Keywords
Julian Bream, Joaquín Rodrigo, Spanish guitar music, Concierto de Aranjuez, diplomatic relations between Spain and England, Spanish guitar tradition
Abstract
In light of the complex diplomatic relations between Spain and the United Kingdom in the 1950s, the deteriorating relationship between the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo and the English guitarist Julian Bream describes a telling arc—from 1951, when Bream gave the British premiere of the Concierto de Aranjuez, to 1959, when he emphatically rejected the Sonata giocosa that Rodrigo had written for him. To explore Bream's negative reaction, this study considers both Rodrigo’s relation to England and Bream’s ambivalent attitude toward the Spanish guitar tradition. An epilogue examines the recordings that the guitarist subsequently made of the Concierto de Aranjuez between 1963 and 1993.
Recommended Citation
Suárez-Pajares, Javier. 2023. "Joaquín Rodrigo and Julian Bream: Aspects of a Relationship." Soundboard Scholar 9, (1). https://digitalcommons.du.edu/sbs/vol9/iss1/5