Piano Works: Damerini(P)

Marco Polo continues its tribute to music from Guatemala with the fourth volume in the series, focusing on the piano compositions of Ricardo Castillo. Always different, always lyrical, his music captures an ethereal beauty in its delicate melodies.
In his 70 years, Castillo saw many changes in his Guatemala. His 'Guatemala II-serie de impresiones,' consists of six musical snapshots of his country, much like Albeniz's 'Iberia.' From the evocative "La Procesion" to the festive "La Parranda," Castillo's solo piano writing captures the grand scale of the event it celebrates as well as the intimacy of the experience.
The seven Pieces for Piano were composed over the last eight years of Castillo's life. They are fascinating examples of how European music of the 1940s and '50s liberated the composer from traditional constraints of rhythm. Although not conceived as a single, united piece, the freedom found in each is a joining theme.