Album Notes

The former title for this CD was "Fiesta para cuerdas" (Holyday on strings), but was changed for "ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE," after the expression used in a discussion arose in Spain about this CD, mainly regarding Nicoló Paganini's "Moto Perpetuo." Some "expert" people argued that it is simply a trick (recording in a slower tempo and reproducing speeding up), because It's "almost impossible" to play more than 700 notes per minute and there are many notes higher (in tune) than normal in a Spanish guitar.

But the truth is: NO TRICKS. Every musical number in this CD has been recorded the way it sounds. The same speed. The same key. To achieve this, Tito Francia, very respectful of the author's work, adds 12 semitones under the first and second strings, in the finger-board of his guitar (please see the cover illustration in this CD) and, in some numbers, tuned the guitar one and a half tone higher. These mean two more difficulties to perform the songs: first, the strings are harder to play and second, since the higher added semitones become physically smaller, the only way to use the last five or six of them is with the little finger, complicating the technique of performing.

Tito Francia and Santiago Bertiz's virtuousness show brilliant in this masterpiece. Most of the songs where recorded in one "take." When recording Rimsky - Korsacov's "El Vuelo del Moscardón," after the first "take" was finished, Tito said: let us try once more. Immediately they make a second "take." Both of them where identical and practically perfects. After so many shows and so many years together, Francia and Bertiz don't even need to look at each other when they are playing. It seems that they communicate telepathically.

The recording was made at Zanessi Recording Studios in Mendoza, Argentina, back in 1973, using a tube mixer directly connected to a Revox A77 two tracks Stereo tape recorder, Neumann U67 condenser + Beyer "ribbon" for Bertiz's second guitar and Neumann 67 + AKG 190D dynamic microphone for Francia's solo guitar. Tape edition (of course) by cutting and splicing. Unfortunately, the original master tape got damaged and the master CD was digitally recovered at he same Recording Studios from a vinyl Long Play.

Please see another CD at TITO FRANCIA "Dos Guitarras"