Pepe Romero & Danish National Symphony Orchestra — DR Koncerthuset, Copenhagen, 2013

On 21 March 2013, the DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen hosted one of the peaks of the guitar repertoire: Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. The legendary Spanish guitarist Pepe Romero is here accompanied by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the great Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. This live recording captures all the finesse of a carefully filmed concert: the work’s three movements — from the opening Allegro through the deeply moving Adagio to the dancing finale — unfold their dialogue between solo guitar and orchestra. Pepe Romero, heir to a dynasty of guitarists, deploys a warm tone and articulation of exemplary clarity, while Frühbeck de Burgos ensures the balance and breath of the whole. For the classical-music lover, this live concert in Copenhagen in 2013 is a reference: Aranjuez here receives a reading of rare elegance, carried by performers at the summit of their art. Recorded and broadcast by Danish public television, it also stands as a fine testament to the DR Koncerthuset’s acoustics and to a memorable meeting between Spanish soul and Nordic orchestral precision.