Having been involved, for many years, in the various aspects of guitar ensemble music, it now gives me special pleasure to introduce the Brazilian Guitar Quartet's debut CD on Delos.

I have known the members of the grup for many years. I initially became aware of the Gloeden brothers as hight gifted teenagers in the middle seventies. At the age of 17, Paul Galbraith showed exceptional talent when he attended my master classes at Darlington, England, during the summer at 1981 (however, at the time, l couldn't possibly have imagined that some years later he would be living in Brazil with a lovely Brazilian wife). I met Tadeu do Amaral later - around 1985 - and, curiously, I got to known him through his interest in guitar making at the time. Over the years we became close friends, while l watched their development into highly acomplished musicians.

Therefore I was pleasantly surprised when, just a few months ago, they told me they were forming a guitar quartet. When this was followed by the news that they were planning to record a debut CD, along with an invitation fro me to attend and produce the recording sessions, I just could not resist, feeling that something special was about to happen. Indeed, from the very first notes, The Quartet played with contagious joy and enthusiasm, such as I had not previously witnessed in a recording session. The result of this energy and commitments is that the true essence of the Brazilian spirit is captured in this performances, from the aristocratic warmth of 19th century composer Carlos Gomes to the deeply felt Villa-Lobos homage to the music of J. S .Bach.

Sérgio Abreu
Rio de Janeiro, February 16th, 1999.