Thread: Essential Classical Guitar Recordings

Originally Posted by Philip

Latin-American Guitar Music by Barrios and Ponce


Most by John Williams, David Russell, ...

I can't really recommend that one to serious classical guitar fans, having got it myself and become very frustrated by certain aspects of Williams' performance. The cd is mainly Barrios and includes some of his best known works: La Catedral, Ultimo Canto, Un sueño en la Floresta, Valse no. 3, etc. I would regard Barrios as probably the finest classical guitar composer, at least in his best pieces, but Williams gives little indication of this here. He might have all the technique required to perform Barrios' very demanding work with basic note-for-note correctness, but doesn't seem to ally this to the kind of musicality that is required to bring out the best in it.

His playing tends to be rather bland and often seems hurried, tending to be precice and metronomic at the expense of expression or warmth, which isn't helped by the dry, somewhat thin, bright sound of his guitar. This is about the opposite, in my view, of what is required for a composer like Barrios, who was always essentially a late Romantic composer in mood, whether taking inspiration from Bach or native folklore and guitar styles.

On the other hand that particular Cd is very cheap, so maybe if you just want an introduction to Barrios or were mainly interested in the lengthy filler piece, Ponce's "Folia de España" (which I think Williams makes a much better job of) it's still a decent buy.

Originally Posted by Philip

Villa-Lobos: Choros No.1/Etude Nos. 1-12/Prelude Nos. 1-5 by Alvaro Pierri

^ That reminds me, I've recently been listening to the Naxos version of Villa-Lobos' guitar pieces and been quite impressed. Not only is it nicely played and recorded, it contains the very attractive and charming Brazilian Suite as a bonus to the above recording. I believe in fact that this CD is a complete survey of Villa-Lobos' guitar work, at least the completed and recognised pieces. Well worth checking out at the price. I really don't know why Villa-Lobos didn't compose more for guitar, especially since he seems to have been a formidable guitarist himself.


Another recommendation: I don't know much about him (he seems more popular in Scandinavia and Germany from what I can gather) but I was particularly impressed by this recording from the Swedish guitarist Göran Söllscher. It contains a medley of pieces by Dowland, Barrios, Sor, and Ponce, all beautifully played, and is a really nice introduction to all the composers as well as the guitarist himself.

Yes, you may be right. You might enjoy this recording a little more:

From the Jungles of Paraguay: John Williams Plays Barrios


I've heard the Norbert Kraft recording of the Villa-Lobos solo guitar works. The Pierri recording is a personal favourite, but i think it offers more insight into the études. As an illustrative figure, Kraft plays the études in under 29 minutes, while Pierri takes a more comfortable 43 minutes.

Perhaps Kraft was pressured by the label to fit the complete works onto a single disk?

For a complete Villa-Lobos guitar works recording it must include the following:
Guitar Concerto
Introduction to the Chôros
Chôro no. 1
12 Études
5 Preludes
Suite Populaire Bresilienne

Might fit nicely on 2 discs.

Originally Posted by Philip

Yes, you may be right. You might enjoy this recording a little more:

From the Jungles of Paraguay: John Williams Plays Barrios

That looks like a recent album! Hopefully he's matured in his interpretation since he produced the other recording (I think it was back in the 70s), so I may check that one out, thanks. I know he's one of the first guitarists outside Latin America to perform Barrios regularly and has been promoting him for decades - it would be a shame, and a bit counter-productive, if his actual performances are still at the rather mediocre level of that early one.

Originally Posted by Philip

I've heard the Norbert Kraft recording of the Villa-Lobos solo guitar works. The Pierri recording is a personal favourite, but i think it offers more insight into the études. As an illustrative figure, Kraft plays the études in under 29 minutes, while Pierri takes a more comfortable 43 minutes.

Perhaps Kraft was pressured by the label to fit the complete works onto a single disk?

I hadn't thought of that, but it seems worth considering now you mention it. They've been producing a survey of Latin American classic guitar lately, seemingly on the basis of devoting one CD to each composer/country (or several when there is more significant repertoire available, I think there are 3 for Barrios). Pulling out a few stops in order to squeeze all Villa-Lobos' solo works on one CD fits their apparent policy well I would think. (Kraft seems to have done quite a bit of recording other artists for Naxos too, so is presumably more involved in the company than some.)

Having said that I actually quite liked the way he played the Etudes; maybe it's a matter of personal taste (obviously I can't speak for the recording you prefer, not having heard it!) . I was more disappointed in the preludes, if anything, which seemed a bit perfunctory.

Originally Posted by ComposerOfAvantGarde

For a complete Villa-Lobos guitar works recording it must include the following:
Guitar Concerto
Introduction to the Chôros
Chôro no. 1
12 Études
5 Preludes
Suite Populaire Bresilienne

Might fit nicely on 2 discs.

It's the complete SOLO guitar works...

Originally Posted by Philip

It's the complete SOLO guitar works...

Oh well. Ignore the first two.

Have I mentioned Julian Bream's My Favourite Albums 10CD box set? It's basically ten original LPs selected by Julian Bream himself as his finest recordings.

Originally Posted by Philip

From the Jungles of Paraguay: John Williams Plays Barrios

Would you (or anyone else who has heard it) happen to know if the above album is actually the same as this, with a different label and title?




Here's a nice album I've been listening to on and off lately:



Most classical guitar fans will probably know the Concierto De Aranjuez already, but I was particularly impressed by some of the lesser known music on here. I particularly enjoyed the Fantasia para un Gentilhombre (a very lively piece) and Concertio para una fiesta. These are both on the second disc, which tends to get more play than the first containing Concierto De Aranjuez.

Originally Posted by Orpheus

Would you (or anyone else who has heard it) happen to know if the above album is actually the same as this, with a different label and title?

The track list and playing time are the same, but the second one is supposed to be "remastered", whatever that means.