Landscapes in Sound: The Music of Joaquín Rodrigo

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Twenty-five years since the death of one of Spain’s greatest composers, Raymond Calcraft gives an illustrated talk on the life, music and writings of Joaquín Rodrigo, creator of one of the best-loved pieces of classical music, the Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra. Rodrigo became blind at the age of three, but composed some 170 pieces of music in all, including eleven concertos, compositions for solo piano and solo guitar, a ballet, a lyric opera, music for the theatre and cinema, sixty songs, and several major choral and orchestral works. Honoured in several countries, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1990 by the University of Exeter. The composer’s daughter, Cecilia, is the Honorary Patron of Exeter Philharmonic Choir. Raymond Calcraft, former head of Spanish at the University of Exeter, knew and worked with Joaquín Rodrigo from 1983 until the latter’s death in 1999. He has published books and articles on the composer’s music, performed and recorded his works, and taken part in films about him. Raymond and Elizabeth Matthews are co-authors of two books* of translations of Rodrigo’s writings on music. *Copies of Joaquín Rodrigo: Voice and Vision are on sale after the talk for £10 cash only. Proceeds go to St Petrock’s charity for the homeless. Image: Joaquin Rodrigo