by Jarrett Hoffman
With some performances, you can just tell that the player has a special relationship to the piece. But do you really know? During a recent phone call with Croatian guitarist Ana Vidović, I tested that theory: having heard her play Francisco Tárrega’s Recuerdos de la Alhambra in a recording on YouTube, I asked her if there’s a reason it sounds so natural in her hands.
“Actually, it’s one of my favorite pieces,” she said. (Me: quiet fist pump.) “I’ve played it since I was very young — I love the melody. And no matter how many times I play it, it’s always interesting to me.”
On Saturday, October 20 at 7:30 pm, Vidović will return to Plymouth Church in Shaker Heights as part of the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society’s International Series, armed with a program that begins with Bach and ends with Piazzola. In between: pieces by Giuliani, Tárrega, Mongore, and Scarlatti. Tickets can be purchased here.