Capricho Manchego (2008)

Guitar Duet
arrangement by Zac Selissen
6 min.

May 17, 2008, San Francisco Conservatory Salon

Zac Selissen, guitar
Michael T. Roberts, guitar

Notes

This is a Jácaras—a scalawag's dance native to Spain—that I originally composed as a solo piece for inclusion in the Cervantes Suite. Soon after its completion, however, I realized it wasn't remotely right for the Suite. In my attempt at creating a seventh Modern-Mike-Meets-Reimagined-Spanish-Renaissance piece, I had essentially birthed a Spanish folk dance—more or less right on the nose. I call it Capricho Manchego partly in honor of Don Quijote (who, of course, hails from La Mancha), and partly because—I'll admit—it's a little bit cheeseball. It's my love letter to Spain.

My thanks to Zac for arranging it for our guitar duo and, in so doing, making this simple tune far cooler.