Corazon

John-Henry Crawford writes: "In the summer of 2019, I travelled to Mexico to compete in the IX International Carlos Prieto Cello Competition, and little did I know, the trip would transform my life musically. At the time I was very well acquainted with Latin American music, but after having the great fortune of winning first prize and returning to Mexico multiple times for performances, I fell in love with the music of Latin America, the culture, the history, and the Spanish language. This album takes the listener on a musical tour through Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and Mexico. The centerpiece of the program is the Sonata in G minor by Manuel Ponce, who is most famous in the classical world for his song Estrellita popularized by Jascha Heifetz. Ponce was keen to reunite the concert world with Mexican folklore and traditional songs, as listeners can hear in the romantic, longing title-track Por ti mi corazon. Spanning over 140 years of Latin American music culture, this album takes us from Ponce's unique traditional voice and Villa-Lobos' Chopinesque style to music by still-living Cuban guitarist Leo Brouwer - his innocent lullaby Cancion de Cuna. Other highlights include Astor Piazzolla's timeless Oblivion and Le Grand Tango and Egberto Gismonti's Agua e Vinho. As the title suggests, this music pulls at the heartstrings and exudes romance and passion."