Live Music: New Year's Eve with Los Romeros Guitar Quartet

Moderator: ttommy

Live Music: New Year's Eve with Los Romeros Guitar Quartet

Postby ttommy » Fri Jan 01, 2010 4:47 pm

Walking through the light snow and rain before we went inside the 92nd street Y, I told Miss Y I felt a little sickly. Today, this last day of the year and decade, was also my last day with my employer, WebMD, having left to stake out on my own. I was a mixed bag of emotions, overlaid with fatigue, and the shifts in temperature from the subway to chilly outside weather to warm indoors was burrowing an itch at the back of my throat. Ooh boy, under different circumstances, I would've much rather preferred to stay home.

Image

But then I had been waiting to see The Romeros for years and had bought tickets way in advance to guarantee the best seats in the house. So there was no way I was gonna miss this concert. How good were the seats? Well, in the picture below you see Miss Y, and I was on her right :)

Image

One thing I realized however, seated this close, was that it feels totally embarrassing to take pictures! For one, it's not allowed. And while the 92Y is much less strict at enforcing the rules than say, Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall, the performers can easily see me and I'm sure they'd hear the shutter click. It had to be done, but it had to be done with utmost sensitivity, picture quality be damned.

Image

The Romeros came in to warm applause, from left to right, Celin, the eldest, followed by Lito (Angel's son), Celino (Celin's son), and team captain, Pepe. If you're a classical music lover, surely no introduction is necessary.

Image

The program started with all four playing selections from Estampas by Torroba. I'm sure all of us here have experienced that special feeling where during a concert we're suddenly transported to a magical place. Tonight I didn't expect to be transported immediately from the very first notes, the hackneyed cliche that comes to mind is it felt like I died and had gone to heaven. As an audiophile, it felt like that first time I heard special effects ping ponging around my head while wearing headphones, except that this was done with guitar notes. For guitar players, however, you'd immediately realize how superbly the Romeros have crafted their sound.

Celin, on the far right, playing a spruce top guitar was the anchor. Most of his parts are meant to provide structure-- I noticed he preferred playing bass lines with the flesh of the thumb which took me a while to understand but eventually I got that he "extended" the mellow character of Pepe's, playing beside him. While Celin's role can be thought of as the most minimal, he is the "father," stepping into the role of the late Celedonio. Pepe's cedar top guitar was much more sweeter and rounder, not as incisive but as much as this guitar is among the best I've ever heard, Pepe's playing was perhaps the best Spanish guitar I've ever heard. Such delicacy and nuance and with perfect rhythm and elegance. Touches of flamenco technique embellish his playing but done with proper sentiment and balance. There are classical guitarists and flamenco guitarists. Pepe is the archetype of the Spanish guitarist.

Celino, to Pepe's right, was the perfect sonic foil. His was the "aggresivo" to Pepe's "cariƱoso." While his sound lacked the depth of character of Pepe's, his guitar had more body and extension and his ponticello playing is delicioso-- sharp, precise, with fantastic control. It's also obvious that someday he'll be the torch bearer for his family. Finally, beside Celino, his cousin Lito, also playing a spruce, reminded me so much of Angel, that in one rare moment of transport after he played solo, I blurted, "Bravo Angel." Sonically he was in between Pepe and Celino, often playing the role Angel played to Pepe's.

Image

Here's a sample of their playing, not from today's program, and with Celin and Lito swapping positions.



As this was a New Year's Eve party, champagne was served during intermission. This concert had a good turnout.

Image

After the intermission, Pepe played some popular Albeniz encores-- Rumores de la Caleta, Sevilla and a duet with Celin on Granada (video below from an earlier concert)--



Before we knew it, the concert was over. The year was about to end and we had a long subway ride home. But then, all my ailments had vanished, I was floating on air and the night, yes, the night was young.

Image

Thanks for reading!
ttommy
Citizen
Citizen
 
Posts: 943
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2003 8:27 am

Re: Live Music: New Year's Eve with Los Romeros Guitar Quartet

Postby dimfer » Fri Jan 01, 2010 5:03 pm

I really think you should consider a side job in audio/music journalism. Thanks for sharing, hanggang taga-basa na lang kami. Did you send the pm after you got home from the concert? Happy New Year to you and Miss Y.
dimfer
Fanatic
Fanatic
 
Posts: 2428
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:33 pm
Location: Bozania

Re: Live Music: New Year's Eve with Los Romeros Guitar Quartet

Postby ttommy » Fri Jan 01, 2010 5:08 pm

dimfer wrote:I really think you should consider a side job in audio/music journalism.

Man, would I love to, but reality bites :lol:

Thanks for sharing, hanggang taga-basa na lang kami. Did you send the pm after you got home from the concert? Happy New Year to you and Miss Y.

Miss Y and I thank you, she sometimes wonders why you haven't been active. Anyway, Happy New Year, yes I did send the PM after the concert. It's 4AM here but I'm still high from the performance...

Btw, thanks again for the CDs!
ttommy
Citizen
Citizen
 
Posts: 943
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2003 8:27 am

Re: Live Music: New Year's Eve with Los Romeros Guitar Quartet

Postby dimfer » Sat Jan 02, 2010 2:02 am

she sometimes wonders why you haven't been active

pls tell her that I am letting you catch up on me on post count and I also found out that I sleep better when I don't participate on forums 8).

on a serious note, I felt that I have reached my personal finish line in audio hobby and my audio journey concluded, the only money I spent audio related recently is on a pair of Shuguang Treasure Series CV181's.

looking closer at the pictures, I noticed you are closer to the artists than any speaker in the venue. I haven't been to a high profile concert performed in an intimate environment like this, and wondering how it feels or how sounds being so close. Are you hearing more from the guitars than the speakers or are you hearing both at the same time? some people prefer the third row on bigger performances. I won't be surprised if you bought the first pair of tickets sold, front row center. I truly admire how deep you dig into the nuances and intricacies of the performance and the artist.
dimfer
Fanatic
Fanatic
 
Posts: 2428
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:33 pm
Location: Bozania

Re: Live Music: New Year's Eve with Los Romeros Guitar Quartet

Postby ttommy » Sat Jan 02, 2010 2:31 pm

pls tell her that I am letting you catch up on me on post count and I also found out that I sleep better when I don't participate on forums 8).

She believes it better when I tell her you're just taking time off to scheme on which luxury sportscar to buy ;)

on a serious note, I felt that I have reached my personal finish line in audio hobby and my audio journey concluded, the only money I spent audio related recently is on a pair of Shuguang Treasure Series CV181's.

Don't close the book on the hobby just yet, give it time to mutate and enjoy the new direction it'll take.

looking closer at the pictures, I noticed you are closer to the artists than any speaker in the venue. I haven't been to a high profile concert performed in an intimate environment like this, and wondering how it feels or how sounds being so close. Are you hearing more from the guitars than the speakers or are you hearing both at the same time? some people prefer the third row on bigger performances. I won't be surprised if you bought the first pair of tickets sold, front row center. I truly admire how deep you dig into the nuances and intricacies of the performance and the artist.

Thanks for the kind words :) From where I sat, I didn't hear the speakers, just the guitars. Until you asked, it didn't occur to me that most likely folk towards the back would've been listening through the speakers, although in this hall the acoustic sound of the quartet projected nicely and I won't be surprised if amplification was done sparingly.
ttommy
Citizen
Citizen
 
Posts: 943
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2003 8:27 am

Re: Live Music: New Year's Eve with Los Romeros Guitar Quartet

Postby rtsyrtsy » Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:13 pm

dimfer wrote:on a serious note, I felt that I have reached my personal finish line in audio hobby and my audio journey concluded, the only money I spent audio related recently is on a pair of Shuguang Treasure Series CV181's.


Is this on again and off again love affair with audio normal? I've not listened to my main rig in at least 7 weeks...likely more. And to think that I was on holiday since the 23rd!

I still listen to a lot of music--in the car, while working, while in the gym. Just not anymore seriously like before with lights dimmed and the main rig properly warmed up. The only audio thought that came to my head is to swap the Dyn with the Denon to avoid possible accidents while my audio passion is hibernating.

Though as Tito said, Ding must be exchanging PMs with Jay Leno and Jeremy Clarkson just now. As for me, puro basa at download ng mga portraiture, posing, and lighting tips. :D
User avatar
rtsyrtsy
Moderator
 
Posts: 3908
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2003 5:25 am

Re: Live Music: New Year's Eve with Los Romeros Guitar Quartet

Postby dimfer » Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:53 pm

I've not listened to my main rig in at least 7 weeks...likely more


because your mind is too pre-occupied with that custom bike :devil:

Though as Tito said, Ding must be exchanging PMs with Jay Leno and Jeremy Clarkson just now


She believes it better when I tell her you're just taking time off to scheme on which luxury sportscar to buy


the decision has been made a long time ago, pera na lang ang problema. Actually, I'd been inactive in the forum because I took a second job (delivering pizza) so that I can buy a car :D Russ, ano nga yung full-size vehicle na binili mo recently, QX56 ba?. I must admit that I'd been SUV shopping, for my father-in-law. We've checked out a couple of X5's and a Freelander, but he hasn't pulled the trigger yet. Maybe I'll just trick him into buying a Cayenne GTS, makikihiram na lang ako :angel:

Don't close the book on the hobby just yet, give it time to mutate and enjoy the new direction it'll take

I just stopped buying gears, but now I am widening my horizon when it comes to music. I listen to my system more than ever, my main rig was on for 12 hours straight three days ago, and it's been on at least couple of hours a day during the Christmas break.

back on topic
although in this hall the acoustic sound of the quartet projected nicely and I won't be surprised if amplification was done sparingly

that's nice, you are listening to real instrument, making the experience "purer". There were a couple of concerts where we sat in the front row and very near the speakers, not very satisfying because I got distracted by the "shortcomings and faults" of their system.
dimfer
Fanatic
Fanatic
 
Posts: 2428
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:33 pm
Location: Bozania


Return to ttommy's corner

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

cron