The music of Joaquín Rodrigo is beloved the world over for its vibrant embodiment of his native Spain, music that sounds out Aranjuez's church bells and lights up sunny countrysides. But Joaquín Rodrigo lived a long life touched by tragedy, from being blinded by diphtheria at the age of three to his wife's miscarriage early in their marriage. It is the complex reality of the aging composer's life that is explored in this remarkable documentary by filmmaker Larry Weinstein—a reality that is spoken to through interviews with the composer and his friends and family, and in performances of his works. A highlight is a 1992 concert performance of his most famous work, the Concierto de Aranjuez, by his frequent collaborator and close personal friend, guitar virtuoso Pepe Romero, with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Orchestra under the direction of Neville Marriner.
Photo: Joaquín Rodrigo © Carlos Miralles / El Mundo
