Music of the Day, 26 November 2024

going for Baroque today

Although my kids and I haven’t celebrated the upcoming holidays in a traditional way for a long time, the pull of old habits is still strong within me. They reveal themselves primarily in cooking way too much food and listening to Christmas carols—the latter a remnant of playing them every year in high school. This time of year tends to put me in a contemplative mood, which is surely part of the picture too.

Even though their religious flavor is stronger, I tend to prefer the older pieces because for me, the music is better because it’s more complex. I enjoy the references to old holy days and words and traditions that are mostly lost to time too.

This morning, a guitar legend’s name came to mind … and I knew I’d find a piece that would fit my desire for something rich yet soothing. Something Baroque. It didn’t take me long.

I don’t remember when or how I discovered Spanish guitar virtuoso Andrés Segovia, but I’m glad I did. I suspect that a search for “baroque guitar” led me to his 1988 release The Legendary Andrés Segovia: The Baroque Guitar. It is volume four of a nine-volume collection and the only one in my music library.

This lovely piece is Segovia’s arrangement and performance of George Handel’s “Sarabande” from his Keyboard Suite in D Minor. I’ve long adored harpsichord music too; today the more spare guitar piece is just what I wanted.

There was a period when I listened to The Baroque Guitar regularly; I don’t remember when or why I stopped. As I’ve much to accomplish today, I’ll be listening to the entire thing, and perhaps restarting that habit. I also expect that I’ll be exploring other areas of Segovia’s vast discography. Suggestions are welcome.