Carlos Bonell's recording gets off to a rousing start with Rondeau, Dance of the Fairies and Chaconne from Henry Purcell's opera the Fairy Queen. Originally written as instrumental dances, these excerpts work quite well on the guitar. Bonell's performance is particularly noteworthy for the natural rhythmic bounce he imparts to the pieces. The only reservation I have is in the Chaccone, where less emphasis on the first beat of each measure would have better clarified the harmonic resolutions on the second beat. This small point aside, Bonell's transcription is a welcome addition to the guitar repertoire. The transcription has been published for those interested in performing the pieces. Bach's Partita in C Minor, BWV 997 for Lute (more commonly known as Suite No. 2 in A Minor) receives an excellent reading by Bonell. However, with recordings on disc of this Suite by Benitez, Fernández, Isbin and Söllscher—as well as reissues by Bream and Williams—one has to question the merits of yet another recording of this work. The guitar would be better served by a recording of a less frequently heard Bach work, such as David Tanenbaum's transcription of Partita #1 in Bb Major for Keyboard or David Russell's transcription of Sonata in E Minor for Flute and Basso Continuo.

   The title of this recording—Fandango—becomes clear as one listens to the rest of this disc, which is devoted to the Spanish composers Sanz, Tárrega, Sor, Pujol and Rodrigo. Gaspar Sanz is represented by two short but pleasant compositions, Españoleta and Canarios. The pieces by Emilio Pujol, Guajira and Tango, are inconsequential. It is interesting to note that Pujol was a champion of Sanz's work, transcribing and performing many of his works and publishing about twenty editions. Bonell's interpretation of Francisco Tárrega's salon piece Maria combines intensity and motion with strong dynamic and tonal contrasts. That he manages to pack all of this into a work that is ninety-four seconds long is impressive. Capricho Arabe is a composition that is receiving renewed appreciation, following a period of relative neglect in reaction to poor interpretations by students and excessive performances. Bonell's performance serves as a reminder of Tárrega's accomplishment in bringing Spanish romanticism to the guitar by composing pieces that exploit the unique characteristics of the instrument.

    The Fantaqisie Elégiaque à la mort de Madame Beslay by Fernando Sor is an inspired work of great sadness. It begins with a long introductory Andante, followed by a slow funeral march. Listeners can almost hear the words that are written in the original score at the end of the march—Charlotte! Adieu! Bonell's sensitive performance is in keeping with the spirit of the piece. Joaquin Rodrigo is represented by two relatively unknown pieces and one famous work. I was unfamiliar with Pequeñas Sevillanas, which begins with a lively sequence of strummed chords interspersed with scale passages. In this sense, the piece recalls the first movement of the Concerto de Aranjuez. Also new to me was the mysterious Ya se van los pastores. The third Rodrigo composition on this recording is the popular Fandango. Fandango is the first of Rodrigo's Tres piezas españolas (Three Spanish Pieces). I prefer to hear the three pieces performed as a set, as Barrueco does on his EMI recording (CDC 7 49228 2). Although Bonell and Barrueco employ a similar tempo, Bonell's performance lacks the lively rhythmic bounce that would better capture the character of this Spanish dance in quick triple time.

    The liner notes are informative and the recording quality is good. Although this disc does not have the same consistency in the selection of material as Bonell's superb recording Twentieth-Century Music For Guitar (EMI CDC 7 49512 2), the material by Purcell, Tárrega, Sor and Rodrigo makes this a worthwhile effort.