Andres Segovia: In Portrait (2005)

Andres Segovia In Portrait is another release in the continuing Christopher Nupen series presented by BBC/Opus Arte. It consists of 2 vintage documentaries made with the late maestro in his 70s and 80s. The first, “Andres Segovia at Los Olivos,” is a 56 minute documentary made with Segovia at his new home “Los Olivos” on the Costa del Sol in the summer of 1967. In it Segovia reflects on his life, his music, his philosophy and his faith. In between we are treated to him playing the guitar in the intimacy of his home. Among the longer pieces played are Torroba’s Fandanguillo and the lovely Dansa in G by Granados. He also plays his own transcription of the infectious Gavotte from Bach’s Violin Partita in E Major. His playing is so idiomatic that for a moment I actually thought it was one of Bach’s pieces for lute (predecessor of the guitar). Throughout the documentary, Segovia avows his love for Granada, the city of his childhood, and which he calls the leitmotiv of his life. He speaks lovingly of his city, saying that to see the beauty of Granada is to be reborn. He takes us on a tour of the famous Alhambra accompanied by snippets of Francisco Tárrega’s beautiful tremolo piece “Recuerdos de la Alhambra”. Unfortunately we don’t get to hear the entire piece. In fact, due to the short running-time of this documentary, what we do get are mostly snippets as there’s just no time to present the works in their entirety.

In the second documentary “The Song of the Guitar” made in 1976 when he was 84, Segovia gives us just brief sketches of his life and career while he devotes the rest of the time to playing his guitar beside the lovely reflecting pool of the Alhambra Palace. Recorded over several evenings after the departure of the Alhambra’s hordes of tourists, this 48 minute documentary features more full length performances than previously, including works by Albeniz, Scarlatti, Torroba, Ponce and Rameau. He also plays his own transcription of another piece from Bach, the gavotte from the 6th Cello Suite. He may be 84 here, but his playing is still superlative. He would go on playing and performing onstage until just barely a month before his death at the age of 94.

The picture transfer on this DVD is superb. Los Olivos, the first documentary is presented in its original 1.33:1 fullframe. The picture does not look its age at all. It looks like it was made yesterday. It is the most impressive looking documentary from its time period I have yet seen. The image is sharp. Colors are rich and vibrant yet always natural. And there’s hardly a speck of dirt to be found. The second documentary “The Song of the Guitar” was shot in 1.85:1 widescreen. Again the picture quality is very good. However for some unfathomable reason, instead of being anamorphically enhanced, it has been letterboxed into a 4:3 frame. This is very odd and unfortunate, seeing as the rest of the DVD including the menus, Nupen’s Introductions and all the extras are anamorphically enhanced. The sound in the original uncompressed PCM Stereo is full and rich, enabling you to luxuriate in the plush sonorities of Segovia’s guitar playing. Like all DVDs in this series, it comes with a lavishly illustrated 24 page booklet featuring Christopher Nupen’s reminiscences on Segovia and the making of these films.

The list of the performed pieces in “Andres Segovia at Los Olivos” and their order of appearance are:

1.LA MAJA DE GOYA, by Enrique Granados (arrangement Miguel Llobet, revised by A. Segovia).
2.SARABANDE from Lute Suite I, BWV 996, by J.S.Bach (arranged by A. Segovia).
3.GAVOTTE EN RONDEAU, from Lute Suite IV, BWV1006A, and Violin Partita III BWV 1006, by J.S.Bach (arranged by A. Segovia).
4.FANDANGUILLO from ‘Suite Castellana’, by F.M.Torroba.
5.LA FILLA DEL MARXANT (`’The Merchant’s Daughter’), a popular Catalonian song, arranged by Miguel Llobet.
6.STUDY Lesson 26 from ‘The Complete Works for Guitar’ Vol.2 page 52 (Chanterelle 802), by Dionisio Aguado.
7.RECUERDOS DE LA ALHAMBRA (music in background) by Francisco Tarrega.
8.LA ARRULLADORA, Lullaby from Suite ‘Platero and I’ by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco.
9.SPANISH DANCE Nr.10-in G by Enrique Granados (arranged by Miguel Llobet, revised by A. Segovia).
10.LA MAJA DE GOYA (music in background), by Enrique Granados.

In THE SONG OF THE GUITAR (1976), all the scores are full performed by Segovia. The complete list of pieces are:

1.CAPRICHO CATALAN, by Isaac Albeniz (arranged by Michael Lorimer, revised by A. Segovia).
2.LA MAJA DE GOYA, by Enrique Granados (arranged by Miguel Llobet, revised by A. Segovia).
3.TORRE BERMEJA, by Isaac Albeniz (arranged by A. Segovia).
4.SONATA KII.L352, by Domenico Scarlatti (arranged by A. Segovia).
5.MINUET FROM SUITE `PLATEE’, by J.P. Rameau (arranged by A. Segovia).
6.MINUET in La, by Fernando Sor.
7.BALETTO & ALLEGRETTO (PRELUDE), by J.M. Ponce.
8.STUDY Lesson 26 from ‘The Complete Works for Guitar’ Vol.2 page 52 (Chanterelle 802), by Dionisio Aguado.
9.GAVOTTE from Cello Suite VI, BWV 1012, by J.S. Bach (arranged by A. Segovia).
10.PRELUDE Op. 28 Nr. 7, by F.Chopin (arranged by F. Tarrega, revised by A. Segovia)
11.1rst. MOVEMENT `ALLEGRO’ of `SONATINA’, by F.M. Torroba (revised by A. Segovia).
12. LEYENDA (ASTURIAS) by I. Albeniz (arranged by A. Segovia).
13.EL NOI DE LA MARE, popular Catalonian song (arranged by Miguel Llobet).