  Go to LAN284 - Mediterranean
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Gramophone, October 2008
'Over and above evoking the real world of which it's a part, a well thought-out recital creates another, imaginary world, one that the listener is loath to leave. With "Mediterranean", the Arada Guitar Duo open the door onto an exotic, sun-kissed realm redolent of fragrant orchards and gentle sea breezes.
On a previous Landor release, guitarists Nicholas Lee and Simon Davies explored the 19th-century guitar repertoire with duets by Sor, Coste, Mertz and Giuliani. "Mediterranean" is an altogether different, if equally cosmopolitan proposition, featuring 20th-century music by Spain's Rodrigo, Italy's Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Claudio Decorti, Greece's Kiriakis Georginakis and Dimitri Fampas, and France's Pierre Petit.
Many of the works here were written for the legendary duo of Ida Presti and Alexandre Lagoya, whose combination of complete technical mastery and almost supernatural sense of ensemble is a hard act to follow. But these artists come close. These are marvellous performances, the overwhelming impression being one of a genuine three-way conversation between composer and each of the performers.
This is most evident in Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Sonatina canonica and the two Bachian Preludes and Fugues. Opportunities for changes in tone colour and articulation abound as parts are swapped or threads taken up, and the Arada make the most of them - as they do of the Haydnesque humour in Rodrigo's Tonadilla. Also impressive is the ability to establish a mood, as the two movements from Giorginakis's Greek Memories which frame the recital: one insouciant and festive, the other sweetly wistful.
Good recorded sound and excellent notes by Graham Wade complete what is truly Arcadian musical experience.'
William Yeoman Classical Guitar Magazine, October 2008
'The duo's playing really suits the music on this programme, a real respect and affection for these pieces coming across well on the recording and they give fine interpretations of each work, being equally at home with works which require passion and pathos as they are with music where a more fiery approach is called for. The one composition which superbly illustrates these two emotions in the one piece is the magnificent Tarentelle by the French composer Pierre Petit, a composition made famous by the legendary duo of Presti-Lagoya and a piece which has stood the test of time. Placing this thrilling item as the penultimate track on the programme seemed a wrong move on first play-through, but after subsequent 'listenings', the duo's decision to conclude with Giorginakis's beautiful, serene and poignant Therismos, from his 'Greek Memories' suite, seemed the right choice in the end leaving the listener in a state of tranquillity.
Mediterranean includes two world premiere recordings, the first of which comes from the pen of the Greek composer Kiriakos Giorginakis. Song Without Words is a contemplative composition which contrasts strongly with the same composer's highly rhythmic, exhilarating Panighiri with which the Arada Duo open their programme.
The second of the world premieres comes from a composer of whom I have the most admiration for: the Italian guitarist Claudio Decorti has written many solo guitar works but this, as far as I can recollect, is the first one I have encountered featuring guitar duo. It is very characteristic of his style: beautifully flowing melody lines with several changes of key and mood.'
Steve Marsh MUSO, August 2008
'This album, from nylon fingerpickers Simon Davies and Nicholas Lee, takes you on an excursion to vineyards and olive groves characterised by hot, dry summers. Once again Arada has delved deep to unearth and record an interesting selection of rare and original pieces for the guitar.
But it's not all lazy days. Right from the start, Kiriakos Giorginakis' Panighiri (from Greek Memories) is bright, alive and will fill a room with an air of uplifting, beautifully recorded guitar. This contrasts with the Greek composer's sleepy Song Without Words, where both instruments excel in moods that are mysterious, mellow and enchanting.
Skilful, delicate, close harmony runs and instrument bonding are brought to the fore within Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Sonatina Canonica, and again in his Tempo di Siciliane, where sweet solos are backed with weighty chord structures and bass harmonies.
Italy's (sic) Joaquin Rodrigo is probably the most popular composer here, and his works are portrayed with vigour and accuracy within the haunting and often eerie Tonadilla.
For me, this is a fine album that challenges the listener to focus on the intricate detail and dynamic tone of the classical guitar, as each instrument has a sonic timbre that will capture the heart and encourage repeated listening.'
Lars Mullen International Record Review, July 2008
'To encounter a single guitarist capable of shaping these lilting phrases with such sensitivity to musical atmosphere is rare enough, to discover two who move and think as one with such effortless technical precision and expertise is nothing short of miraculous.
The Arada Duo - Simon Davies and Nicholas Lee - play this music with a probing insight and engaging spontaneity that is utterly beguiling. It's the kind of artistry that satisfies and inspires on so many levels that it is impossible to imagine it being played any better, especially as both players appear immune to the kind of noises-off familiar from the majority of guitar recordings.
Whether in the driving ostinatos of Giorginakis's 'Panighiri', the gently lilting rhythms of Fampas's 'Corfu' or unstoppable forward momentum of Petit's 'Tarantelle', these highly gifted players simply dont put a finger wrong. This is a stunning success, glowingly engineered.'
Julian Haylock MusicOMH, June 2008
'With some of us counting the days until we jet off to Mediterranean beaches, the release of the Arada Guitar Duo's new album invites the rest of us to welcome a little continental sunshine into our living rooms.
Aptly titled Mediterranean, the CD contains works, largely unknown, by Greek, Spanish and Italian composers of the 20th Century. And a somnolent and mellow grand tour of sunny regions this is. It's not all easy background listening by any means, with some fine works by Giorginakis, Fampas, Decorti, Petit (I left out French) and the better known Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Rodrigo.
Simon Davies and Nicholas Lee pronounce it trippingly on the fingers, with a melodious and expressive flow of works, some previously unrecorded and all as written – no transcriptions or arrangements here.
Panaghiri comes from Kiriakos Giorginakis' suite Greek Memories. It's a dazzlingly lively way to start things, foot-stamping and very Greek. In contrast, his Song without Words, one of the album's world premiere recordings, is a moody adagio and Therismos, which closes the programme, evokes a sleep-filled haze of Summer days.
Bach's influence lurks beyond the golden façade. Castelnuovo-Tedesco, the prolific Italian writer for the guitar, actually wrote his own set of 24, The Well-Tempered Guitars, and two of the Prelude and Fugues are played here, as well as the lovely lilting three-movement Sonatina Canonica of 1961.
The best-known composer represented, Joaquin Rodrigo's familiar style pervades Tonadilla, a form related to the Italian intermezzo. Lively and slyly seductive by turns, it has all the showy brilliance of his more famous pieces. Pierre Petit's Tarentelle trips hypnotically before lapsing into a dreamlike reverie, while Claudio Decorti's Arabesque ripples, weaves and blooms with delightful effect.
Together as a duo since 1992, Davies and Lee studied with Gordon Crosskey, John Williams and Craig Ogden. This is their second album on the Landor label; the previous, Grand Duo, consisted of 19th Century works by the likes of Napoleon Coste and Fernando Sor.
The current album, in excellent sound, covers a wide range of moods, and the playing displays much care and affection. If you're looking for something a little unusual and uplifting to see you through the Summer months, you could hardly do better than this.'
Simon Thomas
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