Between 1953 and 1967 Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Florence, 3 April 1895 - Beverly Hills, 16 March 1968) wrote 53 works for various instrumental ensembles that were collected together in his Opus 170 and given the title Greeting Cards. Twenty-one of these compositions were intended for the guitar. These compositions, which the composer described as “alphabetic pieces”, are built around two identifiable thematic groups derived from two chromatic scales, one ascending and the other descending, in which each note is combined with a letter of the alphabet. The thematic sequence thus depended on the forename and surname of the dedicatee by means of a link akin to the basic principles of serial music. Using this system to establish the two main themes of each piece, the composer could proceed free of other constraints, relying solely on his absolute mastery of the component parts of music.
The Greeting Cards are like a gallery of portraits of players, friends and pupils that resound with affection, regardless of the professional status of the “sitter”. In this imaginary gallery there are thus portrayals of legendary musicians such as Jasha Heifetz or Andrés Segovia alongside those of several of his students, including André Previn, Christopher Parkening or Eugene Robin Escovado. Each portrait reflects the composer’s private musical world.
Played with affection and understanding by Cristiano Porqueddu, one of today’s foremost guitarists. Critics call him “A reference point for a new generation of musicians”. His Carnegie Hall recital was a triumph: “he has the vision and fortitude to forge a new and substantial path by discovering, recording and performing great works that have been largely ignored” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle). His Brilliant classics discography is substantial and impressive and includes works by Barrios, Sor, Gilardino, and many others.
