His international tours take him to some of the most important musical centers in the world each season. Recent appearances have included New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Munich, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Copenhagen, Athens, Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Manuel Barrueco also has completed nine tours of Japan.
Highlights of the upcoming season include concerts in Spain, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Hungary, appearances with the Baltimore Symphony and the Seattle Symphony, and a European tour with the Cuarteto Latinoamericano.
Manuel Barrueco has made well over a dozen recordings for EMI. His most recent, "¡Cuba!," was called "an extraordinary musical achievement" by the San Francisco Chronicle, while his recording of Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with conductor/tenor Plácido Domingo and the Philharmonia Orchestra, was mentioned as the best recording of that piece in Classic CD Magazine. His "Nylon & Steel," is a collection of duos with guitar greats: Al Di Meola, Steve Morse (Deep Purple), and Andy Summers (The Police), further demonstrating Barrueco's outstanding versatility and imaginative programming. This past spring, “Concierto Barroco” was released by EMI in Europe and Koch International in the USA, containing world premiere recordings of new works for guitar and orchestra by Roberto Sierra and Arvo Pärt, as well as two guitar concertos by Antonio Vivaldi.
In addition to performing works by the aforementioned composers, Mr. Barrueco's commitment to contemporary music and to the expansion of the guitar repertoire has led him to collaborations with distinguished composers such as Toru Takemitsu, Steven Stucky, Michael Daugherty, Roberto Sierra and Arvo Pärt.
His performances have been broadcast by television stations such as NHK in Japan, Bayerische Rundfunk in Germany, and RTVE in Spain. In the United States, he has been featured in a Lexus car commercial, on "CBS Sunday Morning", A&E's "Breakfast with the Arts", and "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."
Manuel Barrueco began playing the guitar at the age of eight, and he attended the Esteban Salas Conservatory in his native Santiago de Cuba. He emigrated with his family to the United States in 1967, later completing his advanced studies at the Peabody Conservatory of Music.
Eleanor Rigby
Manuel Barrueco Lyrics
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Ah look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
In the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face
That she keeps in a jar by the door
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie, writing the words
Of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working, darning his socks
In the night when there's nobody there
What does he care
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Ah look at all the lonely people
Ah look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby, died in the church
And was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
From his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
The song Eleanor Rigby by Manuel Barrueco, London Symphony Orchestra, and Jeremy Lubbock speaks about the loneliness in society and the human condition of having to belong somewhere. It tells the story of Eleanor Rigby, who is presented as an old maid, living in the shadow of a church where she picks up rice after a wedding ceremony. Despite living in a dreamlike state, she wears a face that she keeps in a jar by the door, indicating the extent to which she hides her real self from the world. The question "who is it for?" is possibly posed in reference to the mask she has created or the face she keeps in the jar. The line "All the lonely people, where do they all come from?" is sung repeatedly in the chorus, almost like a plea for society to recognize and address the plight of the lonely.
Father McKenzie is also presented in the song. He is portrayed as an equally lonely character, as he writes a sermon that no one will hear. He mends his socks alone in the night, where no one is there to keep him company. The line "What does he care?" implies that despite his loneliness, he continues to work on his sermon and mend his socks without being affected by the lack of companionship. In the end, Eleanor Rigby dies alone, and nobody attends her funeral except for Father McKenzie, who buries her alone. The song ends with the line "No one was saved," which could refer to the loneliness and sense of isolation that society suffers from.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah look at all the lonely people
The singer is observing and acknowledging the many lonely people around.
Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
Eleanor Rigby is cleaning up after a wedding at the church.
In the church where a wedding has been
Eleanor Rigby is at the church where a wedding has just taken place.
Lives in a dream
Eleanor Rigby lives in a world of her own imagination or fantasies.
Waits at the window, wearing the face
Eleanor Rigby waits at the window with a specific expression on her face.
That she keeps in a jar by the door
Eleanor Rigby keeps her face in a jar, possibly as a metaphor for her true self or identity.
Who is it for
The singer questions who or what the face in the jar is for.
All the lonely people
The artist refers to all the people who feel isolated and disconnected from others.
Where do they all come from?
The artist is wondering about the origins of loneliness.
Where do they all belong?
The artist is questioning where lonely people fit into society.
Father McKenzie, writing the words
Father McKenzie is a priest who is writing a sermon.
Of a sermon that no one will hear
Father McKenzie's sermon will not be heard by anyone.
No one comes near
No one visits Father McKenzie at the church.
Look at him working, darning his socks
Father McKenzie is repairing his socks, which shows how lonely he is.
In the night when there's nobody there
Father McKenzie is alone in the church at night.
What does he care
The artist questions if Father McKenzie cares about his loneliness.
Eleanor Rigby, died in the church
Eleanor Rigby died while at the church.
And was buried along with her name
Eleanor Rigby's name was buried with her body.
Nobody came
No one attended Eleanor Rigby's funeral.
Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
Father McKenzie is cleaning his hands after burying Eleanor Rigby.
From his hands as he walks from the grave
Father McKenzie is leaving the gravesite as he wipes the dirt from his hands.
No one was saved
No one was rescued from their loneliness or isolation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind