Tedesco’s The Well-Tempered Guitars was composed over a period of 3 months in 1962 while the composer was living in Beverly Hills, CA. Inspired by and in homage to Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, this work features a Prelude and Fugue in all 24 major and minor keys. In its entirety, this composition represents one of the longest and most important works composed for the classical guitar duo. Despite the fact that Tedesco was not a trained guitarist, the great Andrés Segovia is quoted as saying about him: “It is the first time that I have met a musician who understands immediately how to write for the guitar”.

Program

Les Guitares bien tempérées, op. 199           Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968)
I. Prelude and Fugue in G minor
II. Prelude and Fugue in D major
III. Prelude and Fugue in A minor
IV. Prelude and Fugue in E major
V. Prelude and Fugue in B minor
VI. Prelude and Fugue in F sharp major

Intermission

VII. Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor
VIII. Prelude and Fugue in A flat major
IX. Prelude and Fugue in E flat minor
X. Prelude and Fugue in B flat major
XI. Prelude and Fugue in F minor
XII. Prelude and Fugue in C major