December 12, 2006 "Leo Brouwer Artist Profile/Interview"
This week's edition of Classical Guitar Alive! features an artist profile and rare interview with
the foremost guitar composer in the world today: Leo Brouwer.
<Listen Online Now>
Leo Brouwer was born in Havana, Cuba in 1939. He began learning the guitar at an early age,
and was primarily self-taught. He continued his musical education in the United States at the
Julliard School of Music, where he studied composition. Leo Brouwer quickly gained an international
reputation in the 1960's and 1970's as a leading guitar virtuoso, but his playing career ended
prematurely in the early 1980's due to an injury to a tendon in his right hand middle finger.
He redirected his focus to composition and conducting to even greater success.
Today, Leo Brouwer's music is performed by more guitarists than any other living composer.
His music appears on hundreds of recordings, and he has scored over 60 films, including the
highly-acclaimed award-winning 1993 film, "Like Water for Chocolate".
In this very rare interview recorded October 20, 2000 during his first visit to the United States in over ten years,
Leo Brouwer relates the fascinating stories behind some of his most famous works and discusses his
approach to composition.
Special thanks to Ms. Linda Mares of the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, Mr. Stephen Aechternacht,
producer & host of "Film Score Focus", professor Matthew Dunne of the University of Texas at
San Antonio, Mr. Ernesto Tamayo, and Maestro Leo Brouwer.
Public Rado Satellite System uplink:
Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at 1300 ET
Channel: A68.1
Program ID# 06-D65-00050
Title: Leo Brouwer Artist Profile/Interview
Total length: 56:36
In Cue: MUSIC IN "Hello and welcome to.."
Out Cue: MUSIC IN "...another edition of Classical Guitar Alive!"
Program Length: 56:36
INTRODUCTION:
Bizet: Carmen Suite: Prelude
Los Romeros (Philips 412-609)
PROGRAM BEGINS:
Brouwer: Estudio Sencillo No. 16
Ricardo Cobo, guitar
(Naxos 553630)
Interview:
"It's my favorite... ....because it's the revenge of art with these powerful, stupid people of war.
And that's why I was in love with the whole thing and I built the music."
Brouwer: El Decameron Negro
William Kanengiser, guitar
(GSP 1004)
Interview:
"This was composed for Julian Bream... ...a great man that belongs to the history of guitar at the
very height- very high level."
Brouwer: Concierto Elegiaco
Julian Bream, guitar
RCA Victor Chamber Orch.
Leo Brouwer, cond.
(RCA 7718)
Interview:
"This piece was composed for, almost children, students..." "...you never know if your idea is
going to be gigantic or delicate."
Brouwer: Cuban Landscape with Rain
Versailles Guitar Quartet
(Quantum 6948)
Interview:
"This was done with very poor needs, but was a real, real, beautiful film..." "...that's the story.
Laura Esquivel is a friend of mine. Where is she now? And that's it!"
Brouwer: Like Water for Chocolate: Tita's theme
Studio orchestra
Leo Brouwer, cond.
(Milan 35651)
CLOSING THEME/FUNDING CREDITS
