Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Kardaglić, Miloš
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Release: 2012
Rating: 4/5
Miloš Kardaglić is a classical guitar virtuoso from Montenegro who started collecting prestigious awards for his playing at a very young age, including one for best young artist. After his debut »Mediterráneo« (2011), on which he bent his virtuoso chops around the influences of traditional Mediterranean music, the classically trained guitar master is back with a new album, »Latino«, whose title tells you exactly which stylistic waters he’s sailing into this time. To get there, Miloš, guided in spirit by the legendary Andrés Segovia, traveled through the so-called Latin America and soaked up the guitar traditions of its countries, then decided to play his own interpretations of a hand-picked legacy of Latin guitar greats such as Carlos Gardel, Piazzola, Jorge Morel, Villa-Lobos, Jorge Cardoso, Ponce, Augustin Barrios Mangore and so on. Staying as faithful to the originals as he can, Miloš shows off outstanding virtuosity and technical polish in his readings of the Latin guitar classics, keeping the sensual rhythms of tango and samba alive with the help of accompanying orchestral arrangements from a philharmonic orchestra that pop up on some of the tracks.
Especially sensual is the passionate take on the classic »Por una cabeza«, which belongs to the legendary Argentine ‘king of tango’ Carlos Gardel. On »Milonga«, written by Argentine composer Jorge Cardoso, you can hear the influences of early tango. The same goes for »Un dia de noviembre«, in the original version by Cuban composer Leo Brouwer. Miloš’s complete mastery of classical guitar technique and his feel for sensitivity shine again on »Un sueno en la floresta« and »Una limosna por el amor de Dios«, from the legacy of Augustin Barrios Mangore, the Paraguayan composer also known as the Chopin of the guitar, who pushed the tremolo technique to its peak of complexity.
The passion and bounce of the Latin guitar heritage come through especially well on »Batucada«, which belongs to Uruguayan composer Isaias Savio, and »Danza brasilera«, originally by Argentine Jorge Morel. Kardaglić steers clear of any improvisation, which is also the album’s only minor gripe: he sticks mostly strictly, almost stiffly, to the academic rules of playing (he studied musical fundamentals and guitar technique at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in Britain), so for now he’s still pretty far from being declared a guitar innovator worth mentioning. But it’s worth remembering that »Latino« is first and foremost Miloš’s tribute to the Latin guitar giants who have inspired his guitar technique since childhood.
With his second album, a deep dive into the world of Latin melos, talented Montenegrin Miloš Kardaglić proves he’s one of the biggest finds in a long time for fans of classical guitar virtuosos. So the classical guitar has a new hero, and his virtuoso technique shows that the musical heritage of the Latin world suits him just as well as the legacy of the Mediterranean. Which begs the obvious question about what comes next: which musical-geographical corner will his next project carry him to?
Lineup
Miloš Kardaglić – guitar
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Studioorchester der Europaischen FilmPhilharmonie
Christoph Israel – conductor
Production
John Fraser and Christoph Israel
Track list
1. Libertango (with short intro)
2. Danza brasilera
3. Prelude No. 1 in E minor
4. Tango en skaï
5. Por una cabeza
6. Milonga
7. Un sueño en la floresta
8. Un día de noviembre
9. Quizás, quizás, quizás
10. Batucada
11. Mazurka-Chôro
12. Oblivion
13. Scherzino mexicano
14. Chanson. Andante
15. La cumparsita
16. Una limosna por el amor de dios
