An Interview with Manuel Barrueco
By Anthony Morris


The following interview was recorded at 6:30pm on February 24, 1996 in Temple, Texas at the Cultural Activities Center. Mr. Barrueco was performing the Vivaldi Concerto in D, and the Giuliani Concerto in A later that evening with the Guildhall Strings from London.

This interview was recorded for broadcast on Classical Guitar Alive!, a radio program which is produced at the studios of KMFA radio in Austin, Texas. On January 8, 1997, Classical Guitar Alive! became the only nationally syndicated guitar radio program in the United States.

This interview was excerpted for a special artist profile edition of Classical Guitar Alive! featuring Manuel Barrueco, and it will be re-broadcast via satellite later this year.


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ANTHONY MORRIS: Well, first of all꿚hanks!, I really appreciate the opportunity to speak to you.

You뭨e currently on tour with the Guildhall String Orchestra, performing the Vivaldi D and Giuliani guitar concerto in A, and in a couple of weeks you뭠l be performing with Guitar Summit, which consists of yourself, Stanley Jordan, Kenny Burrell, and Jorma Kaukonen. Are both of these tours running concurrently, or do you finish one and then jump on the other?

MANUEL BARRUECO: I finish one and I jump on the other.[laughs] That뭩 about exactly how it뭩 going to feel, because there뭩 only like five days in between both of them, and it뭩 like, performing, basically daily. So 뱂ump?was a good choice of words for that.

AM: You뭭e done solo concert tours for years, how is it different touring solo versus with an orchestra or a group of musicians?

BARRUECO: Well they are all different, and I guess that뭩 what I enjoy about it. In playing with the Guildhall for example, it뭩 a different type of interaction, first of all, even with the people than when you뭨e playing with three other people. In fact we뭨e playing separately. We뭨e just playing a half hour each, as in the Guitar Summit.

One thing that뭩 very interesting for (me is) I뭢 doing something like this with the Guildhall , is doing the Giuliani and Vivaldi (concertos in A & D), we뭨e doing it like 15 times. It really has allowed me to see deeper into the piece and to hear things that I haven뭪 heard before, especially with this group. Because they뭨e meticulous and very hard-working, and they뭨e always trying ? and even today, it뭩 the 14th performance and then one more tomorrow, and they뭨e still trying to make it better, which is great.

And, of course, in working with other people in something like the Vivaldi, which is very exposed, where the guitar is really the main instrument and the other instruments are kind of playing around it?there뭩 a big pressure to be on top of things.

Now playing solo it뭩 a little more relaxed in some ways, you뭨e under full control of everything.

AM: You뭭e made numerous recordings, the first of these were LPs on the Vox label, and these have been re-released as a 3 CD box set called ?00 years of Guitar Masterpieces? Some of these pieces, like the Albeniz First Suite Espanola, the Bach 4th Lute suite, and particularly the Villa-Lobos Etudes have really become legendary to aspiring guitarists. I know that, speaking for myself, when I was a student learning the Villa-Lobos Etudes my teacher said, 밳ou have to listen to the Barrueco recording? When you recorded those pieces did you realize that you might have a special insight into that music?

BARRUECO: Hmm?I뭗 like to say 밐ello?to your teacher! [laughs]

AM: Well, you know him, you went to school with him, Christopher Berg.

BARRUECO: Really!? Oh my heavens. Obviously that was in South Carolina.

AM: Yeah.

BARRUECO: You know, I think I뭢 getting old, I can be quite honest, the answer is yes, actually I did feel?but I don뭪 think there뭩 anything egotistical in saying that. I always felt that if you want to do something, have something new to bring to it. So I had a friend that was a pianist, I forget exactly how he worded it, but it was basically the same idea of saying, 밒f I play this (piece) for you it will sound like you never heard it before.?

Actually I hadn뭪 even thought of that concept for a long time now, but that time, especially, it was really true.

The trick is to do it without being ?what do you call it?without being eccentric about it. And I think those recordings managed to do that. I don뭪 think that there뭩 anything eccentric about it, in fact I think what was different about them was that they were pretty?it was a pretty straightforward reading of the piece. There was no?(there) didn뭪 seem to be any 밼orced?ideas. I think I was letting them speak for themselves, you know?

And also, I think I had a concept of Villa-Lobos that I think was somewhat different than the way it was being viewed by other guitarists at that time, I think even still. I see him (Villa-Lobos) as a very driving and emotional serious composer, whereas a lot of people still like to bring out the more popular elements in him, which I think, in fact, is wrong. I think his choice was to use some popular elements and to put in a more serious and classical way.

AM: You were born in Cuba, began studying guitar at early age. Could you tell a little about your early studies with the guitar?

BARRUECO: Well, I started playing because it seemed to be kind of like a disease going around my family. Everybody started playing the guitar, all my cousins, and then my other cousins, and then my other cousins, and then my sisters. And then finally when it hit home (was) when the lessons were in my home. I literally begged for lessons.

I fell in love with what I was hearing, I would sit there mesmerized by the lessons. And these were very simple things, basically they were 밅 Major? 밎 Major? 밅 Major? maybe 밊 Major? and back to 밅 Major?again, with some sort of right hand pattern. And I started with that. And this teacher I started with basically was teaching me popular Latin-American songs. What my father has told me is that he (the teacher) said that he (my father) should get me somebody to teach me music and solfeggio, and so on. That happened a few months later.

AM: About how old were you?

BARRUECO: By that time I might have been nine, at the latest. And from then, there on, it was just downhill. [laughs]

No, from this teacher, he taught me music, and introduced me to classical. It was a trade situation, 밐e said, ok, you can do two pops [songs] for one classical? finally it was one and one, and finally it was just classical.

And the Conservatory where I was from in Cuba they opened a guitar department there, and I started going there, and that뭩 just how it all began.

AM: Well, you뭭e been influenced by another Cuban musician, Leo Brouwer, and you뭭e recorded a great deal of his music as well. What is it about his music, apart from the fact that he뭩 a fellow Cuban musician that appeals to you?

BARRUECO: I met Brouwer the first time when, I think I was eleven, and I was totally star-struck. In fact, I had seen the man on television already. I hope I have in my ears correctly here, but I think at that time he had pretty much gone back to Cuba from the US, where he had been studying here, I think at Julliard and then at Harvard University. Anyway, I see this guy on television and he had just returned or something. And I guess then a few months later or so, he was in my home town playing. He came to the Conservatory, and he met with us, and he met with my teacher, and I was able to play for him.

He뭩 a man that.. he뭩 got to be one of the most charismatic men that I뭭e ever met, because years later, in all other countries, I see grown people just being?in awe of his persona, just being in love with this man. And I was no exception, especially when I was a child. I mean, I was just... you know, I thought that if there was a God, it would be second to Leo Brouwer.

Now with that, I grew up with hearing his things. I remember his coming to Santiago, where I뭢 from. One time, he came here with huge nails on his left hand, and he would not play the guitar again, or something. He had just written like Elogio de la Danza, or something, so there he goes, he cuts off his nails, and plays it.

So, I saw these things sort of happen. I guess because of the Cuban element in his music, and having heard his music all of my life, I feel almost like I had written it myself. I mean, I feel that close to it.

In later years, it뭩 not the same anymore, he뭩 gone in other directions, I never really see him, so... But especially for the early stuff, up until this piece, Elogio de la Danza. I feel like, it뭩 my piece! [laughs]

AM: Most of your recordings are solo, but in recent years you뭭e recorded with some other musicians. How did you come to record the Falla Songs?

BARRUECO: With the Granados, you mean?

AM: The Granados, and the Falla songs with soprano Ann Monoylos.

BARRUECO: Well, very often we sit around brainstorming, [thinking about] what would be a good thing to do, and that was something that was suggested and.?

AM: So, no big plan?

BARRUECO: No, it wasn뭪 a big huge plan. The only 밷ig plan?in a way, was that having done the Granados [Danzas Espanolas] and the Albeniz [Suite Espanola] years before, I wanted to go back and do them both again, complete, this time. And that was the only 밽rand plan? if you want to call it, if that뭩 밽rand?enough.

So, I did go back and I have done both, I did the complete suite (Espanola) and the complete (12 Spanish) Dances. And the Falla just seemed to fit nicely there, they뭨e great songs. There뭩 not really any?I guess maybe in some ways maybe it was sort of the first attempt to try to go outside of only the guitar. You know, there was always a question if that would work. I still don뭪 know if it does or not, but?anyway, I뭢 talking too much about it.

AM: No! Feel free! [laughs] Your two most recent recordings are, I guess 밹rossover?records. 밪ometime Ago,?with music of Chick Corea, Paul Simon and others. Is this a departure for you, or just kind of an expansion of what you want to do music- wise?

BARRUECO: I guess 밺eparture?would mean, 밶nd not return??[much laughter]

AM: [laughs] Hope not!

BARRUECO: In that case, I have to say, 밻xpansion? No, I think 밻xpansion?would be more the way to describe it.

No, it just?I did a lot of work with the King뭩 Singers, I don뭪 know if you뭨e familiar with them, but these are people that have a huge repertoire of all kinds of things. And especially when I met them and I went to hear them for the first time, I remember hearing them sing as encores songs by the Beatles, I remember hearing them do the Beach Boys. I forget which song it was now, one of the real famous ones, one by Billy Joel. And I was really shocked at how beautiful these songs were. I was shocked just by the beauty in the lines of the Billy Joel. I was really taken by the harmonies of the Beach Boys. And with the Beatles, well they뭭e done so many things it was just the playfulness of it.

And I was really taken by that, and I뭢 thinking, 밯hy not??Why not be able to do something like this as a dessert? Especially when I myself like it. I뭭e always been a huge Beatles fan and if I hadn뭪 done anything with them [King뭩 Singers], if I had not done it, it was because some bigger power than myself was telling me I shouldn뭪 do it.

In fact it뭩 happening all over, Brouwer had written arrangements of some Beatles songs and Takemitsu had written some arrangements of solo guitars, so it seemed like an obvious thing to do.

Of course that was after 밪ometime Ago? and for that I wanted to do an American record. I always felt that the American side of the guitar should be exploited more. So I started looking into and listening to all kinds of things and I go stuck with this kind of jazz of Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett, and the Paul Simon (songs) obviously comes from having heard these things with the King뭩 Singers.

And it뭩 [Sometime Ago] one record that actually, I love the music in that record, I mean, I think it뭩 a beautiful record. So, it뭩 been a revelation for myself. So, it뭩 come back, and I think I뭭e fallen in love with it. But it뭩 not a departure.

AM: Well you can do other things, it뭩 all right to like other kinds of music.

BARRUECO: Of course it is, yes.

AM: I hope so, anyway.

One of the things that you뭨e known for is having an incredibly facile technique. Is this something that you뭭e always had, a natural ability? Certainly you뭭e worked on it. How did you develop that?

BARRUECO: You know, it뭩 funny because it doesn뭪 feel that way to me. I don뭪 think of myself as having any more talent than anybody else, you know?.. Umm꿙o? [looks perplexed/troubled] But I guess I do! [laughs] When I see, comparatively, I guess so, but? [pause] I think the only thing I would say about my technique is that?I think, first of all, to do something well I think it뭩 important to be really self-critical of what you are doing. I뭭e always been painfully self-critical, and I뭭e always worked really hard. There뭩 never been any aspect of my technique or my musicianship, that if I뭭e been aware of, I haven뭪 worked on.

So, I think that to me, that뭩 a lot of the reason why I developed what is a ?I would just call it solid. Seems like to me I would just say it뭩 more of a solid technique. I mean, I don뭪 think I can play faster or slower than anybody else, but it seems pretty?you know, solid.

AM: Seems solid to me too. [grinning]

BARRUECO: [laughs]

AM: When you play like a concerto, or solo concert, are there ever moments in the middle of the concert where you think, ? Gosh, this is so much fun, I뭢 lucky to be able to do this and get paid for it too? or have you done it so long that it뭩 kind of?I don뭪 want to say 뱑outine? but just accustomed to it ?

BARRUECO: No, I think I뭢 a weird guy. I think in my life it뭩 working out the opposite. I appreciate things more as time goes by. I think perhaps in part what I was saying before about being so self- critical, that I was not really able to enjoy much of what I did.

And now I forgive myself a little bit more, and I accept what I do more, and myself more. And I think it뭩 just part of my philosophy of just taking some time every once in a while and realizing what one is doing, and [what] one has. And what one doesn뭪 have.

So now if I am playing and I have something like this, like the tour with these people, and they뭨e great musicians, I make sure that I take time. And I realize and I appreciate it, that I have the opportunity to do something like this. Especially when you see many times, painfully, people that should have similar opportunities and they don뭪. No, so I appreciate it. Very much.

AM: Oh, I have to ask you about that Lexus commercial, I know you뭭e talked about that before, you뭨e probably sick of talking about it?

BARRUECO: [laughs] I see it pains you to ask [laughs]

AM: Oh no, no, no. Actually, I was ?When I first saw it myself , I was glad that there was something of the classical guitar in the pop culture, or mainstream?So, did you get a free car out of that deal?

BARRUECO: No, and I뭢 royally pissed-off about it! [much laughter] No, I didn뭪, and I totally blame my manager for that, because I think she wouldn뭪 have known how to get her percentage out of it, you know?

[note: Manuel뭩 manager was in the room, listening during the interview, with an ironic smile, and her arms folded in front of her]

AM: Like get all the tires, and then you get the rest ?

BARRUECO: Yeah, I think she wouldn뭪 have known how to take her commission out of a car, so I think that뭩 what the reason was.[smiling]

AM: Is there anything else you want to mention? This show that I뭢 going to be excerpting this interview from is going to air right before Guitar Summit plays in Austin. Did you want to talk any more about that?

(at this point, Manuel뭩 manager says: Did you want to mention the other players?)

BARRUECO: We did a tour, already in the fall, sometime. At that time it was Jorma, and Kenny Burrell, and Steve Morse, and not Stanley Jordan. And that was a lot of fun. Again, every time that I have one of these interactions, even if it뭩 with the Guildhall and being able to play these pieces so many times, and being able to get deeper into it, and hearing things that I뭭e never heard before.

In doing these things with these other guys, it뭩 amazing the amount of new influences and feelings that one can get from working with the others. And I will miss Steve Morse뭩 time. I mean, he뭩 an unbelievable player. But, I몎e only heard Stanley Jordan [once] before, and he뭩 another amazing guy, there. So, I뭢 very much looking forward to that.

I think of new things, speaking of recordings, I뭢 in the middle of a recording right now, which I think is really interesting, which is a Rodrigo recording. But it뭩 being done with Domingo, with Placido Domingo. And this is obviously another great opportunity, which I뭢 fully enjoying.

AM: When should we expect that out? I guess you뭨e in the middle of the recording of it right now?

BARRUECO: Well, we are. The idea is to have the both, ..well actually there are three, but the Aranjuez concerto and the Fantasia with orchestra, and Domingo will conduct those. In fact, we already did the Aranjuez, he already conducted, we have already recorded that.

And then the idea is to then fill out the recording with?[laughs] funny, 밼ill it out with Domingo singing? [laughs] Sounds funny, but it뭩 not!

AM: Well, that뭩 a nice way to 밼ill it out?

BARRUECO: Yeah, isn뭪 it? Not bad! So, that뭩 the plan so far, and I hope it doesn뭪 change, and I hope that뭩 the way it is. That we뭠l do in just about a month from now, and finish the recording.

AM: Certainly be looking forward to that!

BARRUECO: You asked me before when it should come out, there뭩 no date for it, but it should be some time in the Fall, or later in the Fall.

AM: Fall of this year? [?6]

BARRUECO: That뭩 the plan.

AM: You뭭e always been a performer, have you ever considered becoming a composer? Do you have any interest in that?

BARRUECO: I always did before. And what would happen was that꾿ctually a couple of things come to mind: One thing was that I would spend hours, and hours, and hours, and then I would end up with thirty seconds of music. And then the next day I would listen to it and just hate it! All thirty seconds of it. So that was it, throw it away! And I then wouldn뭪 practice, because it would just take over me. So at one point, I made it a point, 밆on뭪 even try it, just forget it.?But I had it in the back of my mind, to perhaps, someday, do it.

One thing that I have enjoyed, in doing, and getting to know the work of people like Chick Corea, like Keith Jarrett, I think is the freedom with which they work. I think?in fact, I remember reading something, perhaps by Chick Corea something to the effect that,밿f you feel it, it뭩 right? something to that effect. Having come from a very academic background, I really couldn뭪 just listen to what I felt.

Also, it comes to mind, I뭢 really saddened right now, because Toru Takemitsu died a couple of days ago. He was one of my favorite people that I뭭e ever met in my life. It was by chance we were in the middle of this tour, and I opened the newspaper, 밓apanese Composer, Toru Takemitsu, Dead at 65? Which, was a shock to find out that way, but?

I remember him asking me, 밆id you ever compose?? and I said, 뱊o? and he told me, before I said anything, he said, 밯ell you probably can뭪, you뭨e probably too critical of what you뭨e doing!?

[smiling, slightly embarassed] Sorry, the simple answer is, 밡o, I don뭪 compose.?laughing]

AM: No,꿧eel free, I뭢 honored to have it all on tape, believe me.

BARRUECO: I know it also helps you if I give you ?you can always edit- out things.

AM: Well since some of the pieces you뭭e done, a lot of arrangements, at one point, that is like composition. I guess it would be, just take it one step further.

BARRUECO: It is in a way, like a composition lesson. Every time you get inside the workings of anything, you get to see how it works. Every time I뭭e done something like that, you learn something from it.

I would like to do it [compose] some day, and see what happens, and see if something comes out that I think is okay?[laughs] Or see if I뭠l hate it again. [laughs]

AM: Well, thanks, thanks, I really appreciate it.

BARRUECO: My pleasure, my pleasure.

AM: Is there anything else you wanted to say, or mention? You have a masterclass coming up?

BARRUECO: Well, you know, it might tie with question you asked me about different things꿚his month I have the tour with the Guildhall, and next month, February, I have the tour with the Guitar Summit. And then in April [?6] I have a tour with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, which it will be a totally different thing altogether.

AM: A Different program?

BARRUECO: Oh yeah, completely. Well, that뭩 only chamber music, and we뭨e doing the premiere of this new piece written by Ken Frisell, for flute, guitar, and strings. String trio, I believe.

And then I뭠l be doing some things with Ransom Wilson, flutist, he뭩 a great flutist. We뭨e going to be doing a Piazolla, du Tango?is that what it뭩 called, Tango Suite?..or..

AM: Yeah, L묱istoire du Tango.

BARRUECO: And we뭨e going to be doing a Mozart Sonata that we arranged many years ago.

AM: Is there a recording project that might come out of this chamber music tour?

BARRUECO: No, well, I don뭪 see it happening, who knows?But the Mozart, I made a recording years ago with Ransom, of flute and guitar. Which I think unfortunately, I believe it뭩 out of print now, I뭢 not really sure.

AM: Oh, you have two daughters, are either of them interested in the guitar or music?

BARRUECO: No, not at all. [laughs] No, not really. They were taking, at one time, saxophone and clarinet, but now it뭩 basketball and money-saving! [laughs]


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