Gorgeous Music for the Solstice
Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Recuerdos de la Alhambra was composed for guitar after a visit to Granada where, in the 13th century, a team of Moslems, Christians, and Jews built a complex with predominantly Islamic architectural design. It is sometimes used as a call to peace, a petition for people of all ethnicities and persuasions to live in harmony with one another.
The piece is very difficult to play, even on the guitar because of the tremelo technique. The harp is quite a bit more than a 49-string guitar, and this particular harp, the Apollonia built by Salvi in Italy, the harpist, the arrangement for harp, and the performance are lovely. . . oh, and did I mention the lighting and acoustics?
Valérie Milot is French Canadian and is a professor of music at the Montreal Conservatory of Music.
If you would like to hear an encore, how about this:
Copyright by Dr. Ingrid Naiman 2023 || All Rights Reserved
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Image Credits
Alhambra Fortress: Sorin Colac | Dreamstime.com
Palace Portico: Peter Apers | Dreamstime.com
Central Courtyard:David Mcshane | Dreamstime.com