Julian Bream Ultimate Guitar Collection Review

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Julian Bream Ultimate Guitar Collection ReviewThis 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. In addition 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 (well, maybe not quite that bad). 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.
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