David Russell frequently opts for total immersion in the music he plans to perform or record. His third Telarc recording, Rodrigo: “Concierto de Aranjuez and More,” continues that tradition by featuring all three of the composer’s works for solo guitar and orchestra. The disc opens with the popular “Concierto de Aranjuez,” followed by “Fantasía para un Gentilhombre,” and the infrequently heard “Concierto para una Fiesta.” Russell felt it important to play all of Rodrigo’s concertos on one disc.

"If I do only one work by a composer I feel I’m only dipping into his work,” Russell says. “By dedicating a lot of time to one composer or a few from the same period, I feel more confident in that style because I have worked at it for six months. Playing all of Rodrigo’s concertos while also working on some of his solo pieces gave me a feeling that I knew what he wanted a player to do with his music.”

The new disc clearly demonstrates that Russell understands what to do with Rodrigo’s music. Though the Aranjuez and Gentilhombre have been recorded by numerous guitarists, Russell brings something personal to the works. Throughout, his playing is precise, emotive and relaxed, each phrase is well thought out. His rapport with conductor Eric Kunzel and the Naples [Florida] Philharmonic is flawless as is the 20-bit CD’s sumptuous sound. Russell’s guitar is not unnaturally large in the mix but is right on top so the many nuances in his playing are heard.

Russell had little trepidation about recording two warhorses of the concerto repertoire. “The challenge in playing the Aranjuez is that you don’t want your version to be compared and found not as good as someone else’s,” he says. “Many guitar buffs will listen to two versions one after the other. I didn’t go out of my way make the Aranjuez or Gentilhombre sound different just for the sake of it. Certain small details I do differently because I think the pieces sound better that way. With a piece as well known as the Aranjuez, if I made it too different, people would think it sounded strange rather than better. Most improvements on the piece have already been made. There are many great performances that we can learn from.”

The Concierto para una Fiesta is a different story. It is long and technically demanding from the sinewy counterpoint and scales of the first movement to the rapid-fire tremolo bursts of the third. Few guitarists program the piece and even fewer have recorded it.

“There are several reasons for that,” Russell says. “If you are going to put Rodrigo on the program, the Aranjuez is such a great work and so well known, it makes a program that appeals to the audience. It is unusual to be asked to perform the Fiesta. That calls for a bigger orchestra and it is not as immediately attractive as the other two. There are many great moments in it and a lot of virtuoso scale passages. It was written for Pepe Romero who has fantastic, fast scales. Rodrigo exploited that ability.”

Scottish-born Russell is renowned for sensitive interpretaions and a razor-sharp technique. He is quick to point out that he was no child prodigy. He discovered that breaking problem areas into three- to five-note bits enabled him to become such a clean player.

“At the age of 20, if I had played the Aranjuez it would have been dirty because there were lots of deficiencies in my technique,” he says. “Between the ages of 20 and 24 I developed most of the technique necessary to do all that I needed with the music. Anyone who is serious about being a professional classical gutarist must do this. There is a lot of work to be put in.”

Russell will appear in the parts of the U.S. this spring. “I will be playing the Aranjuez eight or nine times in Florida, he says. “I have some possible engagements to play the Fiesta, but that is difficult on the promoters because you need the full orchestra.” Russell is also exploring his Scottish heritage. “Even though I have lived in Spain for many years, I still feel Scottish,” he says. “I have been collecting and arranging old and modern Scottish music. I hope to make these part of my program this year. If this works out well enough, it could be for a recording. It is nice to do something that everyone else hasn’t done.”