May 7, 2007 "Murphy's Law"
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Murphy's Law: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."

This week's edition of "Classical Guitar Alive!" features interviews and music with 4 musicians' encounters with Murphy's Law. Leo Brouwer, Ricardo Cobo, Liona Boyd, and Stephen Marchionda describe crises incidents in their performing careers, and how they dealt with these situations.

The program begins with an interview with Cuban guitar composer Leo Brouwer. Although now best known as a popular composer and conductor, he was first known as a virtuoso performer. Brouwer reveals the reason why he stopped performing: an injury to his right hand middle finger which occurred on the day before his Weill Hall debut concert in New York. He relates of his decision not to cancel the concert, but instead refingered his entire program using only 3 fingers on his right hand.

The interview is followed by a rare live concert recording made by Leo Brouwer in Houston in 1978, issued on Frame Records.

In an interview with Columbian-born guitarist Ricardo Cobo, he discusses the multitude of extreme difficulties he encountered while recording Brouwer's "Concerto Elegiaco" in Kiev shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Cobo performs with Pro Musica Kiev, conducted by Richard Kapp.

The program continues with an interview with Liona Boyd, who tells of escaping a fire in a concert hall in Rio De Janeiro, and how that ordeal resulted in one of her best concert performances. Liona Boyd performs Eduardo Sainz de la Maza's "Campanas del Alba" (Bells of Dawn).

Not all encounters with Murphy's Law are life-threatening, but are merely embarrassing. In a 1995 interview, American guitarist Stephen Marchionda tells of how an embarrassing fax paus was graciously deflected by Princess Diana (1960-1997), and how it also resulted in her attendance at his concert.

The program concludes with Stephen Marchionda performing 7 preludes by Manuel Ponce.





Public Radio Satellite System uplink:
Wednesday, May 7, 2007 at 1300 Eastern Time digital stereo Channel: A68.1

Program ID# 07-D65-00019
Title: Murphy's Law
Total length: 57:10

In Cue: MUSIC IN "Hello and welcome to.."
Out Cue: MUSIC IN "...another edition of Classical Guitar Alive!"
Program Length: 57:10

INTRODUCTION:

Bizet: Carmen Suite: Prelude
Los Romeros (Philips 412-609)

PROGRAM BEGINS:

Interview with Leo Brouwer:
"Anyway, the question is how I stopped playing..." "...that's the reason."

De Visee: Suite in d
Leo Brouwer, guitar
(Frame 9721)

Interview with Ricardo Cobo:
"Kiev was a very interesting experience ... " "...you gotta do your job."

Brouwer: Concerto Elegiaco
Ricardo Cobo, guitar
Pro Musica Kiev
Richard Kapp, cond.
(Essay 1040)

Interview with Liona Boyd:
"I think what was fun in writing my book was writing about all the mishaps..." "...it's really hard to tell."

Sainz de la Maza: Campanas del Alba
Liona Boyd, guitar
(Moston 769-748)

Interview with Stephen Marchionda:
"That was when I was at the Royal Academy of Music..." "...the ultimate background music."

Ponce: 7 Preludes
Stephen Marchionda, guitar
(ASV 6249)

CLOSING THEME/FUNDING CREDITS