Guitar recital - Johannes Monno

Johannes Monno discovered his love of the guitar at the age of six. He was fascinated by the history and development of the instrument from an early age. The harmonious combination of artistic, scientific and pedagogical work is therefore a central concern for him. He has extensively researched the history and playing style of the vihuela da mano, baroque guitar and chitarrone - numerous publications, CDs, lecture series and radio recordings have resulted from this work.
In addition to chamber music collaborations with artists such as Olaf Van Gonnissen, Thomas Müller Pering, Kolja Lessing and the Ensemble Rilegato, Johannes Monno has also repeatedly attracted attention in recent years with thematically finely crafted solo programs. Critics have repeatedly praised the enormous intensity and colorfulness of his interpretations as well as his stylistic mastery.
He studied with José Tomas in Alicante (Spain) and at the Cologne Academy of Music with Hubert Käppel and Konrad Junghänel, who decisively inspired and influenced him for over six years.
After holding important positions at the conservatories in Hamburg and Frankfurt, Johannes Monno has been a professor at the College of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart since 2004. There he supervises an extremely successful guitar class with numerous international prize winners.

Under the title "Contrasts", Johannes Monno presents virtuoso guitar music from Johann Sebastian Bach to Eduardo Sainz de la Maza.
The Catalan folk song arrangements by Miguel Llobet draw in part on centuries-old melodies. Wonderfully harmonized, they unfold a touching poetry on the classical guitar.
The Suite in A minor BWV 997 is one of the highlights of the entire lute repertoire. The Sarabande quotes the final chorus of the St. Matthew Passion and the fugue impressively exploits the polyphonic possibilities of the guitar.
Hans Haug is one of the most important Swiss composers of the 20th century. His triptych "Prelude, Tiento & Toccata" - inspired by the Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia - is a masterpiece with Iberian echoes and a free harmonic language.
The concert concludes with three pieces by Spanish composer Eduardo Sainz de la Maza, who has set a number of short stories from the Andalusian elegy (Platero y Yo) by Juan Ramón Jiménez to music in a wonderfully lyrical tonal language.

Copyright: Johannes Monno