http://www.klassik-heute.de/4daction/www_medien_einzeln?id=24152&CDS30
TRES MUNDOS audio flac / mp3
El mundo latino:
How does Nicaragua sound? In 2022, Walter Abt was invited to work as an artist-in-residence in Nicaragua by
the Goethe-Institut. This was about insights into the scores of the composer José de la Cruz Mena (May 3, 1874
in León; +September 22, 1907). He suffered from leprosy and, being physically handicapped, was no longer able
to write down his music. There are numerous manuscripts by the copyists that were ordered by the composer,
who was bedridden due to illness. These manuscripts are largely unusable because of the numerous
transcription errors. This main work by the composer "RUINAS - valses nicaragüenses" in the original for
orchestra has now been written for the first time in a due revision and arranged and recorded for guitar solo
and for duo violin/guitar.
As a child playing, Justo Santos (1921-1958) heard in the distance the ritual call of the farm workers - los
macheteros - while working in the fields on the property of the Nicaraguan Hacienda La Mora: "La Mora
limpia" (loosely translated: "Clean work on our finca! "). This explains the title of this masterful piece in the
Nicaraguan 6/8 rhythm of the Són. It was written to celebrate the centenary of the capital, Managua, and is
now considered the second national anthem in Central America's largest country.
In 1966, "Os Afro-Sambas" was a turning point for Brazilian popular music in all its passionate diversity.
Traditional sounds from candomblé music meet dance-like samba and instruments of the Umbanda religion in
a ceremonial atmosphere that is as mystical as it is solemn. The collaboration between guitarist Baden Powell
(1937-2000) and poet Vinicius de Moraes with the classics Berimbau, Consolação (both 1963) and Canto de
Ossanha (1966) created one of the most interesting Brazilian musical forms of the 20th century. Walter Abt is
accompanied by the experienced percussionist Prabhupada Plazaola from Managua, who playfully lets his
congas dance here.
El mundo clásico:
The selected works by Franz Schubert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joaquin Rodrigo have one thing in
common: they were either written for orchestra or other instruments than Walter Abt interprets them here on
his 10-string contra-guitar from 1925, whose constructor comes from Munich and enjoys a worldwide
reputation: Hermann Hauser I. All his models as well as the Terz, Prim and the very rare Quint bass guitars are
of the highest quality. The sound of these instruments is still unsurpassed today. While the Concierto de
Aranjuez is the most-performed guitar concerto, it is seldom heard as it is on this recording, as a single cadenza
of the famous Adagio middle movement.
El mundo del flamenco jazz:
The guitarist of the century Paco de Lucía (1947-2014) revolutionized traditional flamenco together with the
singer Camarón de la Isla. His inspiration came from meeting the greatest musicians of contemporary jazz -
Chick Corea, Jaco Pastorius, John McLaughlin, Al di Meola, etc. As a homage to him and to the Spanish national
composer Manuel de Falla (1876-1946), Abt dedicated the following works, which translated fragments and
quotations from the music of the two great Spanish composers into his own tonal language. ENTRE DOS
AGUAS is considered a masterpiece of flamenco and is the most popular and well-known work by the
exceptional Paco de Lucia, both nationally and internationally. However, it was not a written composition, but
an improvisation that Paco was asked by producer José Torregrosa at the time of recording in 1973, as he felt
the album was incomplete. Apparently Paco used other references to improvise the song, such as the Las
Grecas song Te estoy amando locamente and the Los Marismeños song he co-wrote Caramba, carambita, the
latter showing a clearer resemblance. This rumba has the formal character of a theme with variations (falsetas
in this case). The arrangement by Walter Abt underlies the original solo part with rhythmic chord sequences
and functional basses that fill it out. Thus, this version emancipates itself from the single-line original Pacos,
which absolutely requires a second rhythm guitar.
At his side are the virtuoso musicians Ken Weinzierl on the flamenco guitar and again the drum shooting star
from Nicaragua, Prabhupada Plazaola on the bongos, the cajón and the congas