Outstanding Collection of Beautiful Guitar Music
Classicalfan | Reston, VA USA | 04/10/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is outstanding. Every selection, from Vivaldi's full Guitar Concerto in D Major, to the Adagion from Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, is excellent. My favorite recording of the Concierto de Aranjuez remains the one by John Williams, but the Adagio movement on this CD is an excellent performance. The Vivaldi Guitar Concerto is even better than the recording of it that I have by the Romeros, made in the 1960's. The transcription of Schubert's Standchen is among the most heartfelt versions I have heard of that melody.
The highlight of this CD, for me, are the two selections from Satie: Gymnopedie Nos. 1 and 3. These versions are even better than the ones recorded by Christopher Parkening in the late 1960's. In Parkening's recording, there is only the guitar, in its solitary beauty. On other versions I've heard, such as the one with Andre Previn conducting, on Telarc, the transcription is for a full orchestra. These other versions are also excellent, but this one, for me, is the very best, the most lyrical, deep, and achingly beautiful. On this selection, there is Garcia's sublime playing on the guitar, interwoven with the sound of one, solitary, mournful, lonely horn in the background, and a few strains of music at just the right moments from a discretely beautiful orchestra. The horn and orchestra accompany and accentuate but never eclipse the guitar. The two Satie pieces on this CD are small gems; they are wonderful slices of musical heaven. Garcia's slow tempo in the Satie pieces creates an exquisite mood; it is as hard in some ways to play a slow passage as it is to play a fast one.
Garcia has a magic touch, and although I had not heard any of his recordings until I bought this CD, I enjoyed his performances of these works as much and, in some cases, more than I have enjoyed to performances of Christopher Parkening, John Williams, and the Romeros. The Bonfa and Villa-Lobos selections are also wonderful, and all of the selections from the various composers flow very nicely, from one track to another, held together by Garcia's outstanding style and technique. Highly recommended."