BBC Recital 1970 captures the Duo Abreu at the height of their brief yet extraordinary international career. Recorded in London for the BBC, this release offers an unfiltered portrait of Sérgio and Eduardo Abreu in performance: total technical command, perfect balance, and a tone of striking purity and transparency.
At the time, the brothers were compared to towering figures such as Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Jascha Heifetz, and Krystian Zimerman. In a guitar world still largely shaped by Andrés Segovia’s legacy, they emerged as a new artistic benchmark — aristocratic, precise, intense, and unforgettable.
The program reflects the Duo’s distinctive identity: refined transcriptions of Rameau, Scarlatti, and Weiss; the Latin elegance of Ponce’s Sonatina; masterworks by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco; and a modern contribution by Burkhart. Preserved in the BBC’s live recording tradition, these performances are presented without studio polishing — what you hear is exactly what happened.
🎸 Legendary virtuosity in its purest form
🎼 A rare and invaluable historical document
🎧 The iconic sound of a 1930 Hauser and 1920 Santos Hernández
✨ Official digital release for the first time
Experience the Duo Abreu as they truly were: live, immaculate, and electrifying.
Add this historic recital to your collection today.
TRACKLIST
JEAN PHILIPPE RAMEAU, Six Pieces from the Book of 1726:
01 I. Allemande 3’26”
02 II. Le Rappel des Oiseaux 2’33”
03 III. Rigaudon 1’28”
04 IV. Musette en Rondeau 2’38”
05 V. Le Lardon (Menuet) 0’51”
06 VI. Les Cyclopes 3’24”
07 DOMENICO SCARLATTI (arr. Sergio Abreu), Toccata K.141
08 SYLVIUS LEOPOLD WEISS, Sonata D major SW18: Passacaglia 4’13”
09 DOMENICO SCARLATTI, Sonata in G Major K.391 2’16”
MANUEL PONCE, Sonatina Meridional
10 I. Campo (Allegro non troppo) 4’05”
11 II. Copla (Andante) 2’21”
12 III. Fiesta (Vivace) 2’21”
MARIO CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO, Les Guitares Bien Temperées Op. 199
13 Prelude and Fugue in E Flat Major No.1 1’45”
14 Prelude and Fugue in E Flat Major No.2 2’26”
15 Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor No.1 1’46”
16 Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor No.2 3’38”
17 FRANZ BURKHART, Toccata 4’06”
Total time: 47min 16s
Product Content (Download)
An original CD in digital format
Digital booklet
Brasil
Estados Unidos
