Bolero
Julian Arcas
El Postillion de la Rioja was composed by Julian Arcas (1832 - 1882), a celebrated guitarist and composer, who greatly influenced Francisco Tarrega. Arcas performed on stage all over Europe and even played a recital for the English court of Queen Victoria.
His compositions were mainly based on the national Spanish folk- and flamenco music. El Postillion de la Rioja looks a bit like a Bolero with some typical Spanish movements. The piece is dedicated to the postillion of Rioja -hence the gallop sections in the music- from the district of Rioja. La Roija is a province in the north of Spain. Here the nice Rioja wines are produced.
The technical challenge of this piece lies in the brisk tempo.