Manuel De Falla: Piano Works

On this CD:

1. El Sombrero de tres picos, ballet in 2 parts, G. 53
Composed by Manuel de Falla
Performed by Jean-Francois Heisser

2. Homenajes, suite for orchestra, Nos.1-4, complete No.2, Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy
Composed by Manuel de Falla
Performed by Jean-Francois Heisser

3. Fantasía Baetica, for piano (orchestrated by Halffter), G. 55
Composed by Manuel de Falla
Performed by Jean-Francois Heisser

4. Homenajes, suite for orchestra, Nos.1-4, complete No 3, Pour le Tombeau de Paul Dukas
Composed by Manuel de Falla
Performed by Jean-Francois Heisser

5. Work(s)
Composed by Manuel de Falla
Performed by Jean-Francois Heisser

6. El Amor brujo, suite from the ballet, and excerpts (see also "Ritual Fire Dance"), G. 48
Composed by Manuel de Falla
Performed by Jean-Francois Heisser

Tracks:

Albeniz: Asturias
Albeniz: Tango
Sanz: Canarios
Rodrigo: Fandango
Torroba: Nocturno
Segreras - El Colibri
Albeniz: Sonata in D
De Falla: The Corregidor's Dance
De Falla: Fisherman's Song
De Falla: The Miller's Dance
Torroba: Madronos
La Nit de Nadal
El Noy de la Mare
Granados: Ma Maja de Goya
Abeniz: Cordoba
Tarrega: Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Granados: Spanish Dance No. 5
El Testamen de Amelia
Villa-Lobos: Prelude No. 4 in E Minor
Albeniz: Sevilla
De Falla: Homanaje
Mudarra: Fantasia
Turina: Fandanguillo

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Introduction to Spanish Classical Guitar Music.......2005-09-18

As a sampler, this CD is an excellent introduction both to Spanish classical guitar music and to guitarist John Williams.
The music ranges from Renaissance composers (Sanz, Mudarra) and harmonized folk melodies to standard 20th Century works (Rodrigo, Torroba etc).

John Williams is excellent throughout. The CD is also cheap, and can be used either just for enjoyment, or further to explore other recordings by Williams, the classical guitar repertoire, or other classical guitarists.

As a marketing ploy, it is very effective.

For the collector or classical guitar enthusiast, the chief disadvantages of the CD are duplication of other recordings, and that the way at least some of the works on this CD are listed isn't helpful in telling the listener the set(s) to which these pieces belong and how to find them (e.g. "from ______, Op # "). The font listing the titles and track numbers is small and somewhat hard to read.

However, this CD should attract many listeners and enthusiasts both to the classical guitar, the repertoire, and guitarist John Williams - and I'm all for that.

Over 70 minutes playing time.

Recommended.

The guitar is an orchestra in miniature!.......2005-02-05

This admirable concept belongs to Hector Berlioz and it must not be a surprise the best guitarrists in the story have in common this trademark.

John Williams has always known the delicate equilibrium between the expresiveness and the glamouer. His impresive technique however is not exposed as his prima edonna. He goes directly to the soul of the composer, melts in his spirit and let the music sharp the qith eloquent conviction the composer's demanded atmosphere.

From Granados to Albeniz, from Rodrigo to Agustin Barrios - El indio Mangore -, from Moreno Torroba to Ponce , you will find the warmth, the passion and the Midas touch of this golden guitarrist.

GUITAR MAJESTY.......2004-12-21

John Williams is a true Guitar virtuoso. His repetoire is very extensive and I use his music in my office while I work at my daily office duties. This album is a must for all guitar enthusiasts old or young.

Sweet, sweet music, an essential addition to your collection.......2004-12-07

I originally bought this album three years ago, looking for a good introduction to Spanish guitar music. And this one fits that need perfectly. I still listen to and enjoy it today. I play this for guests at happy hour or dinner for a relaxed atmosphere. At Amazon's current price, this is a great value.

A True Classic.......2004-01-26

This album/cd is extraordinary. All the songs are gorgeous and exciting to listen to. John Williams' interpretation and technique are perfect. After 22 years of listening to it, I still enjoy and appreciate it more every time. I love giving it as a gift.

Gabriela Montero plays Chopin, Falla, Ginestera, etc. [Includes Bonus CD]

Average customer rating:

Gabriela Montero CDs
Non-professional Review
Absolutely Magnificent!
Improvisations Unbelievable!
A beautiful breath of fresh air!

Gabriela Montero plays Chopin, Falla, Ginestera, etc. [Includes Bonus CD]

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Bach & Beyond - Gabriela Montero
Gabriela Montero en Concert à Montréal
Bach & Beyond [United Kingdom]
The Carnegie Hall Concert
Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording

ASIN: B0009VK0LO
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Moment Musical In E Mino Op. 12 No. 4
Prelude In G Op.32 No.5
Etude-Tableau In D Op.39 No.9
Prelude in D Flat Op.17 No.3
Prelude In E Flat Minor Op.16 No.4
Prelude In G Op.13 No.3
Etude in C Sharp Minor Op.42 No.5
La Vida Breve: First Spanish Dance - Manuel De Falla
Goyescas: Quejas O La Maya Y El Ruisenor
Danza Del Viejo Boyero
Danza De La Moza Donosa
Danza Del Gaucho Matrero
Nocturne In D Flat Op.27 No.2
Fantaisie-Impromptu In C Sharp Minor Op.66
Mephisto Waltz No.1

Tracks:

On Rachmaniov: Vocalise
On The Theme From Bach 'Goldberg Variations'
On Chopin: Nocturne In D Flat
On Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2
Inspired By Scriabin
On Duermete Mi Nino
In The Style Of Tango
On Granados: 'Quejas O La Maya El Ruisenor'
In The Style Of Bach
On Chopin: Prelude In A
'Improvisation in Blue (Gabriela Montero)'
'Song for Natalia and Isabella (Gabriela Montero)'

Customer Reviews:

Gabriela Montero CDs.......2007-06-12

Excellent service -- speedy, just as described, well-packaged. I'd definitely buy from this seller again.

Non-professional Review.......2007-03-27

Okay, I listen almost exclusively to classical music, but I do so simply for the pleasure and nothing more. I cannot tell you about Gabriela Montero's technique, and, when she improvises, I have no ability to judge the music's intrinsic value, authenticity, or whatever. I can only tell you this: while I own many dozens of albums, running the full spectrum of the classical genre, I value none of them above Montero's Bach and Beyond and her Piano Recital. Pure listening joy!

Absolutely Magnificent!.......2007-03-09

I first saw Gabriela Montero on 60 Minutes a few months ago and was taken by her playing ability as well as her ability to improvise on the classics. Ms. Montero's fingers fly over the keyboard, playing Rachmaninoff more dramatically and key-perfect than I've heard in a long time. I decided to purchase this CD and have not been disappointed.

Improvisations Unbelievable!.......2007-01-26

Gabriela Montero is a tremendous talent, both in standard classical repertoire, and improvisation. I have know her since she was a young girl, and she was by far the best pianist around, even then. She is an undersung pianist of our age, and should rise to the top very soon!

A beautiful breath of fresh air!.......2007-01-20

What a sheer delight hearing her play. I've never heard anyone quite like her. A phenomenally gifted player, and it's a rare treat to hear someone who defies pigeonholing. I had heard her on the radio, and knew I was onto something when her improvisation on a very simple theme gave me the chills. I love both CD's in this collection.

It's interesting hearing the negative response coming from some classical musicians and fans. At times it can seem to roughly follow the stages of grief as proposed by Kubler-Ross. I'm a professional guitarist, and it's funny because it's almost identical to how guitarists react to hearing another guitarist, but with an big class-conscious overlay (all very civilized, of course). Think of the "guitarist screwing in a lightbulb" joke. To paraphrase and extrapolate on what someone might say upon hearing her improvisation:

1. Shock: Wow, he's good. Oh, and it's a woman!? And you say it's improvisation??

2. Denial: That can't possibly be improvisation. Classical musicians don't engage in that untidy process. What she's playing must be written out, and I can tell! Don't ask, I just know it.

3. Anger: This stuff is no good. Only permanent music is of value through the ages, and that's why classical music (and only the European kind) is better than any other music. Besides, I can't improvise, so I reject it - and only THOSE people engage in improvisation.

4. Depression: She can play all the classical music, and seemingly can improvise, or at least pass her stuff off as such. Not only that, she's getting attention and money, and we're not. Why is the world unfair?

5. Acceptance: (sort of) Well, I guess she's selling CD's, and is becoming successful. She is, I hate to admit it, a great player. Even if she is a faker. Of course, they're begging my Muffy to become artist-in-residence in Spoleto....

The other reviewer has a point when he says that she may be viewed as a curiosity. Because she's crossing genres, people may not know what to make of it, and this often causes reflexive hostility. As an improvisor, I would agree that it's hard to say that something is 100% improvised - players tend to have pet phrases and favorite general ideas they return to. But to me, Gabriela's playing is at the highest level of skill, beauty, and feeling, whether improvising or playing written pieces.

Average customer rating:

The Best Compilation of the Man on 2 Discs! Great Sound Quality Too!
Relaxing and Enticing to the Ear
A little something for everybody

The Ultimate Guitar Collection

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Classic Williams: Romance of the Guitar
The Guitarist
El Diablo Suelto - Guitar Music of Venezuela
Spanish Guitar Music
Essential Guitar: 33 Guitar Masterpieces

ASIN: B0007TFH52
Release Date: 2005-03-29

Tracks:

Suite Espanola, Op.47: Asturias (Leyenda)
Cavatina From The Deer Hunter
Lute Suite No.4 In E Major, BWV 1006a: Prelude
Triangular Situations
Recuerdos De La Alhambra
Romance
Dance From La Vida Breve
Sonata In E Major, K 380
Como Llora Una Estrella (Valse-Cancion)
The Mission
El Colibri
Gymnopedie No.3
Courante
La Catedral
El Condor Pasa
Salut D'Amour
Malinke Guitars
Concerto For Lute (Guitar), Two Violins (Strings) And Basso Continuo In D Major, R.93: I. Allegro Giusto
The Entertainer

Tracks:

Concierto De Aranjuez: II. Adagio
El Diablo Suelto (Valse)
Preludio En Do Menor (In C Minor)
Suite Espanola, Op.47: Sevilla (Sevillanas)
Gnossienne No.1
Cueca
Schindler's List
Lute Suite No.4 In E Major, BWV 1006a: Gavotte
Nkosi Sikelel'i Afrika
Pavane
Trio For Violin, Lute (Guitar) And Basso Continuo In C Major, R.82: III. Allegro
Sunburst
The Godfather
Scherzino Mexicano
Aeolian Suite For Guitar And Small Orchestra: I. Aeolian Chant
3 Blues For Classic Guitar: Spanish Guitar Blues
3 Blues For Classic Guitar: Blues For Felix
3 Blues For Classic Guitar: Swing 59
The Black Decameron: The Flight Of The Lovers Through The Valley Of The Echoes
Una Limosna Por El Amor De Dios
Saltarello
12 Piezas Caracteristicas, Op.92: No.12 Torre Bermeja (Serenato)

Customer Reviews:

The Best Compilation of the Man on 2 Discs! Great Sound Quality Too!.......2006-04-21

The title very aptly describes this great classical guitar album showcasing some of the best ever works of John Williams on 2 discs. The track selections are great as they span the centuries from the Baroque greats of Bach and Vivaldi to the modern day composers such as Stanley Myers and York. John even flirts with Blues and Jazz-style pieces and they actually sound very good. In addition, they did a much better mastering job on this version than on the single disc, "Classic John Williams" album that was released a few years earlier and so the sound quality is much better. John Williams' playing is without peer and his technique is superior to the vast majority of the exponents of classical guitar that are out there. I've heard recordings of many others who have tried to play "Cavatina" for example and they have never come close to the natural and flowing version that John plays. If you are a fan of this type of music or of John Williams' work, this is the best compilation that you can get that's out there. Highly recommended!

Relaxing and Enticing to the Ear.......2006-01-26

The first song on this set is why I bought the whole album. It blows you away listening to the precise picking and the gorgeous way it is done. Not robotic like some freaks out there. This is true beautiful music. Runs together like a long summer drive in the country. It is just a perfect album to listen to at home or on the go.

A little something for everybody.......2005-06-15

First, this is gorgeous guitar playing by someone who knows what he's doing. John Williams (not to be confused by the film score composer of the same name) is a superb classical guitarist. Many of these pieces are *classical* in nature, while a few are more *popular*. Many are solo, the rest in small chamber groups. Some will get your toes tapping, some will start you daydreaming, and some will make you cry with their beauty. All of it is magnificent.

Average customer rating:

Elegance and precision
Did not buy this item
Mysterious, magical, and a little bit maudlin
Hypnotically Beautiful
THE ART OF THE THEREMIN

The Art Of The Theremin
Manuel de Falla , Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov , and Henryk Wieniawski
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Lost Theremin Album
Theremin - An Electronic Odyssey
Music from the Ether: Original Works for Theremin
Day the Earth Stood Still (Score)
Glass Harmonica

ASIN: B0000006U6
Release Date: 1992-12-14

Tracks:

Vocalise
Song Of Grusia
The Swan
Pantomime
Hebrew Melody
Romance
Berceuse
Piece en forme de Habanera
Berceuse
Valse sentimentale
Serenade melancolique
Chant du menestrel

Customer Reviews:

Elegance and precision.......2007-06-30

The theramin is, without question, the most difficult instrument in the world to play. Consider: since its invention in 1928 and commercial release in the early 1930s, only one musician - Clara Rockmore - has been able to produce any real music on it. Her performances are spellbinding and, if one sometimes years for, say, a whole sonata or something more substantial than encore pieces, think of how difficult it is to play ANYTHING on this instrument and be glad that we at least have this much.

A one-of-a-kind disc of a one-of-a-kind performer. If you like the samples you can hear on this site. by all means buy it.

Did not buy this item.......2007-05-03

Don't know why this is here as I never purchased this item.

Mysterious, magical, and a little bit maudlin.......2007-03-08

I recently went through a theremin phase after seeing the documetary "Theremin: An Electronic Oddysey" which featured Clara Rockmore prominently. That led me to buy this recording, which seems to be the traditional standard of classical theremin artistry. The story around the instrument is even more bizzare than the music it makes: spooky Cold-War intrigue, sudden disappearances in New York and the USSR, spy gadgets, dead men found alive, old friends reuniting after decades of separation and obscurity... it all fits the eerie ethos of the music. So to really "get" the instrument, you need to know the story behind it. That's the maudlin part.

While the rest of my family violently disagrees, this is indeed lovely music. A careful listening to Mrs. Rockmore's technique reveals, I think, that she's fascinatingly far beyond waving her hands up and down in front of antennas. She makes glissandos and runs happen with discrete pitches in a way that is hard for me to picture on an instrument that can generate any pitch, and every pitch in between. She developed a way to "finger" an instrument you don't touch. That's why it's magical.

A note on the recording: the timbre of the theremin seems to land in a resonant frequency range on most systems/speakers on which I have listened to this recording, leading to the solo instrument badly overbalancing the piano accompaniment.

PS: I have given on someday owning a theremin. Phase over.

Hypnotically Beautiful.......2007-02-28

Classical music, and specifically Theremin music, is not normally my favored listening. But I took a chance on this disc and am very glad I did. Clara Rockmore's mastery of her instrument is astonishing. The music is tastefully chosen and very beautiful. She often mimics violin or human voice in her phrasing, but subtly gives the theremin its own voice and proves its suitability for classical.

I knocked a star off for the lack of arrangement-diversity, but I have to admit that I usually listen to this disc from start to end. Its lyrical qualities are very transfixing and hypnotic. A welcome diversification to my music collection!

THE ART OF THE THEREMIN.......2007-02-24

I HAVE HAD THIS CD FOR YEARS AND HAVE NEVER GOTTEN TIRED OF HEARING IT, ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE RIGHT MOOD TO REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ARE HEARING. THIS IS THE PREEMINENT THERMEIN RECORDING, BY THE PREEMINENT THEREMIN PERFORMER, CLARA ROCKMORE. HAUNTING, STRANGE, HYPNOTIC, YET MELODICAL, THE THERMEIN IS A VERY DIFFICULT INSTRUMENT TO PLAY, AND CLARA ROCKMORE WAS THE ONLY PERSON TO EVER REALLY "MASTER" IT. IF YOU WANT TO HEAR THEREMIN MUSIC, I GUESS THIS IS THE ONE CD YOU NEED TO GET.

Average customer rating:

Worth Getting Just For the Granados Spanish Dance Alone
Together, first time
Masters
Very excellent CD.

Together/Julian Bream & John Williams

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: Lute Suites

ASIN: B000003FDM
Release Date: 1993-05-25

Tracks:

Suite For Two Guitars: Corant I
Suite For Two Guitars: Alman
Suite For Two Guitars: Corant II
Duo In G, Op. 34: Largo
Duo In G, Op. 34: Rondo
L'encouragement, Op. 34: Cantabile
L'encouragement, Op. 34: Theme and Variations
L'encouragement, Op. 34: Waltz
Cantos de Espana, Op. 232, No. 4: Cordoba
Goyescas: Intermezzo
La vida breve: Spanish Dance No. 1
Pavane For A Dead Princess
Dolly, Op. 56: Berceuse
Dolly, Op. 56: Mi-a-ou
Dolly, Op. 56: Dolly's Garden
Dolly, Op. 56: Kitty-Valse
Dolly, Op. 56: Tendresse
Dolly, Op. 56: Spanish Dance
Danzas Espanolas, Op. 37, No. 2: Oriental

Customer Reviews:

Worth Getting Just For the Granados Spanish Dance Alone.......2006-02-12

Both Julian Bream and John Williams have been two of my favorites when it comes to classical guitar. Having them together on the same album, playing some of my favorite music is more than a treat; it is pure joy.

What I love is the fact that even though both are masters in their own rights, they were able to blend together their individual styles into an ensemble to create a set of moods which enhances the musical experience. All are wonderful, but they saved the best for last, the hauntingly beautiful Spanish Dance No. 2 of Granados. This is music that will have you stopping what you are doing just to listen to it. (If you are listening to this in the car, pull over please!) Although I have heard this piece before done by other greats, in the hands of Bream and Williams, it has been raised to heavenly heights, leaving the listener in a state between tears and great joy.

In summary, if you wish to own just one guitar album in your collection, this would be the one. My greatest regret is that I never had the pleasure of hearing either of them live on stage. The next best thing is this album.

Together, first time.......2002-07-22

Two of the classical guitar's brightest masters together for traditional as well as transcribed works from a number of different composers. Either of the guitarists at their peak (this was recorded in '71 and '78) would have been good enough to amaze you if you are a follower of the guitar and its traditional music, both of them together is something that must be heard. The recording is excellent (ADD - remastered, I believe, in '93) and the selection of music plays to their strengths as individual musicians. To hear these two rivals play together at the same time is enlightening. Essential.

Masters.......1999-06-09

Whoever would like to study or interest in classical guitar must listen to this record. They are the greatest masters.

ALGIN EROZAN

Very excellent CD........1999-04-27

I have heard this CD before, and ordered it from Amazon.com last Wednesday, Overnight shipping. This is Monday night, and it hasn't even shipped yet. Great CD, but go somewhere to buy it if you want it this century!

Average customer rating:

Like a rainy day in a good bookstore
Not "Ultimate", but Wonderful!
Everyone would love this album!
Incredible
One well worth the price of two

Ultimate Guitar Collection

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00000I9M1
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

Allegro Giusto
Largo
Allegro
Packington's Pound
Greensleeves
Fantasia 'A Fancy'
Canarios
Sonata In D
Leyenda (Asturias)
The Three Cornered Hat: The Millar's Dance
Recuerdos De La Alhambra
Choros No.1
Andantino Espressivo
Poco Animato
En Los Trigales
Allegro Con Spirito
Adagio
Allegro Con Brio

Tracks:

Mallorca, Op. 202 - Albeniz
Cataluna
Granada
Sevilla
Cadiz
Cordoba
Dedicatoria
La Maja De Goya
Danza Espanola No. 4
Valses Poeticos - Granados
Danza Espanola No. 5 - Granados
Fandango
Passacaglia
Zapateado

Customer Reviews:

Like a rainy day in a good bookstore.......2007-07-10

"Always pleasant, never a false cord." That's what I think each time I listen to this collection. I guess I should be listening more closely, but I find the music and the virtuosity with which it is played to be a springboard to other thoughts and activities. I can read with it in the background, write with it or simply drift into thought. And that is really quite enough for me.

Not "Ultimate", but Wonderful!.......2007-03-29

As good a guitarist as Julian Bream is, one must begin by acknowledging that the title of this 2-CD set containing 32 admittedly seminal pieces written for hand-played strings ( primarily, the lute) is a tad hyperbolistic. An "Ultimate" collection of anything would have to be more complete, by definition, than any two CDs can be and, again, it almost goes without saying that no two people are apt to be in total agreement about what should or should not have been included in any such collection. All caveats considered and aside, this is, indeed, a thoughtfully selected and masterfully performed collection of what is, unarguably, some of the very best classical pieces ever written for the lute. Bream plays some of them on the guitar and others on a renaissance lute - the latter giving a somewhat truer indication of the stylings and musical nuances intended by the various composers. But, even the pieces he plays on the guitar - an instrument that, in it's current form, did not exist when many of the pieces were originally composed - are sensitive and lyrical interpretations that sound as if they MIGHT have been composed for the guitar.

Without spending space here reiterating the specific pieces, their titles and lengths, I will simply list the composers whose works Bream presents so nicely in this collection. They span a range of about five centuries beginning in the time of England's Elizabeth I and spanning the years through to the 20th Century's premier Spanish and Brazilian classical guitar composers. The list reads like a `Whose Who" of classical plucked-string instrument music and of composers whose keyboard compositions work particularly well on the strings of a lute or guitar, and includes;
- John Dowland
- Francis Cutting
- Antonio Vivaldi
- Gaspar Sanz (*)
- Mateo Albeniz (*)
- Manuel de Falla
- Enrique Granados (*)
- Hector Villa-Lobos, and
- Joaquin Rodrigo
(*) = Pieces originally written for keyboard play.

Every classical guitarist has his own recognizable style and approach to the instrument and the material. An experience listener would not confuse Bream's work with that of Andres Segovia, for example: but it is not that one is better than the other. Each, in his own distinctive way, is simply superb. Though the Spanish influence is clearly audible with both musicians, Bream's stylings have a more contemporary lilt and inflection than do those of Segovia; he makes each piece his own. One suspects that each time he plays a piece it comes out differently according to the moment, his mood, the instrument and God knows what else. Segovia, on the other hand, was well known for his constancy once he had found a version of each piece that fully suited his own ear and temperament.
While I am admittedly a Segovia fan, I find Bream's renditions to be noticeably fresher and each infused with an aura of presence in the here-and-now which I find especially enjoyable.

The collection is neither complete not `ultimate', but it is VERY good and well worth having in any collection of classical guitar music. In fact, for audiophiles not familiar with this genre, it is a fair place to begin to develop an ear for and a listener's knowledge of and experience with the classical guitar.

I recommend it highly.

Everyone would love this album!.......2007-01-16

This album is fantastic. Easy to listen to and wonderful background music for working or dinner parties

Incredible.......2005-10-24

This is the leading guitar player of his generation at his best.

He is especially amazing in the second CD, with some of the solo guitar transcriptions of Albeniz. His rendition of Rodrigo's three pieces is also sublime.

I can't imagine anybody buying this cd then regretting it.

One well worth the price of two.......2004-09-25

This two cd set is an odd juxtaposition. The first cd consists of a sampler of Bream's career output - but without (and I believe the omission is disgraceful) any acknowledgement of Bream's significant contribution toward the creation of a truly 20th century concert repertoire for guitar. The second cd is a re-release of his superb early 1980's recording of Albeniz and Granados transcriptions with the added bonus of a sublime interpretation of the "Three Spanish Pieces" by J Rodrigo.

Speaking as a musician I find the selections and the production of the first cd problematic. We get a few of the more lightweight examples of renaissance lute and baroque guitar (but no JS Bach and no (solo) baroque lute work); we get no vihuela repertoire and nothing truly representative of classical period composition. We do have all six movements from two contrasting concertos but the remainder of the cd consists mostly of neo-romantic repertoire from the twentieth century. Worse still, the recording quality is highly variable; for example one of the Villa Lobos pieces sounds as though it was recorded in an indoor swimming complex. Given the cd's title more care should have been taken to better represent Bream's career and musical diversity. In the opinion of one familiar with Bream's output this is a disappointing selection. Well played but not representative of the artist nor the art form.

However the opposite is the case with the second cd. These recordings were made at a time when Bream set out to commit to (then) vinyl, via the guitar, the musical heritage of Spain. Bream here was at the height of his interpretive power - and a fine film documentary also resulted from this endeavour.

The inclusion of the Rodrigo set makes this cd a better buy than the original Albeniz and Granados recording, although those who find this compilation rewarding might perhaps profit from researching Bream's catalogue, and adding the complete recording from which the Rodrigo is sourced (circa 1980-90) to their collection.

As for the Albeniz and Granados Bream offers his own transcriptions. These tread a fine line between fidelity to the piano scores and Bream's concept of what works on the guitar. As a general observation Bream seeks to include significantly more of the original score's textures than do many of his peers (e.g. J Williams, P Romero). At the same time he is not averse to significantly modifying the original (e.g. amongst others 'Granada' and 'Cordoba'). Such a process is part of any transcription but here the results are not only excellent but also personal to Bream, as a result we have further confirmation of the craft of a great performing artist.

Every listener will discover their own favourites and I have more than space allows me to relate. I believe that Bream brings more expression to his performances of the Valses Poeticos by Granados than any other guitarist I have heard, and the Passacaglia by Rodrigo is played with such a sense of a brooding menace that my spine tingles every time I listen to it.

The second cd alone is worth twice the compilation's asking price.

Average customer rating:

Great Guitars
A good mix
Great music CD collection for guitar music listeners
This is a really good choice for your morning music CD
Great music played by great musicians

Mad About Guitars

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Mad about Piano
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ASIN: B000001GKH
Release Date: 1993-07-13

Tracks:

Cavatina
Granada
Spanish Dance No. 5
Romance D'Amour
Fantasia For A Gentleman: Adagio
Fantasia For A Gentleman: Danza de las hachas
Malaguena
La Filla Del Marxant
The Three Cornered Hat: The Miller's Dance
Recuerdos de la Alhambra: Andante
Sonata: Presto
Concierto de Aranjuez: Adagio
Concierto de Aranjuez: Allegro gentile
Portrait
Sonata, K. 322: Allegro
Greensleeves
Georgia On My Mind
Fugue In G Minor - Bach

Customer Reviews:

Great Guitars.......2007-03-28

A really spectacular show of top guitarists in famous works
I enjoy it often and it inspires me when I write my columns

Leo Blok
(Journalist from the Netherlands)

A good mix.......2006-11-11

A good collection for someone fairly new to classical guitar. I have over 300 guitar recordings, but I still enjoyed this CD - a good one on the road, for example. Nice pieces and performances.

Great music CD collection for guitar music listeners.......2002-03-15

I really understand that there's no music CD could fulfill our satisfaction of music. But it does. I can find most of my favorite guitar classical songs here, and it's very nice listening them: Cavatina (from the Deer Hunter), Romance D'Amour, Recuerdos de la Alhambra, etc. I have several favorites not included in this album: Capricho Arabe-Lagrima-Adelita, and lucky me I have them on my other CDs. Go get this CD!! By buying this 1 CD, you'll have more than half of classical guitars you've ever wanted!

This is a really good choice for your morning music CD.......2001-11-08

There is something about classical guitar that is just so appropriate to background morning music as "Mad About Guitars" will quickly prove to you. Like most people, I am not overly familiar with classical guitar pieces; once you get past "Granada" I certainly could not name another work that I would expect to hear on such an album. The only other familiar pieces are "Greensleeves" and "Georgia on My Mind," and, yes, now that I think of it "Greensleeves" is a guitar piece, but then this album concludes with Bach's Fugue in G. So this collection is certainly going to broaden your horizons in terms of classical guitar. You will also come away with a great appreciation for Giran Sillscher, who plays the guitar on two-thirds of the selections. In fact, "Portrait," was written for Sillscher by Stanley Myers, which is certainly a nice testimonial to his skill. If you have a CD player in your alarm clock, this is an excellent choice for finding a happy home therein.

Great music played by great musicians.......2000-03-20

I think this CD is the best compilation of classical guitar music that's out there. Deutsche Grammophon has done a great job of picking the best pieces and the best players. Buy this CD!

Average customer rating:

Best five bucks you'll ever spend on a classical guitar CD
Pleasing but not perfect
Not what I was looking for
Remastered...and Rediscovered
Hauntingly beautiful

Malagueña: Spanish Guitar Music

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Spanish Guitar Music
Tárrega: Recuerdos De La Alhambra; Lágrima; Danza mora; Etc. [Germany]
Romance D'Amour
Sor, Aguado, Tárrega: 19th Century Guitar Favourites
Masters of Flamenco Guitar

ASIN: B00004Z33R
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Tracks:

Malaguena (Transcr: N. Yepes)
Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Marieta: Mazurka
Capricho arabe - Serenata
Tango
En los trigales
Concion y danza No. 1
Inroduction And Variations On A Theme By Mozart, Op. 9
Suite Espanola (Arr: N. Yepes): Espanoletas
Suite Espanola (Arr: N. Yepes): Gallarda y Villano
Suite Espanola (Arr: N. Yepes): Danza de las hachas
Suite Espanola (Arr: N. Yepes): Rujero y Paradetas
Suite Espanola (Arr: N. Yepes): Zarabanda al ayre espanol
Suite Espanola (Arr: N. Yepes): Passacalle
Suite Espanola (Arr: N. Yepes): Folias
Suite Espanola (Arr: N. Yepes): La Minona de Cataluna
Suite Espanola (Arr: N. Yepes): Canarios
Fantasia que contrahaze la harpa en la manera de Ludovico
Sonata In E Major
Suite espanola: 5. Asturias. Leyenda
Danza espanola No. 4: Villanesca (Transcr.: N. Yepes)
El sombrero de tres picos: Danza del molinero. Farruca
Romance (From The Film 'Forbidden Games')

Customer Reviews:

Best five bucks you'll ever spend on a classical guitar CD.......2007-04-06

I can't help but think that because it's five dollars some people have to get snobby about this collection. In my humble opinion the recordings of "Malaguena," "Capricho Arabe," "En Los Trigales," and "Introduction, Theme, & Variations on a Theme From Mozart" are the standard by which all others should be judged. And nobody else can touch his interpretation of Granados' "Villanesca." Except perhaps for Manuel Barrueco, but the way Narciso uses harmonics for the pedal tone is something that feels so natural, you can't listen to a fretted version ever again w/o wishing it was done in harmonics! The rest of the album is typical Narciso. Amazing dynamics and phrasing with flawless technical execution. I don't really believe that anyone else in the history of classical guitar has been able to carry a counterpoint with such defined independence. A true 20th century master. His tone may be a bit on the treble side for "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" but why even play that after Pepe put his mark on it? ;)
This collection is nearly identical to a cassette tape I used to own 20 some odd years ago except that "Rumores de la Caleta" and perhaps one or two others are not included with this compilation.

Pleasing but not perfect.......2007-02-14

This CD is packed with the classics and must hear of classical music. There are some pieces I wouldnt have included and others that I would have, but overall it's in my #3 rotation.

Not what I was looking for .......2007-01-09

I was looking for the "old" guitar version on Malaguena that I have heard several times before. I didn't recognize this version.

Remastered...and Rediscovered.......2006-12-24

There are two CD's available with this exact same program; this one has an "ambient surround imaging" applied to it, which is a pleasant effect on a surround sound system. Yepes' guitar sounds a bit recessed, but the tape hiss that was present on his budget-label LP recordings that I have is virtually gone. The dynamics have also been improved. At this price, it's a great buy, and a nice introduction to the Spanish guitar from a true master.

Hauntingly beautiful.......2001-08-20

Something to listen to when you are on a long flight and missing the new lover you left behind. Just simply beautiful music.......

Average customer rating:

The classical heritage

Music of Spain

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rachmaninov: His Complete Recordings
Bach: The Landowska Recordings
The Verdi Recordings
Bach: Lute Suites, Trio Sonatas
Grieg: Complete Solo Piano Music

ASIN: B0009U55QA
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Customer Reviews:

The classical heritage .......2006-04-16

The visible embellishment of this noble instrument was enriched still more by the Spanish composers, who following the traces of his contemporaries. In the case of Fernando Sor, Haydn was his musical guide, where as Aguado, could establish himself with major vehemence, due its particular style, based in the notable right-hand articulation, eschewed the classical patterns, being able to print his own music a flamboyant and refined character.

In the particular case of Fernando Sor, we have a wisdom blending of the counterpoint technique, an evocative mood from his own that, added the well known influence of the Italian composers (Domenico Cimarrosa and Giovanni Batista Pergolesi) and his beloved love for the Operatic genre, allowed him to enrich still more the lyrical possibilities of the guitar. Besides, unlike Nicolo Paganini, for instance fortunately did not transform the guitar in a simple device to show his overwhelming gifts. He used the guitar to play music, on the opposite approach of Paganini who used the music as mere device to play his instrument.

In the guitar genre there has not been most deserved and superb tribute to Mozart that this Variations Op. 9 based on a motive of The most famous Mozart ?s Magic Flute. Loaded of such imaginative freshness and enraptured inspiration you may notice that one of the Variations conserves an undeniable Italian flavor; this is one of the most beloved hidden treasures the guitar can offers us, which raise with special charm in the hands of this formidable soloist.

Aguado on the contrary acquired due his personal state of things, a notable adroitness who excelled by far, to Sor, so his musical approaches rode in opposite directions, trying to exploit at maximum levels the technical possibilities of the instrument.

Julian Bream makes a colossal tribute to both composers in this egregious and golden album.

DEBUT - Alisa Weilerstein & Vivian Hornik Weilerstein ~ Works for Cello and Piano

Average customer rating:

Hear Her Live
Weilerstein Debut
powefull
Florida Music Lover
Love it or hate it!

DEBUT - Alisa Weilerstein & Vivian Hornik Weilerstein ~ Works for Cello and Piano
Niccolo Paganini , Antonin Dvorak , Alberto Ginastera , Felix Mendelssohn , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Gabriel Faure , Leos Janacek , Camille Saint-Saens , Manuel de Falla , Alisa Weilerstein , and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Dvorak Trios; Weilerstein Trio
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Starker Encore Album

ASIN: B00003ZKRO
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Tracks:

Variations On One String On A Theme By Rossini
Forest Quietude, Op.68 No.5
Pampeana No.2, Op.21
Lied Ohne Worte, Op.109 (Posth.)
Pezzo Capriccioso, Op.62
Apres Un Reve, Op.7, No.1: After A Dream
Pohadka - Fairy Tale: I
Pohadka - Fairy Tale: II
Pohadka - Fairy Tale: III
The Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan
Popular Spanish Suite: I. El Pano Moruno (The Moorish Cloth)
Popular Spanish Suite: II. Asturiana
Popular Spanish Suite: III. Jota
Popular Spanish Suite: IV. Nana (Lullaby)
Popular Spanish Suite: V. Cancion (Song)
Popular Spanish Suite: VI. Polo

Customer Reviews:

Hear Her Live.......2006-12-19

You must witness Alisa Weilerstein live. I fell in love with her playing at the Spoleto festival where she played the basso continuo part of a Bach Brandenberg Concerto as if it was the Dvorak Cello Concerto. She has a passion for music that i have not heard or seen. And in her early 20s. Oh my gosh what a performer she will eventually be!

Weilerstein Debut.......2006-01-21

I've been playing the cello for almost 40 years and I agree about the complaints about the vibrato and phrasing: overdone! I also agree with the question about "aristocratic" playing: why all of the exaggeration? Instrument playing should ideally be like that of a vocalist, where one is not limited by one's technical abilities. I doubt that Ms. Weilerstein would sing these phrasese the same way she plays them. There is still time for her to develop, however. If you want to hear more refined playing, listen to Gendron, Rose, Fournier or Rostropovich.

powefull.......2005-12-18

I am a cellist of 15 years on the breakthrough of becoming a renowed cellist. This cellist tone is so powerfull and clear.she tells a story this is so clear to understand because the music speaks. alisa should watch the slurs from the f to b and be more gracefull. The apres un reve was ok i guess. she really should of tooken more time. like floating on a dream cloud. when i play this piece i take the music from the begining as a fuzzy dream and play the pitch so the music tells a story and becomes more clear every measure. The elgar is somenthing she might not want to touch because no one plays it better than du pre.

Florida Music Lover.......2002-10-12

I have been fond of the cello for years. I have enjoyed Casals even though he was somewhate austere. I love Rostropovich's tone and color but have felt that no one has ever played with the passion of Du Pre until I heard Weilerstein on, I believe, NPR when they played an unreleased tape of the Elgar Concerto by Weilerstein. I missed the intro and would have bet the farm that I was listening to Du Pre until the announcement at the end. I immediately ordered this disc and it has me wondering about re-incarnation. Is Du Pre back? This disc is a wonderful sample of the immense talents of this new young artist. I can't wait for Alisa to record the my favorite Elgar for EMI.

Love it or hate it!.......2002-05-21

SUCH PRESENCE! This is cello playing without apologies. She is always secure in what she is saying whether that is what you wanted to hear or not. She is the real thing. May she go onto continue to create controvery through her playing!

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Megasoft Office 2003 [Import]

Spohr: Nonetm Op. 31 / Octet, Op. 32

Telemann: Concerto for violins in F; Tafelmusik: No2

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