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Essential Classical Guitar Recordings

17K views 33 replies 18 participants last post by  seven four 
#1 ·
In order to raise awareness of this beautiful instrument and the music that was written for it, and also to find out about essential recordings and performers that some of us might not know about I've decided to open this thread, as the only thread that's dedicated to CG is the one in the String forum (at least from what I could find).

So, I'll start off with this -
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I believe it's one the warmest music and playing I've heard. Bream is precise, his technique is excellent, but unlike Williams he maintains a very rich and warm tone, which is a great accompaniment to a music that is exactly that - colourfull, Mediterranean and sometimes even mellow and slow.
 
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#26 ·
I tend to shy away from statements like "the best" but I do approve of Julian Bream. I own a box set, I'm thinking on the order of around 30 CDs and I'm not disappointed with any of it.
 
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#4 ·
#10 ·
19th Century Music by David Russell
Here are some essential classical guitar albums:

Andrés Segovia: 1927 - 1939 Recordings


Latin-American Guitar Music by Barrios and Ponce


Most by John Williams, David Russell, ...

More personal choices:

Leo Brouwer, Oeuvres pour guitare by Philippe Lemaigre


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


Manuel Ponce: The Guitar Sonatas by Jason Vieaux
 
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#8 ·
Bream is one of my favorites, too. You might want to investigate Paul Galbraith, although he plays an 8-string guitar. I particularly like his Bach Sonatas and Partitas CD, but his new one with works by Mozart, Bach, Britten, and this Albeniz piece is also excellent.

 
#17 · (Edited)
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?
 
#19 ·
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.

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.
 
#29 ·
I'm perhaps less of a Bream fan than some here. There are times when I find his playing a touch rough and ready, lacking the ultimate degree of polish. By contrast the Bach recordings from John Williams nominated by seven four above represent some of the very best Bach playing I know on any instrument, making the very best of the possibilities offered by the different strings of the guitar as a vehicle for polyphonic music.
 
#30 · (Edited)


New generation : Miloš Karadaglić

Albéniz:
Asturias (from Suite espanola, Op. 47)
Granada (from Suite española No. 1, Op. 47)
Sevilla (from Suite Española, Op. 47)

anon.:
Romance d'Amour (Jeux Interdits)

Domeniconi:
Koyunbaba, Op. 19

Granados:
Danza española, Op. 37 No. 5 'Andaluza'
Danza española, Op. 37 No. 2 'Orientale'

Llobet:
El Testament d'Amelia (Amelia's Testament)

Tárrega:
Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Lagrima
Adelita
Capricho árabe

Theodorakis:
Méra Magioú (A day in May)
You have set, My Star

Miloš Karadaglić (guitar)

English Chamber Orchestra, Paul Watkins
 
#31 ·
The first classical guitar I heard, and still about the only guitar piece I can stand:

Alexandre Tansman: Suite in Modo Polonico; originally written for Andrés Segovia. For what the Wikipedia page on Tansman claims is a "standard repetoire piece", there are remarkably few recordings available. I have this one:

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#32 · (Edited)
Sad story. I was in Palm Springs for a large business meeting (lots of clients) and sat down to an expensive group supper at a fancy resort. A Hispanic guitarist was going from table to table strumming away, silver dollars down the side of his trousers, etc. He was pretty good.

When he came to our table I asked for Tarrega's Memories of the Alhambra, a piece I love but a very difficult one. He looked quite pained but gave it the college try. When he was done with the long piece, I happily gave him a large tip. He looked at it, turned on his heel, and walked away.

Well, my eyes were none to good in the dim light. On checking later, I saw I had tipped him exactly one dollar when I had intended twenty. I have felt terrible ever since! And I'm sure he remembers me, and not fondly.
 
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