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Two guitars that play as one: this is the phenomenon of Ida Presti and

Alexandre Lagoya, the guitar duo which has been enthusiastically received

on four continents—and now, in the United States. Following the Presti-

Lagoya triumphant debut in Town Hall on January 22, 1961, Elektra presents for the first time in the United States recordings of this exciting

duo, which has been called by the French publication Combat “one of the

wonders of the world.”

Presti and Lagoya began to attract international recognition as out-

standing artists after their appearances at the festivals of Aix-en-Provence,

Bordeaux, and Menton, in 1955. But before they decided to collaborate as a

duo, each was a well-known soloist. Ida Presti was born in France and

began the study of the guitar under the guidance of her father. Her first

recital was given at the historic Salle Pleyel, Paris, at the. age of ten; she

was soloist at the Concert Society of the Conservatoire and the Pasdeloup Concerts at the age of thirteen, being the first guitarist to be accepted by these societies. Proclaimed a musical prodigy, she took part in the centenary celebrations of Bizet, Berlioz, and Paganini. Her distinguished partner,

Alexandre Lagoya, was born in Egypt of a Greek father and an Italian

mother. He began playing the guitar at the age of eight and made his debut

when he was thirteen, in Alexandria.

As can be expected from two such noted soloists, in the music that

forms their repertoire as a duo there is no such thing as a first or second

guitar: the parts are of equal importance. Mr. Lagoya, the transcriber,

has scored each selection with musical discrimination and in complete faith

with the spirit of the composer. In performance, Miss Presti and Mr.

Lagoya are in absolute command of their instruments; the precision, the

rapport, the unanimity of their playing are astounding. Yet the impressive

feature of their performance is its complete external unity combined with

equally complete mutual expressive understanding. As an artistic unit they

are perfectly paired in the balance and refinement of their teamwork.

“In the hands of the Presti-Lagoya duo, the guitar exhales the poetry of

the ages. Its stunning percussive rhythms, limpid harmonics, variety of

color, expressive shading, and delicacy of tone render it symphonic.” (The

New York Herald Tribune report from Paris.)

True, when Miss Presti and Mr. Lagoya joined forces in 1955 to form

a duo (and also, incidentally, to get married!), the concert stage was

deprived of two excellent soloists, but it has gained instead this magni-

ficent duo, which uxquestionably enriches the world of music. For, playing

a perfectly matched pair of guitars made totheir specifications by the French

guitar maker Bouchet, the Presti-Lagoya duo introduces a type of music

seldom heard before: music for two classic guitars.

Side One

Courante 1:54, Allemande2:54, Allegro 2:54 (from the Third English Suite) (Johann

Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750)

The Bach suite is an assortment of highly stylized dances, the first two of

OUTSTANDING

HIGH: FIDELITY

RECORDINGS

which are the Allemande and the Courante. According to Alfred Kreutz, the six English Suites for harpsichord are so called because they are written _

“in the English style’’—that is, opening with a Prelude, in contrast with the -

smaller French Suites, which have none. The interweaving melodic and

rhythmic themes of these three selections from the Third English Suite -

are examples of Bach’s ingenuity as a contrapuntist, which has never

been surpassed. a «3

Sonata 7:00 (Longo No.33;Kirkpatrick No. 87) (Domenico Scarlatti, 1685- 1757) Domenico Scarlatti, son of the renowned Alessandro, is the principal com- —

poser of baroque keyboard sonatas and the father of modern piano-playing. |

However, as some of Scarlatti’s harpsichord pieces were inspired by that guitar, it is not unfitting that guitarists of today look to him for works

suitable for their instrument. The lyrical quality of this sonata is par-

ticularly effective in transcription for two guitars.

Sonata 4:46 (Longo No. 23; Kirkpatrick No. 380) (Domenico Scarattt 1685- 1757)

This sonata, chosen from the nearly 600 sonatas Scarlatti wrote for the

harpsichord, is a delightful display of sparkle and grace. Reflecting the

influence of Spanish music on the great Italian composer who spent the

last 37 years of his life as a musician at the courts of Lisbon and Madrid,

it suggests the Spanish bolero. It is in binary form, in 3/4 time, and quite

elegant in style.

Side Two

Oriental 4:55 (Danza Espafiola No. 2) (Enrique Granados, 1867-1916)

Granados, one of Spain’s most important composers of modern times, is

(along with Albéniz and Falla) one of the founders of the Spanish national

school. Oriental, second of twelve Spanish dances for piano, is of Andalusian

character and evocative of the period when Spain was under fens

of the Moors.

Andante ::os, Menuetto 2:40, Rondo ::40, -Gigue 1:40 (Suite No. 1)(Giovanni Batista

Marella)

Marella was a celebrated Italian guitarist and composer of the late 18th

century. (His exact birth and death dates are unknown.) This is the first

of six suites which he wrote for two guitars, published in the year 1762. The

lyrical melodies of these pieces proclaim their inventor’s Italian back-

ground; they are gracious, airy, and charming. :

Clair de Lune 5:10 (Claude Debussy, 1862- 1918)

Clair de Lune is one of the best-known works of the French impressionist |

composer Claude Debussy. Included in his Suite Bergamasque, which was

written originally for piano, Clair de Lune has since been transcribed for

various instruments and combinations of instruments, and for symphony

orchestra. This setting for two guitars preserves a certain fragile beauty

inherent in the original piano composition but often lacking in scorings for

large ensembles. The guitar as an instrument is well suited to the poetic

mood of the piece. oe Martha Nelson.

production supervisor — MARK ABRAMSON engineering — MARIO MIZZARO, Vanguard Recording Society, Inc. dace Studios)

cover painting & design — WILLIAM S. HARVEY

The Presti & Lagoya concerts in the United States and Canada are presented under the direction of Sol Hurok. All selections, except the suite by Marella, transcribed by Alexandre Lagoya.

TECHNICAL DATA

This fine ELEKTRA recording has been engineered: to exacting standards and under the most carefully con- irolled acoustic conditions using techniques and equipment developed during our ten years of continuing research and axperience.

All ELEKTRA master tapes are recorded on wide-range, distortion-free multi-channel Ampex tape machines ain conjunction with specially adapted and precisely phased Telefunken, AKG, RCA and Altec microphones. ate Transfer from tape to disc is accomplished on an automatic margin- -controlied Seully lathe employing aj -~ Western Electric feedback cutterhead equipped. with a thermo stylus. At every step in production extensive} _ ¢ quality-control measures are rigidly enforced to insure a musically satisfying and technically perfect recording ©) that encompasses the full range of human hearing. Playback equalizers should be set to the RIAA curve. e/J

THE ELERITRA CORPORATION 116 West 14th Street New York 11, N.Y. |

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