Bartosz Paprot: New Recordings at GSI

We’ve recently welcomed Bartosz Paprot to our showroom for a new recording session. An internationally prize-winning Polish guitarist, among his greatest solo achievements is First Prize at the International Guitar Competition “Premio Accademia” in Rome. This was his second session at GSI—he first visited us a few years ago, when he recorded, among other works, a stunning performance of Daniel Fortea’s "Mi Favorita", which went viral on our YouTube channel.

Paprot’s new set of videos begins with "Variations on the Carnival of Venice" by Francisco Tárrega, recorded on a 2025 Rojas & Sanzol guitar. Based on a well-known theme, the piece presents a series of variations exploring different textures and technical ideas. Bartosz maintains clarity of the theme throughout while creating a strong sense of unity across shifts in technique and character.

He also recorded the "Prelude" from "London Sonata No. 5" by Silvius Leopold. Weiss on a 2025 Colin van Aelbrouck “Rodriguez.” Originally written for lute, the piece follows a free, improvisatory style with flowing lines typical of the Baroque era.

From the 20th-century repertoire, Bartosz recorded "Étude No. 11" by Heitor Villa-Lobos on a 2025 Wolfgang Jellinghaus “Signature” guitar. Bartosz's interpretation is quite unique, especially his approach to rubato in the slow section of the piece.

Bartosz also recorded two works by Polish composer Alexandre Tansman. The first, "Variations on a Theme by Scriabin", is based on a theme from Alexander Scriabin’s "Prelude, Op. 16 No. 4 in E-flat minor" for piano. The guitar featured in the video is a 2004 Antonio Marín Montero.

The second piece by Tansman, "Prélude et Interlude", was long thought lost until its rediscovery in 2001 by Angelo Gilardino in the Segovia Archive. Andrés Segovia had originally asked Tansman to write a set of preludes, similar to Manuel M. Ponce’s "24 Preludes", but Tansman ultimately composed only this Prelude paired with an Interlude. Bartosz recorded it on a 2019 Thomas Dauge “d’après Daniel Friederich.”

The program concludes with "Prelude No. 8" by Manuel María Ponce, performed on a 2026 Henner Hagenlocher guitar. The piece is concise and direct, built around a simple idea that unfolds through subtle harmonic shifts.