Astor Piazzolla
- Invierno Porteno
Heitor Villa-Lobos
- Prelude No. 1
- Scottish-Choro
Antonio Lauro
- Carora
- La Negra
- Natalia
Agustin Barrios
- Vals Op. 8 No. 3
- Vals Op. 8 No. 4
- Choro Da Saudade
- La Catedral
... Preludio
... Andante Religioso
... Allegro Solemne
Leo Brouwer
- Suite No. 2
... Preludio
... Allegro Burlesco
... Andantino
- Dos temas populares cubanos
... Canción De Cuna
... Ojos Brujos
Jorge Morel
- Sonatina
Carlos Farinas
- Canción Triste
- En Silencio

Now here's a new recording of archetypal Latin American guitar pieces that I have a hard time putting down. It's always on my desk or in the car, should the desire to hear it again arise. All the composers are obviously exponents of guitar music, and all the pieces, as varied as they are, well project the unmistakable warm colors and feel of South America, which undoubtably derives from Spanish roots, but has a flavor all its own. But none of this is of any relevance unless a musician can encapsulate all of these elements into one eloquent quintessence.

Spanish guitarist Ricardo Gallén is one of those rare musicians that can efface oneself from the musical process. By this I mean that all you hear on this recording is the music's essence coming through, pure and expressive, without the presence of a person struggling with the instrument. The guitar in this case is the medium through which the composer's intent is transmitted to the audience. And Ricardo Gallén's mastery of this very intimate instrument conveys all of this perfectly. His technique is such that he can focus on communicating a work's musical narrative without difficulty or exaggeration. You hear the music, not him. Be it brilliance or melancholy, it's all brought to the surface.

For those of you interested about such things, the instrument used in this recording is a 2003 Paco Santiago Marin, after Antonio de Torres FE17 (1864). All of its nuances and tonal qualities are perfectly captured in this well-engineered Hybrid SACD recording. Eudora Records is an independent Spanish label whose mandate is to capture the finest music performances in the best possible sound quality. They've only been around for about four years now, and every recording I've heard so far has been impressive, in every way.