The wide-ranging selections included in Pablo Sáinz-Villegas’ The Blue Album – soon be released by Sony Classical – give an idea of the technical prowess and the depth and breadth of the versatility and sensitive musicality of the Spanish guitarist.

Sáinz-Villegas brings to vivid life music from the 18^th to the 21^st century, juxtaposing Couperin’s Les barricades mystérieuses to Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1 and Gnossienne No. 1 and Debussy’s Clair de lune and La fille aux cheveux de lin.

20^th and 21st century miniatures by Philip Glass, Max Richter, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Leo Brouwer keep company with etudes by Fernando Sor and sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti.

Playing elegantly throughout and without a hint of condescension Villegas endows dignity to chestnuts such as La paloma by Iradier positioned side by side with works originally written for the lute – Sylvius Leopold Weiss’ Passacaille – each executed with the same musical care and attention to detail.

Rafael de Acha © 2023