A musician’s life is surrounded by many beautiful voices, but the most important among them is the inner voice. Don’t forget to listen to it.
This album marks my first personal interpretation of some of the most beloved works in the classical guitar repertoire. These compositions come from a rich and long-standing tradition. They carry deep messages and values — a spiritual and artistic depth that has allowed them to endure across centuries. They will continue to live on, offering endless inspiration for listeners and performers alike.
At the same time, the musical and technical demands of this repertoire present a continuous challenge, but also a deeply rewarding journey for the guitarist. In this recording, I focused on the expressive potential of my instrument — the sound quality of the modern guitar, combined with careful attention to phrasing and musicality.
I believe each listener can discover something meaningful in these recordings — something that brings a sense of unity and connection with the music.
This collection features works ranging from the Baroque to contemporary eras, including two of the most significant sonatas ever written for the guitar.
I would like to dedicate this debut album to the people who have made it possible — through support, inspiration, and encouragement. My deepest gratitude goes to Prof. Adriano Del Sal, Frau Duang Rong Kojeder, and Dr. Mahdi Ghasemi, whose presence and belief in me over the past years have helped bring this project to life.
A special thank you goes to my mother, whose inspiration and unwavering support guided me throughout my life’s journey and encouraged me to follow my dreams.
Kian Soofi
Vienna, April 2025
Infinity Reflection
J.S. Bach
The Prelude from the Third Cello Suite is an authentic beginning — a timeless gift from the greatest composer of all time, J.S. Bach. Originally written in C major, it is presented here in a transcription for guitar in A major. This lyrical and elegant piece unfolds like a story, told with grace and clarity.
Its Baroque structure, sequences, and flowing melodic lines evoke a sense of grandeur in its purest form — an infinite greatness that Bach offers to all who listen. Many consider this Prelude to be among the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.
My intention in recording it was to bring out its expressive depth on the guitar, with careful attention to detail and phrasing. One of the most powerful moments in the original is when the cello sustains its open G string as a pedal note. In a church acoustic, this creates a rich, resonant climax that fills the space beautifully. On the guitar, this moment also shines with a unique warmth and intimacy, making it deeply fulfilling to perform.
It has always been a joy to begin a concert with this Prelude — a work that speaks directly from the profound heart of Baroque music.
Mauro Giuliani
This sonata always reminds me of the charm and elegance of Vienna — its beauty, its spirit, and its musical soul. Giuliani composed it during his years in the city (1806–1819), and its joyful character reflects that vibrant atmosphere.
The character of this composition suggests that Giuliani had a great sense of humor. Although the sonata is in C major, the first melodic note is a C-sharp — a playful and unexpected opening that feels like a musical joke. From the very beginning, the music is filled with elegance, freshness, and lyrical invention. The two main themes contrast beautifully in melody and harmony, recalling the development of sonata form in the tradition of Beethoven’s works.
While many of Giuliani’s other compositions were heavily influenced by the Italian operatic style — especially his Rossiniane, inspired by Gioachino Rossini — this sonata clearly reflects the elegance and balance of the Viennese Classical style.
Giuliani was not only a brilliant guitarist, composer, and teacher, but also a skilled cellist. During his years in Vienna, he played cello in the orchestra that premiered Beethoven’s 7th and 8th symphonies in 1813–1814. After facing personal and financial challenges, he returned to Italy and spent the rest of his life in Naples.
The works he left us, including this sonata, remain a lasting legacy — full of joy, refinement, and expression. They continue to be performed and cherished by musicians and listeners alike.
Manuel M. Ponce
Ponce’s Sonata III in D minor is one of the most important works in the 20th-century guitar repertoire. Composed in 1927 for Andrés Segovia, it reflects a deep artistic and personal collaboration between the two musicians. Their friendship lasted over 24 years and is documented in more than 100 letters, published by Miguel Alcázar. These letters reveal how actively Segovia participated in the compositional process, offering suggestions and shaping various aspects of the works written for him.
Each movement of the sonata represents a distinct stylistic world. The first movement evokes a blend of Romantic and Impressionist colors, inspired by Ponce’s years of study at the Paris Conservatory with Paul Dukas and by the influence of French composers such as Ravel and Debussy. As both the first and second themes appear in the minor key, they create a dark and mysterious atmosphere. When a major chord unexpectedly enters, it feels like a ray of light breaking through — offering contrast, hope, and brilliance.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the piece is its thematic development (motivisch-thematische Bearbeitung). Every musical element seems to grow organically from the theme, and variations of the original motives create new material while maintaining strong coherence throughout the entire movement. The refinement and clarity of this development reflect true compositional mastery.
The second movement, Chanson, is lyrical and structured in ternary (Lied) form — a design that mirrors its title, as chanson is the French equivalent of Lied. It offers expressive simplicity and poetic beauty.
The finale introduces a vibrant Spanish character, with rapid sixteenth-note passages and flamenco-inspired rasgueados. Ponce also uses scordatura (tuning the 6th string down to D), which enriches the resonance of the instrument and expands its tonal palette in both D minor and D major. These choices demonstrate Ponce’s deep understanding of the guitar’s expressive possibilities and formal elegance.
My interpretation is based on a combination of research and practical experience. I created my own performance edition, including fingerings that aim to balance technical ease with musical clarity. This sonata has fascinated me for many years — as a listener, performer, and researcher — and it continues to reveal new layers of meaning with each performance.
Napoléon Coste
Napoléon Coste (1805–1883), a student of Fernando Sor, was one of the most important French guitar composers of the Romantic era. Known for his refined musical language and expanded use of the 7-string guitar, Coste enriched the guitar repertoire with works that balance elegance, complexity, and poetic character.
Étude No. 24 was originally composed for the 7-string guitar and has since been transcribed for the modern 6-string instrument. Its opening motif bears a striking resemblance to the La Follia theme, and the piece is full of Baroque-inspired elements — including sequences and polyphonic textures— all reimagined through a Romantic lens.
Musically and technically, this étude is highly challenging. It explores a wide range of melodic and rhythmic figurations, demanding control, nuance, and expression from the performer. Though labeled an “étude,” it offers far more than a technical exercise. Its depth, beauty, and structural clarity elevate it to the level of a true concert piece.
Despite its musical richness, this work is rarely performed. My interpretation aims to bring attention to its expressive potential and to present it as the poetic and substantial piece it truly is.
Leo Brouwer
Tres Apuntes, meaning “Three Sketches,” consists of three miniature pieces, each crafted with extraordinary attention to detail and layered textures. Written in Brouwer’s unique compositional voice and modern musical language, the work is a striking part of the legacy of this great contemporary composer, guitarist, conductor, and percussionist.
The first piece, Del Homenaje a Falla, is a tribute to Manuel de Falla and contains motivic elements reminiscent of Canción del fuego fatuo from El amor brujo. Brouwer weaves together rhythmic characteristics of both 3/4 and 6/8, blending them into a hemiola texture that strongly evokes the flavor of Spanish folk music.
The second movement, De un Fragmento Instrumental (“From an Instrumental Fragment”), begins with an ostinato bass figure that creates a distant, atmospheric sound world. Marked lejano (“far away”), the piece moves into deep, introspective territory — as if descending into the unconscious. Its short duration contrasts with its lasting emotional impact, delivering profound expression in minimal means.
The final movement, Sobre un Canto de Bulgaria (“On a Song from Bulgaria”), continues the dance-like character of the earlier movements but in a more virtuosic and technically demanding way. A Bulgarian folk melody, suggested in the title, appears throughout the piece in varied transformations. The final note — a harmonic A — closes the piece and the album on the same pitch that began the journey in the Prelude, creating a poetic and circular sense of unity.