Album

Paris–Madrid is a concept album recorded in 2018 for Erato (Warner Classics) by the Israeli-born French classical guitarist Liat Cohen. The title, Paris–Madrid, symbolizes the close cultural dialogue between France and Spain during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as the rich musical exchange through which the two traditions continually inspired one another.

Centered on the classical guitar, the album brings together tenor Charles Castronovo, tenor Rolando Villazón, and French soprano Sandrine Piau. Its repertoire spans Spanish composers including Joaquín Rodrigo, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Isaac Albéniz, and Francisco Tárrega, alongside works by French composers such as Jules Massenet, Gabriel Fauré, and Gabriel Dupont, revealing the shared melodic, rhythmic, and tonal affinities between the musical languages of France and Spain.

Unlike many guitar albums that emphasize virtuosity, Paris–Madrid places greater importance on the intimate relationship between voice and guitar. Liat Cohen treats the guitar not merely as an accompanying instrument but as an extension of the singing voice. The result is an album with a distinctly chamber-music character, combining refined intimacy with the elegance of French music and the passionate spirit of Spain.

The album opens with a newly arranged version of En Aranjuez con mi amor. Arranger Boaz Ben-Moshe transforms the second movement of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez into a chamber work for two guitars, tenor, and soprano, establishing from the outset the warm, poetic, and quietly dramatic atmosphere that permeates the entire recording.

What makes this recording especially significant is not simply its inclusion of "En Aranjuez con mi amor," but also its departure from the traditional format of solo voice with accompaniment. By combining two classical guitars with both tenor and soprano voices, it reimagines this beloved song as a new work that seamlessly blends operatic lyricism with the intimacy of chamber music.

Performers

Charles Castronovo — Tenor

American lyric tenor Charles Castronovo has appeared at many of the world’s leading opera houses, including the Vienna State Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Renowned for his interpretations of Mozart, Verdi, Donizetti, and Puccini, he possesses a warm, lyrical voice that combines the flowing vocal line of the Italian bel canto tradition with the refined sensitivity required for the French mélodie. These qualities make him particularly well suited to En Aranjuez con mi amor, a work that lies somewhere between the worlds of art song and folk-inspired lyricism.

Sandrine Piau — Soprano

One of France’s foremost lyric coloratura sopranos, Sandrine Piau first gained international acclaim through her performances of Baroque opera before expanding her repertoire to include French mélodie, German Lieder, and contemporary music.

In this arrangement, she sings almost entirely without words, using vocalise to create atmosphere, colour, and spatial depth. Functioning almost as another instrument rather than a conventional vocal soloist, her ethereal voice becomes one of the arrangement’s most distinctive and memorable features.

Liat Cohen — Classical Guitar

Born in Israel and based in Paris for many years, Liat Cohen is one of today’s leading classical guitarists. She has devoted much of her career to promoting the musical traditions of Spain, France, and the wider Mediterranean world.

Paris–Madrid represents her exploration of the cultural dialogue between France and Spain, and she serves not only as the album’s principal performer but also as its artistic curator and conceptual driving force.

Gil Waysbort — Classical Guitar

Gil Waysbort is particularly renowned for his chamber music collaborations. In this recording, he joins Liat Cohen as the second guitarist. Rather than assuming a conventional accompanist role, the two guitarists work as equal partners, recreating the orchestral textures of Rodrigo’s original concerto while preserving its rich harmonic palette and rhythmic vitality in an intimate chamber setting.