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Heart of Genius

Christopher Nupen's films
about Andrés Segovia -
enjoyed by
HOWARD SMITH

'... a quiet, heaven-sent artistry ...'

Andrés Segovia in Portrait. © 2005 Opus Arte/Allegro Films

These twin Christopher Nupen documentaries resonate with reflective calm and a quiet, heaven-sent artistry. They speak volumes of Mediterranean life, art, and enduring civilization ... a melting pot of Iberian-Muslim, Greco-Roman, and Judeo-Christian cultures.

From within this cradle of music and literature, Segovia disinterred the classical guitar after generations of blanket disuse, and while doing so he brought a largely forgotten instrument to the attention of musicians and concert audiences across the globe.

Andrés Segovia playing at Alhambra. Screenshot © 2005 Opus Arte/Allegro Films
Andrés Segovia playing at Alhambra. Screenshot © 2005 Opus Arte/Allegro Films

Austria's legendary, hugely-revered violinist Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) identified two Spanish musicians as true giants of 20th century music -- Pablo Casals (1876-1973) brought the cello from an era of shadowy obscurity while Andres Segovia (1893-1987) won similar universal respect for the classical guitar.

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Copyright © 9 January 2008 Howard Smith, Masterton, New Zealand

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