Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Platero y yo. An Andalusian Elegy (Niklas Johansen)

Information

Composer: Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco

• Platero y yo, Op. 190 (Version for Solo Guitar)

Niklas Johansen, guitar

Date: 2025

Label: OUR Recordings

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Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s long collaboration with guitarist Andrés Segovia produced 35 guitar works, including concertos, cycles, and shorter pieces. One of his greatest achievements is Platero y Yo, a monumental 28-part cycle inspired by Nobel laureate Juan Ramón Jiménez’s poetic sketches about a silver-haired donkey, Platero. Originally written to accompany a narration, the work is now often performed instrumentally. For this recording, Danish guitarist Niklas Johansen—deeply engaged with the Spanish language and culture—offers an expressive interpretation. The album, featuring artwork by Halfdan Pisket, was recorded in the resonant Fredensborg Palace Chapel by producers Preben Iwan and Mette Due.

Niklas Johansen is a Danish classical guitarist based in Copenhagen, celebrated for his technical mastery and expressive artistry. A winner of numerous first prizes at international competitions across Europe and Asia, he has also received major national honors including the P2 Talent Prize and the Sonning Talent Prize. Johansen has performed in over 20 countries worldwide, appearing with leading ensembles such as the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and ADDA Simfónica Alicante. Passionate about contemporary music, he frequently collaborates with composers to expand the guitar repertoire. A graduate of prestigious institutions in Copenhagen, Weimar, and Alicante, Johansen now teaches at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and co-founded the Danish Guitar Camp.