Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez - II. Adagio Siegfried Behrend, Berliner Philharmoniker

The hauntingly beautiful Adagio from Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, performed by guitarist Siegfried Behrend with the Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Reinhard Peters (Deutsche Grammophon recording). This sublime second movement opens with a poignant, lyrical theme introduced by the cor anglais (English horn), gently accompanied by the guitar and strings. A profound sense of quiet longing and tender melancholy fills the air — often described as a feeling of quiet regret or nostalgic sorrow. As the movement unfolds, the guitar adds delicate, flamenco-inspired ornaments and expressive trills that build subtle tension. The music swells to an impassioned climax before returning to the main theme with renewed emotional depth, culminating in a virtuosic guitar cadenza full of dramatic flair, rasgueado strums, and harp-like arpeggios. The orchestra then delivers the theme with full, sweeping intensity, only to resolve in a serene, bittersweet coda. Composed in 1939, this movement is widely regarded as one of the most emotionally powerful pieces in the classical guitar repertoire — said to have been inspired by the fragrant gardens of Aranjuez and a deeply personal sense of loss. Behrend’s interpretation brings intimate warmth and technical brilliance to this timeless masterpiece.