I like the Guitar and find it is relatively easily reproduced with my smaller speakers so the "sound" is generally very acceptable. I am hoping to find albums versus best of compilations(still welcome); whether on vinyl or CD. I'll start out with 2 CD's I enjoy. Easy listening. 1. Music of the Brazilian Masters, Concord Picante label from Concord Jazz. CCD-4389. Laurindo Almeida, Carlos Bosa-Lima, Charlie Byrd. It's nice to hear the different guitars,playing styles and even strings. 2. Portrait of John Williams. CBS Records Masterworks. MK 37791. John Williams. I hope someone enjoys these and has suggestions for other treasures. More to follow.
Ptss, you should hear his EMI recordings from the 20'w and 30's. Anything but "coolish." It's not the tired old man who stayed on the concert stage decades beyond his shelf life. It's raw and gutsy playing.
Yes, now that you mention it, there was a lot of coughing at that concert. Segovia did his routine of glaring at the audience until it quieted down a little.
Ptss, I think he's a fine composer. I really like the Op. 9 Sonata in C. Sort of Beethovenian IMO. You may know he knew LVB and played cello in the premier of the 5th and 6th symphonies... Anyway, he and Sor are my favorite of the 19th-c. composers for guitar. I do need to hear more Rigondi but I've heard lots of Aguado, Carcassi and such.
Lloydc, I saw Segovia in Jones Hall around '75 (give or take a year) and I'm nearly certain there was no amplification. I don't know that he ever played amplified anywhere.
The one time I saw Parkening was a large room in Austin and he was not amplified. He did use a ton of added reverb on his recordings, however. Some would say an excessive amount.
Another "Jewel" of a recording. Guitar Concerto #2 in A, Opus 36 by Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829). Played by Pepe & Caledonia Romero with The Academy of St. Martins in the Fields conducted by Sir Neville Marriner. Philips recording circa 1976. I have it on the 2 CD set 454 262-2 and even though it was digitally remastered via the Bitstream system in 1996 the sound is excellent in my system. (Lexicon RT-20, Reference level Spectral and MIT system with exceptional ac power conditioning and isolation, B&W speakers) Magnificently played with a superbly conducted Academy providing perfect support. Transcendent.
Tostados, I guess I am deprived. I live in Houston, and amplification is usually used to augment the sound; invariably used in large venues where the big names tend to play. It's not intrusive, but they certainly don't use tube amps, and it's not quite the same as all acoustic. The local guitar society gets a few players to come play in a Unitarian chapel where you can sit close enough to get only direct acoustic sound; heard Barrueco that way, a real treat. I think even Segovia and Parkening, when playing Jones Hall (where the symphony performs, it's fairly large), had some sound reinforcement. Neither ever used a modern, loud guitar, afaik.
PTSS, thanks for the responses. You may be right, I had not thought of it in those terms. Volume, especially fortissimo passages, has always been the problem with classical guitar, which is unsurpassed at the other end of the spectrum. "Stonger" guitars are made now with double tops (with a nomex core) or elaborate bracing systems and a very thin top, all intended to produce more volume. But most players would say that it's a trade-off and that such guitars do not have quite the same delicacy of tone and balance that more traditional designs may have.
Lloyd, I've only heard a few classical guitar concerts where amplification was used. JW was one of the artists and I think the only other time was one of the times I heard the Assad Bros. I could make a long list of the fine classical guitarists I heard unamplified but it would be pointless and boring. Now, steel string players make the amplified sound part of their presentation. Tommy Emmanuel is never without his digital reverb (Midiverb II) and Adrien Legg uses a whole host of effects. Chet Atkins mostly used an electric guitar.
I'm with you LLoyd on many enjoyable players. I've never checked what guitars players are/have been using although I find the different qualities (well mainly lack of quality) very significant. But if guitarists are moving to "stronger" guitars I think it me be that the demands of fortissimo playing always seems to reveal weakness in a guitar, at least to my ears. Of course I have always had to overlook that, particularly in Spanish music, because 1.there is so much beauty in the delicacy 2. the fortissimo sections are where the recording quality has also been weak. Your thoughts?
I agree with Tostados' preference for Fleta over Smallman. But how often do you get to hear a master play in a small room without amplification? (answer: virtually never.) The modern "loud" guitars (e.g. Smallman) don't seem to have quite the same beauty of tone as more traditional designs They are designed for projection in big auditoriums. I don't really understand why Williams would play a Smallman on record. Perhaps he agrees with Jerry Garcia, on The Pizza Tapes, where he said, "Louder is better. On this planet, louder's better."
I like almost everything by John Williams, Michael Chapdelaine, Elliot Fisk, Laurindo Almeida, Joe Pass... there are many great players.
I agree, but some makers have gone off in totally new directions which don't please everyone. I'd rather hear John Williams on his old Fleta than on a new Smallman. But, yes, overall it's a golden age for lutherie--for all instruments, it seems. There are some astounding violins and mandolins, for instance, being made these days.
I think the overall quality of guitars is better today, maybe becoming more similar. I find they are getting more powerful/solid- sometimes almost bigger sounding. This may make sounds more similar. What do you find?
the players of old each had a "signature sound." I don't know why, but on stringed instruments these days everyone sounds so very similar for the most part. There are a few exceptions, but it's hard to tell most of them from just a few seconds of listening.
Tosta, I agree. I think it takes some time and relaxation for young players to develop so they are easily recognizable. Or, is it that we need to hear them often?
Mapman, I'm with you. Good manners should be cultivated in kindergarten; and like fine wine, get better with age. "What a wonderful world it would be".
Ptss, I agree that the younger players are amazing technicians. But I have a problem telling them apart, with noted exceptions (Jorge Caballero, Lorenzo Michele and Ana Vidovic).
Goes without saying Schubert; naturally I'm sure you have some of his talent within you as well, well you know, somewhere : ) . Now me, I have an uncle who's a pilot ... : )
Tosta, interesting; and understandable. I find Bream a bit too much on the cool, or uninvolved sounding, even when the playing is 'perfect?'. I much prefer Williams and Oscar. Segovia's repertoire, on the numerous albums I have often did not engage me. I doubt I listened to a full side; yet the reverse is true of Pepe and Angel, on the albums I have. I make lists of guitar pieces I like and find the current level of newer (to me)players is quite accomplished. Mind you these new have had the benefit of excellent recordings by masters to learn from and emulate. With today's video world I expect the overall caliber of serious players to improve as well. It's hard to beat hearing and seeing technique at the same time.
Mapman,I agree about the timeless appeal of the songs being a factor with Jim (but I thought his voice and presentation could make most any song acceptable); and the loss of that in today's contemporary music I think guarantees your right- that most songs and singers will be fairly soon forgotten. Hopefully the 'screamers' first. Yuck.
Schubert, Eliot's baroque performances are just unbelievable--more like a harpsichordist than a guitarist. You should check out his Scarlatti (if you haven't already).
Here's one that although it isn't a stereotypical Flamenco/Classical recording I find it interesting, and more importantly, good enough to be included in a guitar thread! Vocalist (Jazz?) Cyrille Aimee's latest; 'It's A Good Day' features her unique band, made up of bass, perc, and 3 gtrs. The gtr players are said to be a Brazilean, a gypsy, and a Jazz player. Good record!
I'm fan of modern school of classical guitar and like the following current classical artists: Jason Vieaux Ana Vidovic Modern classical guitar school allowes free and comfortable placement of the right hand oppose to Segovia's school of placing it perpendicular to strings thus allowing better possibilities to get clean notes.
For latin and flamenco, I'd pick Steve Stevens(who was performing with Billy Idol) Gerrardo Nunez from los jovenos flamencos (sorry no spanish keyboard for the right spelling) Gipsy Kings -- great gipsy/flamenco acoustic band
Schubert, you give me too much credit but I thank you. Ptss, I think Pepe is a great player for concertos but he makes a sound with his thumbnail which I just cannot stand. I can even pick this sound out on the car radio when I don't know who the player is. So I can't listen to his solo playing for the most part. I have heard tracks of Angel playing solo which I liked. They are not among my favorite players (Segovia, Bream, Williams, Oscar Ghighlia, Eliot Fisk, Manuel Barrueco of the older set, and Jorge Caballero, Lorenzo Michele and Ana Vidovic from the younger generation).
The difference is that being a good singer used to be a ticket to stardom. Nowadays you might get a star who is also a good singer but its the overall bling and charisma that matters most.
ELvis got his break because he was a white guy who would appeal to the masses in his day. There were many others singing similar music prior that were not as successful commercially. SO really Elvis rode an early wave of pop stardom much like many do today, except today's pop music is much different.
Jim Reeves is almost in a class by himself in terms of longevity, mass appeal and charisma rooted mainly in his vocal abilities, at least from where I stand. Part of that is the timeless appeal of the songs of their day that he and the others mentioned sang. We'll see how well most of the pop stars of today are remembered 50-100 years from now. Some may retain a following but most will be forgotten as has always been the case.
And Elvis's voice one of the finest;imho. Are there any with that caliber voice today--male or female? "None" that I know of,I'll say it again,-none.... Patsy Cline + Jim Reeves had great voices too. I find too many popular females of the last 20 yrs have been 'screamers'. Yuck. the men have been better (naturally :-).
Tosta, I can understand that. Many musicians I know don't like Mozart--but I don't think that means he's not good. What do you think of Pepe and Angel?
When I was in music school it was difficult-to-impossible to find Romero fans in the guitar department of either our school or the private school nearby who thought highly of the Romeros, FWIW. But I know younger players who think the world of Pepe and Angel.
Casey, I too appreciate/enjoy Manitas and Baden. I think Joao is in undervalued genius whose work will live on. I love his very elegant playing style. I think very calm and confident.
Viridian, I agree with los Romeros. I don't think it's possible to discuss great guitar playing without mentioning them. Fabulously musical Father & sons.
Grisha Goryachev, "Alma Flamenca". How about a Russian virtuoso flamenco and classical guitarist doing Spanish works? This is a well recorded, wonderful CD.
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