chaconne from the D minor Partita for solo violin, one of the pinnacles of Bach’s solo instrumental compositions.

“Chaconne – A Baroque Recital” is available on www.TonarMusic.com.

Tonar Music announces the re-release of Manuel Barrueco’s BACH SONATAS, (Tonar 20315) originally released on EMI Classics in 1997. The BACH SONATAS cd, which has been out of print for some years, will be available on TonarMusic.com. In addition, Tonar Music has available Barrueco’s published arrangement for solo guitar.

Tonar Music anuncia el lanzamiento de BACH SONATAS de Manuel Barrueco (Tonar 20315) originalmente publicado en 1997 por EMI Classics. El BACH SONATAS, que ha sido fuera de catálogo hace unos años, se puede comprar en TonarMusic.com. Además, Tonar Music tiene disponible la transcripción de Barrueco para guitarra sola.

In a ceremony in Santa Monica, CA on December 5, 2011, Manuel Barrueco was awarded the United States Artists Fellowship for Artistic Excellence!

Read the whole story here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bs-ae-artist-awards-20111205,0,5537322.story

Tonar Music^© proudly announces that TÁRREGA! – featuring internationally renowned guitarist Manuel Barrueco – has received a Latin GRAMMY nomination in the category Best Classical Album. The winner will be announced at the 12^th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards celebration, to be held in Las Vegas on November 10, 2011.

TÁRREGA! contains compositions and arrangements by the Spanish composer and guitarist, Francisco Tárrega.

“This recording is intended to be a portrait of Tárrega. I included many of his most beautiful compositions, as well as transcriptions that demonstrate the wide scope of his musical taste,” says Barrueco. The new CD includes Tárrega’s most beloved compositions Capricho Árabe and Recuerdos de la Alhambra, as well as Lágrima and Adelita.

“On a personal note, working on this recording has flooded me with many memories of my past, similar to when I recorded ¡Cuba!. Tárrega’s music was one of the reasons I fell in love with the guitar when I was a young boy, and so many of these pieces come with inseparable memories of people and places from my childhood. I was only eleven years old when I would frequently play Danza Mora, Capricho Árabe, and Recuerdos de la Alhambra in recitals!” says Barrueco.

 “TÁRREGA!” is available on www.TonarMusic.com.

Manuel Barrueco's arrangement of the "Tango-Etudes" by Astor Piazzolla are available.  Look for them on TonarMusic.com.

Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra has written a new Sonata for Manuel Barrueco.  The new work will be premiered in March 2011 at the Pablo Casals Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In this podcast Jonathan Palevsky and Manuel Barrueco discuss the new recording, Tárrega!

In the November 2010 issue of Classical Guitar Magazine, Therese Wassily Saba interviews Manuel Barrueco in a feature article. For more information on Classical Guitar Magazine on Facebook, click on the link below.

Web Link: http://www.facebook.com/classicalguitarmagazine?ref=ts

Manuel Barrueco will premiere a new composition for solo guitar written for him by Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky during his fall 2010 concerts. The new work is called "A little lute music in memory of John Dowland". For more information on the composer, please click on the link below.

Web Link: http://www.composers21.com/compdocs/yanov_yd.htm

"INCA DANCES" by Gabriela Lena Frank has received a Latin GRAMMY Award for "Best Classical Contemporary Composition!"

The work's world-premiere recording is on the "SOUNDS OF THE AMERICAS" CD with Manuel Barrueco and Cuarteto Latinoamericano.

"INCA DANCES" was commissioned by the Baltimore Classical Guitar Society, with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Peabody Conservatory of Music.  

Manuel Barrueco performed the "Concierto de Aranjuez" with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra conducted by Tsung Yeh. In addition, he performed in duo with the Chinese zhongruan player Xing Liu, the Vivaldi double concerto for two mandolins.

Manuel Barrueco will be performing his version of Manolo Sanlúcar's "Medea" for guitar and orchestra, this fall. This photo is taken in Córdoba this past July, where they discussed the new version and gave the few diners at the local café a private concert!

Here is a new article on a travel to Ankara, Turkey in April 2008.

PDF File: Ontheroad-April2008.pdf