Guitar Favourites Barrios Mangoré: La Catedral; Julia florida etc; Sor: Variations on a Theme by Mozart; plus works by Albéniz, Lauro, Rodrigo, Tárrega, Villa-Lobos, John Williams and Xuefei Yang Xuefei Yang (guitar) Decca 485 8195 62:12 mins
Xuefei Yang follows several classical musicians in making an eclectic offering of short pieces of music to trace various parts of their history. The guitarist pairs standalone works from around the world with single movements from larger works on which she puts her stamp. Yang also includes her own composition, Xinjang Fantasy, which draws on the musical heritage and folk songs of the Xinjang region of China.
You can’t fault Yang for her control, accuracy and technical prowess. Her articulation is varied, her intentions never in doubt. This rigorous technical mind doesn’t stifle her interpretations of the classics, however, and her performance of Tárrega’s Recuerdos de la Alhambra is liberal with its use of rubato. She plays two different guitars in this recording, which sometimes jars as she sounds more at home on her lighter, brighter Greg Smallman instrument. Still, Yang is a safe pair of hands for these popular guitar works.
Freya Parr
