Maestro Joaquin Rodrigo

Late Maestro Rodrigo and wife, Victoria

I just got the DVD Shadows & Light on the late spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo. It starts with Pepe Romero playing his most famous guitar concerto, Concierto de Aranjuez, and followed by all his smaller works played by renowned artists who are good friends with this wonderful composer. This is one moving story which touches me in a very special way whenever I listen to that concerto. And I'm incredible touched by the deep love Joaquin Rodrigo and his wife have for each other. The perfect romance...

For those who haven't heard this concerto before, I'd strongly recommend Pepe Romero's 2nd recording of it. Flawless and incredible moving, taking into account of the fact that Pepe has known Maestro Rodrigo since young. The only downside is that he does his vibrato like he's having a spasm. Well, shall write more of this wonderful concerto in the near future.

"Joaquín Rodrigo at 90 is an intimate and intensely personal exploration of the world-renowned Spanish composer. He has created some of the most beautiful music ever written. His Concierto de Aranjuez is as famous as Cervantes’ Don Quixote and the paintings of Goya. At 90, he is a man whose youthful exuberance and extrovert personality have yielded to the introversion and silent meditation of old age. ‘Shadows and Light’ portrays a man who has found inspiration in his belief in God but has also suffered greatly at the hand of his own demons. He is a man who has been blind since early childhood, but has never allowed his disability to inhibit his artistic vision. He is a man who is sustained by the love and support of his family, and who has always upheld the most basic values. His story is truly inspirational, as it has been to everyone who was involved in the making of this film.”
-Director Larry Weinstein, writing in 1993, said of his 60 minute film ‘Shadows and Light’