About Concierto de Aranjuez

Inspired by the vibrant gardens of the Royal Palace of Aranjuez, Joaquin Rodrigo composed Concierto de Aranjuez in 1939, while in Paris. Rodrigo once stated that the concerto contains "the fragrance of magnolias, the singing of birds, and the gushing of fountains." After its successful premiere in Barcelona in 1940, at the Palace of Catalan Music, with Regino Sainz de la Maza playing the guitar (for whom the piece was dedicated), the concerto was an instant success, leading many musicologists to attribute Rodrigo for making classical guitar music popular.


The concerto consists of three movements:

• Allegro con spirito - (key of D Major) a fandango-like dance movement showcasing the intricacies and delicacies of perfectly balancing the a guitar and an orchestra
  (Listen to the 1st movement on YouTube)
• Adagio - (key of B minor) a slow movement with haunting Spanish folk tunes, beautiful harmonies, and conversations taking place between the solo guitar and other instruments
  (Listen to the 2nd movement on YouTube)
• Allegro gentile - (key of D Major) an upbeat movement that mixes 2/4 and 3/4 rhythmic meters.
  (Listen to the 3rd movement on YouTube)

This was the first piece of music Rodrigo wrote for guitar, and because of its wild success, many people incorrectly believe that he was a virtuoso guitarist. In actuality, Rodrigo was a virtuoso pianist.

Concierto de Aranjuez in Movies

Outside of concert halls, you can hear Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez in the following films and television programs as according to IMDb:

• (2014) RoboCop
• (2011) Made in Chelsea

• (2009) Banda sonora
• (2007) Mad Men
• (2004) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
• (2003) School of Rock

 

About Joaquin Rodrigo

Joaquin Rodrigo was born on November 22, 1901, in Sagunto, Valencia. Three years later, he contracted diphtheria. He escaped death but was left blinded by the infection. Reflecting upon his life, Rodrigo once noted that his disability most assuredly lead him to music. By the age of eight, Rodrigo was studying violin and piano, then later, harmony and composition. He studied music at the Conservatoire in Valencia under the mentorship of Francisco Antich, Enrique Gomá, and Eduardo López Chavarri. His first pieces of composition were composed in 1923, in Braille, as was all of his future compositions. In 1927, Rodrigo moved to Paris to further his musical studies, and enrolled at the École Normale de Musique. He studied with with Paul Dukas for the next five years. It wasn't long before he befriended other composers including Maurice Ravel and Manuel de Falla. Before returning to Madrid in 1939, and settling down with his inseparable wife, Turkish pianist Victoria Kamhi whom he married in 1933, Rodrigo was known by his peers as a brilliant pianist and composer.

After his much deserved success following the premiere of his Concierto de Aranjuez in 1940, Rodrigo and his wife became involved with a variety of musical engagements. He became the History of Music Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid, Head of Music Broadcasts for Spanish Radio, Head of the Artistic Section of the Spanish National Organization for the Blind, as well as serving as a music critic for several newspapers. He lectured and performed in countries around the world, and frequented competitions and festivals held in his honor.

In his 99 year long life, Rodrigo earned many awards and recognitions including Spain's Premio Nacional de Música, the highest award for composition, in 1983, and Spain's Prince of Asturias Award, the highest civilian award, in 1996. In 1991, King Juan Carlos I of Spain raised Rodrigo into the Spanish nobility with the title of Marqués de los Jardines de Aranjuez. Then in 1998, a year before his death, the French government named him Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters.