Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cet album clôt ainsi une série de trois doubles albums** qui offre un panorama
très complet de l’art multiforme de ce guitariste singulier. Peu d’instrumentistes
peuvent s’enorgueillir comme lui d’avoir abordé des rivages stylistiques dif-
férents avec le même brio et la même maestria. C’est sans doute la modestie,
l’humilité et la grande ferveur dont il fait preuve en toute chose qui ont permis
à Raphaël Faÿs d’atteindre un tel niveau d’excellence.
** Gypsy & Classic 274 1436.37 / Django & Classic 274 1446.47 / Swing & Classic 274 1496.97
Raphaël Faÿs
“Ma vie à travers la guitare / My life with the guitar” is the title of a very com-
plete DVD* recounting the atypical artistic itinerary of Raphaël Faÿs; it also
includes several live performances of the guitarist in the areas he likes best, i.e.
manouche jazz, classical music and flamenco. In fact, the title here sums up very
neatly everything that sets Raphaël Faÿs apart from all other guitarists work-
ing today, and not just the manouche ones. For Raphaël’s whole existence is
devoted to the service and cause of a single instrument, the acoustic guitar – for
him this is a heartfelt mission and therefore a vital necessity, and one which
shapes his whole life.
Though Raphaël Faÿs quickly found fame and glory as the first emulator of
Django Reinhardt (he paved the way in the first wave of the manouche jazz
revival in the early 70s), he was nevertheless a fine classical guitarist too, but
remained in the shadow of his masters, who included such greats as Alexan-
der Lagoya, Ida Presti, Narciso Yepes, John Williams and Julian Bream. In the
end Raphaël Faÿs waited more than thirty years before appearing publicly as a
classical guitarist, and not only that, before revealing his talent as a composer
of classical guitar music too! But thanks to his father, Louis Faÿs, an excellent
classical guitarist himself, Raphaël had begun learning classical guitar at the age
of twelve. In the space of a few years, he has enhanced the repertoire with a host
of important pieces now published throughout the world and played by some of
today’s most experienced musicians.
This album is the last in a series of three double albums** offering a fully de-
tailed panorama of the protean talent of this singular musician. Few instru-
mentalists can claim the multi-faceted achievement he has to his name, that of
having tackled very different stylistic areas with equal prowess and success in
each. No doubt his modesty, humble attitude and singularly fiery approach to
everything in life have enabled him to reach this level of excellence.
** Gypsy & Classic 274 1436.37 / Django & Classic 274 1446.47 / Swing & Classic 274 1496.97
Côté classique...
CD 1
1 Fantasia (Alonso Mudarra 1510-1580) 2’37
2 Romanesca (Alonso Mudarra) 3’50
3 Pavane n° 4 (Luis Milan 1500-1561) 2’05
4 Pavane n° 6 (Luis Milan) 1’38
5 La Rossignole (Anonyme 16e siècle) 2’02
6 Drewrie’s Accordes (Anonyme 16e siècle) 1’19
7 Espanoleta (Gaspard Sanz 1640-1710) 2’10
8 Pavana (Gaspard Sanz) 3’17
9 Fantaisie (Sylvius Léopold Weiss 1687-1750) 2’20
10 Tombeau sur la Mort du Comte Logy (Sylvius Léopold Weiss) 5’33
11 Passacaille (Sylvius Léopold Weiss) 4’55
12 Étude n° 1 (Fernando Sor 1778-1839) 1’39
13 Étude n° 9 (Fernando Sor) 1’22
14 Menuet en Do op.25 (Fernando Sor) 3’13
15 Menuet en La majeur op.11 (Fernando Sor) 2’15
16 Étude n° 6 (Fernando Sor) 2’18
17 Variations sur Malbrough s’en va en Guerre (Fernando Sor) 8’28
18 Scherzino Mexicano (Manuel Marià Ponce 1882-1948) 2’31
19 Mazurka Chorô (Heitor Villa-Lobos 1887-1959) 3’07
20 Asturias de la Suite Espagnole (Isaac Albeniz 1860-1909) 5’44
21 Jeux interdits (Romance Anonyme - Variations Raphaël Faÿs) 6’03
Côté swing...
CD 2
1 Valse sans Retour (Raphaël Faÿs) 3’52
2 Brume (Raphaël Faÿs) 2’53
3 Djangology (Django Reinhardt) 2’03
4 What Is This Thing Called Love (Cole Porter) 2’43
5 Ballade pour Alexandre (Raphaël Faÿs) 4’00
6 Dream of You (Jimmy Lunceford) 3’00
7 Brazil (Ary Barroso) 2’46
8 Nature Boy (Eden Ahbez) 3’53
9 Troublant Bolero (Django Reinhardt) 4’00
10 Manoir de mes Rêves (Django Reinhardt) 3’41
11 Just One Of Those Things (Cole Porter) 2’00
12 All The Thing You Are (Jerome Kern) 2’50
13 Besame Mutcho (Consuelo Velázquez) 4’56
14 Où es-tu mon Amour ? (Emil Stern) 3’38
15 Improvisation of Spain (Raphaël Faÿs) 2’40
Enregistrements effectués à Mesa Studio à Soignolles en Brie (77)
Côté classique en mai 2006, Côté swing en janvier 2007
et réalisés avec les guitares Maurice Dupont, luthier à Cognac (16)
www.raphaelfays.com
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274 1496.97