"Not to be confused with the first edition (1990), these pieces exist as a result of years of painstaking work by the editor. The first edition was based on xerox copies of the manuscript which is now owned by the editor. This has resulted in an incredible amount of detective work on the layers of ink and pen cil to reveal more accurately what was actually set down and now a balanced version has been produced. The Etudes are now set down with the changes as per the actual m/s: apparently, many of these were invisible via xerox processing and if you already possess the previous edition, then there are many, many changes here in each item. Some of the changes, for example, refer to voice-stemming, others to finger selection, others to rests and accidentals and so on. Sufficient to say that the serious Regondi player will want to compare this immediately with what is already available. These wonderful works now have a new lease of life, the remarkable Etude 2 with the wealth of modulations, the poignant Etude 4 and the rippling Etude 8. All are tremendous studies and all work so well in a concert situation. They place the composer so high on the list of the best writers for the guitar, not to mention his position in the general music scene at the time. Many features here could be easily mistaken as a creation of Liszt, etc, and it is apparent that he made few concessions to the difficulty of the guitar. This is a fine collection, updated and well printed with as much information as one could wish for. Recommended." Neil Smith, Classical Guitar.
" ... These Etudes are truly outstanding examples of
Romantic writing for the guitar, rich in harmony and texture, seductive in
melody.
This new edition [Orpée edition, my note] represents the continuing researches
of the editor, and the introductory notes tell a fascinating tale of
musicological detective work (and some serendipitous fortune). You will enjoy
reading the story. Every effort here has been made to find the "original
intent" of the composer, peeling back successive layers of alterations to
the manuscripts. To the casual glance, there are few differences from the prior
publication, but closer scrutiny shows numerous differences in detail (both text
and fingering). Some of the changes resolve questions I had regarding the
earlier edition, but I believe there are still a few missing accidentals. The
fingerings given shed valuable light on the instrumental and musical concepts of
the composer, and are quite workable; nevertheless, they may not always be the
very best choices for a particular modern performer . . .
If you have not heard or played these beautiful pieces, by all means buy a copy. If you are serious about playing them, you might want to compare the two editions carefully; they both offer useful information, fingerings and interpretive ideas on the music." David Grimes, Soundboard.
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