Egberto Gismonti is a self-taught guitarist. After studying with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and returning
to Brazil, he designed guitars with more than six strings, expanding the possibilities of the
instrument. In trio with Charlie Haden (bass) and Jan Garbarek (saxophone), Dança das Cabecas, was
nominated 'Album of the Year' and received the 1977 Großer Deutscher Schallplattenpreis. In
Memoria e Fado, Gismonti plays only guitars here, rather than his usual mix of guitar and piano, and
it focuses this piece making this perhaps his most beautiful and personal statement. The extended
title is the most striking in a series of works that have both grace and emotional reserves made more
poignant by the restraint.
The arrangements by Walter Abt offer different ways of playing guitar duets: Following his recording,
the accompanying guitar plays with a "dropped B" on the 6th string. Furthermore, this
accompaniment part is available easily playable in a version in standard tuning, these in each case as
sheet music or / and in tablature. The chord symbols allow for experienced guitarists also own
improvisations.