"Tributo a Kazuhito Yamashita" Antonio Rioseco- Recital Completo (1997)

I present to you this historical recital titled “Tribute to Kazuhito Yamashita” from 1997! (the very first one and perhaps...the only one made by a guitarist to Yamashita until today...) Kazuhito Yamashita, the Japanese guitarist, arrived in the world of classical guitar like an apparition; in fact, he was the greatest musician and guitarist history has ever recorded. Controversial and misunderstood (for very self-interested reasons, naturally…), he went beyond every chart of excellence, shattered every conventional understanding of the guitar, an absolute genius whose technical mastery and interpretative ideas astonished the world. On a personal level, he was the greatest spiritual teacher I could have had. He was the inspiration and knowledge I had always longed for. He showed me a new world of possibilities, of the wonders of human intelligence. I performed this recital when I was 31 years old, and he was 35. Both very young, in a time when he was labeled controversial, crazy, unhinged — and I? Of course, as well… Yet in truth, there was nothing of madness in it — only genius and intelligence. I feel very proud to have done it at a time when almost no one recognized his genius. It was an expression of gratitude for everything he taught me through his writings, scores, and recordings, which served as my model for musical interpretation. His early and sudden passing (24.I.26) has left me speechless… yet filled with immense happiness. Happiness for having understood his ideas and for having expanded the conception of the guitar as a marvelous and bewildering musical instrument. This recital contains my first “Symphonic Transcriptions,” all dedicated to him;many of them drawn directly from symphonic recordings and later written out in musical notation (a process of study and knowledge I had been carrying out for years). Among them stands out “Mars, the Bringer of War” by the British composer Gustav Holst — an immeasurable achievement, which I still do not understand how I accomplished… (just imagine having to create your own guitar score from nothing but a cassette recording of such a monumental work, for six strings!). All these works are dedicated to Yamashita, whom I never met in person, yet whose soul I came to know. The program ends with the enchanted "Largo" Op.95 by Dvorák, the most beautiful piece I ever played, a wonderful transcription by master Yamashita. The program also includes an original work for guitar, the “Usher Waltz” (based on The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe) by the brilliant composer Nikita Koshkin. Its inclusion here was due solely to its symphonic conception and unprecedented effects on the guitar. This piece, moreover, was transcribed and written out with the sole aid of a VHS recording in which the great guitarist John Williams performed it at the School of Music of the UCV in 1992. At that time, it was part of my beloved repertoire. I hope you can take the time to “enter into that time” and contemplate these beautiful creations and this heartfelt tribute to the greatest guitarist (believe me, I am not exaggerating…) who has walked this earth. Camera Recorder: Cristián Contreras Radovic "Dr. File" "Tribute to Kazuhito Yamashita" 0:00 Introduction Part I: 0:19 "Für Elise" 3:38 "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" 5:53 "Military Polonaise" Op. 40 Nº1 11:13 "Usher Waltz" Op. 29 16:37 "March" ("The Love for Three Oranges") 18:22 "Mars, the Bringer of War" ("The Planets" Op. 32) Part II: 25:45 "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (Introduction) 27:47 "Adagio" in G minor 35:24 "Toccata und Fuge" D-Moll BWV 565 44:44 "Largo" ("From The New World" Op. 95) 54:27 End Credits #kazuhitoyamashita #classicalguitar #gustavholst #dvořák