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Reviewed on 9/10/2021...

A cross section of landmark performances. Here is a tracklisting:

Concierto de Aranjuez, for guitar & orchestra - Joaquín Rodrigo - Neville Marriner - Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields - Pepe Romero
España, album leaves (6) for piano, Op. 165, B. 37: Tango - Celin Romero - Isaac Albéniz - Pepe Romero
Cavatina (familiar from the film "The Deer Hunter") - Stanley Myers - Göran Söllscher - Williams
Partita for solo violin No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006: Prélude - Johann Sebastian Bach - Eduardo Fernandez
Suite española No. 1, for piano, Op. 47, B. 7: Asturias (Leyenda) - Isaac Albéniz - Pepe Romero
Recuerdos de la Alhambra, for guitar - Francisco Tárrega - Eduardo Fernandez
La Vida breve, opera, G. 35/39 (2 versions): Dance - Manuel de Falla - Nicola Hall
Castles of Spain, for guitar: Torija (Elegía) - Federico Moreno Torroba - Andrés Segovia
Castles of Spain, for guitar: Alcañiz (Festiva) - Federico Moreno Torroba - Andrés Segovia
Suite for solo cello No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007: Prelude - Johann Sebastian Bach - John Williams [guitar]
Lute (Chamber) Concerto, for lute (or guitar), 2 violins & continuo in D major, RV 93: 2. Largo - Antonio Vivaldi - Gian Francesco Malipiero - English Chamber Orchestra - Eduardo Fernandez - George Malcolm
Romanza de los piños, for guitar - Federico Moreno Torroba - Pepe Romero
Prelúdio, for guitar No. 1 in E Minor, A. 419/1 - Heitor Villa-Lobos - Julian Bream
Danza Paraguaya, for guitar [No. 1] - Agustín Barrios-Mangoré - Eduardo Fernandez
Malagueña Fantasia for guitar - Celedonio Romero - Pepe Romero
Ayer y hoy (Guajiras), for guitar - Paco Peña - Paco Peña
Jeux Interdits, romance for guitar - Anonymous - Pepe Romero
Suite española No. 1, for piano, Op. 47, B. 7: Sevilla (Sevillanas) - Eduardo Fernandez - Isaac Albéniz
Andaluza (Playera), for guitar or other instrument (arrangement of No. 5 of 12 Spanish Dances) - Enriqué Granados - Celin Romero - Pepe Romero
Suite española No. 1, for piano, Op. 47, B. 7: Granada (Serenata) - Isaac Albéniz - Pepe Romero
Concerto for oboe, strings & continuo in D minor, SF. 935 (often transposed to C minor): 2. Andante sostenuto - Alessandro Marcello - Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields - Alexandre Lagoya - Alexandre Lagoya - Kenneth Sillito
Sonata for keyboard in E major, K. 380 (L. 23) "Cortège" - Domenico Scarlatti - Alexandre Lagoya - Ida Presti
Suite for solo cello No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009: Courante - Johann Sebastian Bach - Pepe Romero
Fantasie hongroise, for guitar, Op. 65/1 - Johann Kaspar Mertz - Nicola Hall
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, for voice & piano, A. 390 - Heitor Villa-Lobos - Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields - Alexandre Lagoya - Alexandre Lagoya - Kenneth Sillito
Fantasía para un gentilhombre, for guitar & orchestra: 1. Villano y Ricercare - Joaquín Rodrigo - Antonio de Almeida - Monte Carlo National Opera Orchestra - Alexandre Lagoya
Cello Concerto in D major, G. 479: Excerpt - Luigi Boccherini - Gaspar Cassadó - Andrés Segovia - Symphony of the Air - Enrique Jorda
Prelude for lute in C minor, BWV 999 (BC L171) - Johann Sebastian Bach - Eduardo Fernandez
Tres Temas Populares Cubanos for guitar: Canción de cuna - Leo Brouwer - Eduardo Fernandez
Caprice for solo violin in A minor (Theme & Variations), Op. 1/24 - Niccolò Paganini - Nicola Hall
Guitar Concerto, for guitar & chamber orchestra, Op. 67: 3. Con brio - Malcolm Arnold - English Chamber Orchestra - Eduardo Fernandez - Barry Wordsworth
Batucada, for guitar (from Cenas Brasileiras) - Isaías Sávio - Eduardo Fernandez
Noche en Malaga - Celedonio Romero - Los Romeros
La Alcazaba (Verdiales) - Traditional - Paco Peña
Estudio Brillante for guitar - Jean-Delphin Alard - Francisco Tárrega - Eduardo Fernandez

Masterpieces, played by masters, at a bargain price.

Epops | usa | 04/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One wonders how the producers of this two CD set were able to obtain the rights to such outstanding performances, then put the whole thing together and still make money on the product.



Economic issues aside, this is an outstanding collection of guitar pieces by the best performers and composers. Pepe Romero, John Williams, Andres Segovia, Julian Bream have several performances each. Some lesser known but excellent performers appear as well. Paco Pena, the superb Flamenco stylist, does two traditional Spanish tunes. Composers include Rodrigo, Albeniz, Bach, Tarrega, Torroba, Vivaldi, Villa-Lobos, Granados, and many others. Stanley Myers' "Cavatina", the theme to The Deer Hunter, fits in surprisingly well, although not strictly speaking a classical piece.



Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" played by Pepe Romero, with Marriner's Orchestra of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, is terrific. I liked it better than the more familiar versions of Julian Bream and John Williams. It seems more "Spanish", perhaps due to Romero's flamenco background, but I am only guessing at that. Marriner's superb orchestra certainly adds to the performance.



The technical quality seems to be excellent.



Highly recommended as an introduction for those new to the classical guitar and a valuable compilation of canonical performances for the aficionado."

Lives up to its Name!

Vermis Libris Vera | Colorado | 06/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you only bought this double CD set, you'd have a good starter collection of classical guitar music. It includes most of the standards, as well as rarer pieces. In addition to the many solo pieces, there are several excerpts from orchestral works, with Rodrigo's indispensible Adagio from "Concierto de Aranjuez" topping the list. There are also several flamenco numbers included, complete with heel taps and castanets.



The recording quality is uniformly good, even on the tracks by Segovia. I don't know if they were remastered or recorded late in his career, but they're free of the surface noise present in so many of his recordings. The set clocks in at a generous 2 1/2 hours - one of the greatest deals in instrumental music; this is not a "bargain" quality set. Listen to the samples online - great stuff.



My only mild criticism is in the marketing. The advertising features John Williams and Julian Bream. Each contributes exactly one track. I would have enjoyed more pieces by them for stylistic comparison. But the less well-known (at least to guitar music neophytes like me) artists are every bit as good, and I intend to obtain more of their work."