Is this just one more recording of Concierto de Aranjuez? Well, rather more than that – it is a remarkable one. In concert there are passages in which one sees the guitarist’s fingers moving but can’t hear the notes; here, while the overall balance with the orchestra is as Rodrigo probably heard it in his head when writing the work, every note is crystal clear and controlled in every detail. Lest this should sound clinical I hasten to say that Dyens is a man of passionate character; his attention to detail is at the service of the emotional ethos of every passage. It is no reflection on the other excellent recordings of this work to say that with this one you may feel (as I did) that you are hearing it for the first time.

His own Concerto Métis is a fine work, full of energy, immediately accessible and skillfully orchestrated; whilst the thematic material is attractive it contains nothing that is likely to become musak. The third movement is subtitled ‘Hommage à Ida Presti’. I cannot detect any direct connection or reference to the legendary French guitarist but am happy to regard it as a gracious tribute to her. I sincerely hope this concerto does not fall into the neglect suffered by so many new works for the genre.

Tango en skaii has become Dyens’ signature tune, a solo work to which he has added theservices of a string orchestra, and to such telling effect that it will now be difficult to hear the solo version without imagining what is ‘missing’.

This is an outstanding recording by a remarkable guitarist – and a composer whose music always carries his signature. Do not miss it.