Search - John Williams :: Spanish Guitar Music

The Best Classical Guitarist in the World

Stuart M. Paine | Arlington, VA USA | 08/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All of the music on this disc was recorded for Columbia Records between 1964 and 1970 for release on four different LP albums. These are those albums (and I've had them all for 35 years):



COLUMBIA RECORDS PRESENTS JOHN WILLIAMS (1964)

VIRTUOSO MUSIC FOR GUITAR (1965)

MORE VIRTUOSO MUSIC FOR GUITAR (1967)

JOHN WILLIAMS PLAYS SPANISH MUSIC (1970)



Fourteen of the first fifteen tracks here are from the 1970 LP and are presented in their original sequence. Track 6, "El Colibri" by Segreras, is not from that LP. It here replaces the proper sixth LP track, "Valses Poeticos" by Granados, which strangely has been omitted from this collection entirely. Otherwise, the album, certainly one of Williams's greatest, would have been complete on this disc.



What follows is a complete list of the Spanish and Latin American pieces included on the three earlier LPs and in the original sequences (* signifies omission from this collection):



COLUMBIA RECORDS PRESENTS JOHN WILLIAMS

"Sevilla"

"Recuerdos de la Alhambra"

"Fandanguillo"

"Soleares" (Turina) *

"Rafaga" (Turina) *

"El Testemen de Amelia"

"Scherzino Mexicano" (Ponce) *

"El Colibri"



VIRTUOSO MUSIC FOR GUITAR

"Spanish Dance No. 5"

Etude No. 8 (Villa-Lobos) *

"Homenaje a Debussy"



MORE VIRTUOSO MUSIC FOR GUITAR

"Fantasia..." (Mudarra)

"Diferencias Sobre el Conde Claros" (Mudarra) *

Prelude No. 4 (V-L)

Prelude No. 2 (V-L) *

"Aires de la Mancha" (Moreno-Torroba) *



Better choices could have been made from this pool. I myself would have included the "Valses Poeticos" and left out the Villa-Lobos. I've always been bowled over by JW's approach to Spanish repertoire, but don't find him completely convincing with Villa-Lobos' music which in my opinion benefits greatly from a "warmer" touch (like Bream's). Most certainly, the inclusion of these Segreras and Villa-Lobos pieces in a "Spanish" recital is a bit strange, although they're both showy and can be loosely associated with Spanish guitar. Turina's "Rafaga" is one of JW's most fiery performances and could have made the cut. One could in fact make a compelling case for all three Turina pieces from the first LP. Happily, another JW disc which draws from the same recordings, SPANISH GUITAR FAVORITES, does have both the "Valses Poeticos" and all the Turina, and is also available on Amazon.



Quibbling aside, these performances were at the time (and still are) STARTLINGLY good. It's difficult to convey nowadays just how impossible it seemed in 1970 that a human being could play like this. This music is difficult to play and nobody had ever done it with such confidence and ease. I'll never forget seeing JW in 1971 and looking around the hall to see faces uniformly agog.



There are three different packagings for this same disc. I have not heard them all and am in no position to comment as to their relative value. Thank you for reading.

"

An inspiration

Seth Premo | Newark, DE | 12/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"5 years ago (when I was 18) I went to the mall and bought this cd on a whim. While listening to the first track (Asturias) on the way home, in my friends truck I said, "There is no way that's just one guitar. That's [bologna]"
Many classical guitarists play Albeniz's Asturias, but Williams gives it that extra kick by playing parts of the first theme at blazing speed in triplets, and with an incomprehensible control over volume and tone. Moreover, harping on full chords in the interim is no easy task.
Since then, and pretty much very quickly after I never played much electric guitar again. This disc has been a landmark and inspiration to me. As I play classical guitar by ear now (usually purchasing cd's, transcribing, then performing to a less-than-enthusiastic bar room crowd), I have transcribed almost every work on this disc. There's no doubt that this is a collection of some of the most important, influential, varied, and lusciously beautiful spanish compositions.
What makes John Williams' performances so memorable is the life he instills in the guitar. Unlike some more inexperienced players that want to put their personal touch on every note in a composition, he plays appropriately on every track and is careful in how and when he can and should not be expressive: The mark of a truly knowledgable performer."

An incredible showcase of classic Spanish selections.

David Gibson | 06/29/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"John Williams plays flawlessly on this CD. I myself play guitar, and to hear him play these selections is a humbling experience. I would recommend this album for anyone who like classical or plays any genre of guitar; a "must-have"."