Showing posts with label guiding light. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guiding light. Show all posts

Carly Simon - Live from Martha's Vineyard: The Classic Concert Review

Carly Simon - Live from Martha's Vineyard: The Classic Concert
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Carly Simon - Live from Martha's Vineyard: The Classic Concert ReviewPop singer Carly Simon has rarely performed a "Live" concert, which makes this DVD version of her 1987 live concert from Martha's Vineyard (which originally aired as a special on HBO) all the more a collector's item.   The concert on this DVD represented her first live performance since 1980, and is one of a mere three concerts by the smooth-sounding singer ever to be captured on film.
This concert was filmed on June 9, 1987, which turned out (after some rain earlier that day) to be a beautiful Tuesday afternoon/early evening.  Pretty Massachusetts seafront scenery complements the proceedings nicely.  Carly's "Live" audience this day seems to be a rather small one, which allows for a more natural, relaxed, and "homey" feel to the performance.
The previous VHS version was pretty good too....for VHS videotape.  But it's really nice to be able to upgrade this great Martha's Vineyard outing to the improved DVD format.  This Digital version looks pretty darn good to me. It's not perfect, but definitely an improvement over the VHS version. Not having to deal with annoying VHS "tracking" difficulties, and being able to directly access each song via chapter selections, make the DVD version of this concert the ultimate video format of choice.
In the parlance of DVD-Video terminology, the picture quality here might be deemed as being slightly on the "soft" side. And there's still quite a bit of grain evident. It could definitely have been a bit sharper in places, but it still looks fine to my eyes. And the colors look very "warm" and natural.
Audio .... There's a new re-mixed Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtrack here.  Sounds fantastic!  There's a second audio track included also -- an "enhanced" Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track, which ain't half bad either. Both audio tracks are quite full and robust.
There's a convenient chapter stop for each of the concert's 13 songs, so you can go straight to your favorite Carly tune.  And there are many "favorites" here (as far as I'm concerned).  About the ONLY thing that would have made this exemplary concert (and DVD) any better would have been if Carly had also performed "Haven't Got Time For The Pain", which isn't included in this concert's roster of hits.  But, even without that great 1974 ditty, the song selection is superb.
Here is a listing of songs contained on the DVD, in order of appearance (total running time for the concert = 59:45):
1. Give Me All Night
2. Anticipation
3. You Have To Hurt
4. You're So Vain
5. Do The Walls Come Down
6. Two Hot Girls
7. It Happens Every Day
8. Nobody Does It Better
9. All I Want Is You
10. The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
11. You Belong To Me
12. Coming Around Again / Itsy Bitsy Spider
13. Never Been Gone 
Menus .... The menu system on this DVD is a silent and static one, with no lengthy (or animated) transitions between sub-menus. (Kudos to this type of menu design!)  Several good pictures of Carly are seen on the various sub-menus.
A nice batch of Special Features adorn this first-rate DVD as well.  Let's have a look.......
>> A new interview with Carly, filmed in January 2004, which was created just for this DVD release.  It's a very interesting and informative bonus, as Carly reflects back on the "Vineyard" concert. The interview is presented in three separate segments, with a total running time for all segments amounting to 20 minutes and 10 seconds.   The individual sections of the interview are entitled "The Concert", "The Songs", and "The Band" -- with segment #2 ("The Songs") lasting the longest, at 9:23.  We see lots of bonus concert footage throughout this twenty-minute interview, most of which was taken from a second day of filming on Martha's Vineyard.  None of this second day's worth of filming actually made it into the final televised concert version. This is a very nice and well-done bonus feature! 
>> "Carly's Scrapbook" (Photo Gallery) -- I love a good photo gallery on DVDs.  And this one is quite nice indeed, featuring (as stated in the disc's official press info) many "rare photographs from Carly's personal archives".  This well-crafted gallery runs for 2:35 with no user intervention required. The gallery CAN, however, be paused for longer looks at any image. Thankfully, the "pause" button has not been disabled here.  This is a very interesting collection of Carly photos, displayed while Carly's 1992 ditty, "Back The Way", plays in the background.  Within this gallery, we see Carly alongside some other big-name stars in the world of music, such as Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and others.  There's even a photo featuring Carly with that great sax player, William Jefferson Clinton.  Yes, the former President himself must also be a Carly Simon fan.  :)
>> A Carly Simon "Discography" -- This text feature utilizes multiple screens to paint a word picture of the long career of the dynamic songstress.
>> Bonus Track: "The Right Thing To Do" (length -- 2:55).  This extra song can only be accessed through the "Special Features" menu on the DVD.
>> English subtitles for all songs. On-screen subtitles are also included for all of Carly's between-songs dialogue, as she briefly addresses the audience occasionally during the concert.
One special bonus that didn't end up making it to the DVD is a 2003 performance by Carly of "Let The River Run".  When the DVD was initially being planned, this extra song was expected to be included. But evidently there was a snag, and the tune was left off the disc. But even without it, this DVD amounts to a thoroughly pleasant sonic (and visual) music experience.
Any Carly Simon admirer with a DVD Player who does not yet have this terrific disc should add it to the "To-Get" list asap! The angst brought on by not having this DVD on the shelf just might cause serious physical side effects. :-)Carly Simon - Live from Martha's Vineyard: The Classic Concert OverviewOne of the truly original, trailblazing female singer/songwriters of all-time. Carly Simon "Live From Martha's Vineyard" -The Classic Concert captures a true musical icon performing some of her best-loved hits live on stage in a rare and extraordinary performance.Includes the hits You're So Vain, Nobody Does It Better, The Right Thing To Do, Anticipation, You Belong To Me, Coming Around Again and a new version of her Academy Award winning song Let The River Run.

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Sky Loom Review

Sky Loom
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Sky Loom ReviewThis is the most beautiful CD I've heard in a very long time. I have been looking for a great recording of the Bartok Roumanian Folk Dances played on flute for awhile now. This is the best recording of this piece. I love hearing modern works for flute and harp. This is not the usual rep for both instruments. I can't praise this CD enough. Buy it and you'll find out for yourself. I'm a flutists and hope to hear Dr. Kemler perform live and attend some of her classes in the flute festivals.
That would be one of my lifes highlights!Sky Loom Overview

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Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras (Complete) Review

Villa-Lobos:  Bachianas Brasileiras (Complete)
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Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras (Complete) ReviewLike most music-lovers, I have not paid much attention to Villa-Lobos's collection of nine works called 'Bachianas Brasileiras,' except for the extraordinarily popular No. 5 (the one for soprano voice and eight cellos) and the movement from No. 2 called 'The Little Train of the Caipira.' I had heard them cursorily (in a friend's collection) in the old EMI album, still available, called 'Villa-Lobos par lui-même,' a six-disc set with the composer conducting a French orchestra in his own works, done in the 1950s. But there has not been, as far as I know, a recent complete recording of the set. (I understand there is also one featuring a Brazilian orchestra, but I have never seen or heard it.) So, it is with great pleasure that I report that this set with the late Kenneth Schermerhorn conducting the Nashville Symphony is a real winner. It is the last thing Schermerhorn recorded before his death April 19, 2005. Indeed, Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1 had to be recorded with Andrew Mogrelia at the helm.
The nine Bachianas vary wildly in their instrumentation. No. 1 is for 'an orchestra of cellos'; No.2 is for chamber orchestra; No. 3 is for piano and orchestra; No. 4, originally for piano alone, was orchestrated in 1941 by the composer (but, oddly, its first movement is for strings alone); No. 5 is the familiar Aria and Dança for soprano and eight cellos; No. 6 is a duet for flute and bassoon alone; Nos 7 and 8 are for full orchestra, the latter a veritable concerto for orchestra; and No. 8 is for string orchestra. All the works attempt (mostly successfully) tp combine Bachian counterpoint, forms and use of dance rhythms with Brazilian folk song and dance. One hears intimations of two-part invention (No. 6), aria (several movements, including the absolutely gorgeous first movement of No. 4), fugue (several movements, including the marvelous lost movements of Nos. 7 and 9) and so on. Throughout it all is Villa-Lobos's talent for concocting delicious melodies and infectious rhythms. In the process of writing these homages to Bach he mastered manipulation of a ground bass, construction of arching forms, invention of toccata-like motoric drive.
One cannot say enough about the performances. It is true that the Nashville Symphony is not generally considered a front-line orchestra -- although they have made some smashing recordings of Schoenberg, Ives and Beethoven, among others -- and there may be some rough and ready playing in spots. Their strings, who play such an important part in the whole undertaking, sound silken and deep into their strings when necessary. The two Bachianas for cellos alone are simply gorgeous; they may not be the Berlin Philharmonic cello section, but they are darn good. The soulful solo cellist in No. 5 is Anthony La Marchina, the orchestra's principal cellist; I wonder if he is kin to long-time conductor of the Honolulu Symphony, Robert La Marchina. Rosana Lamosa, a Brazilian soprano, sings the cantilena and aria of No. 5; she is excellent but she does not erase memories of other great singers in this work: Bidu Sayão, Galina Vishnevskaya (with M. Rostropovich playing the solo cello part), Victoria de los Angeles, or Renée Fleming.
José Feghali, himself a Brazilian and a former medal winner in the Cliburn Competition, is a superb piano soloist in No. 3. Principal flutist Erik Grafton and principal bassoonist Cynthia Estill make the rather dry two-part inventions of No. 6 sound like great music. And in No. 6 Villa-Lobos conquered the problem of making an unaccompanied wind-instrument duet sound fuller than one might guess, with implied harmonies and Bachian harmonic suspensions.
The excellent booklet notes are by Richard Whitehouse. They are a fount of otherwise difficult to find information about the Bachianas. One final pedantic note: 'Bachianas' is both a singular and plural noun, so one speaks of a single Bachianas or a group of Bachianas. One occasionally (but not in this set) sees this: 'Bachiana Brasileira No. 5.' Wrong!
A strong recommendation for those who want to discover the too-rarely heard products of Villa-Lobos's love for Bach as filtered through his Brazilian sensibility.
Scott MorrisonVilla-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras (Complete) Overview

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Batman and Robin - The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale Review

Batman and Robin - The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale
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Batman and Robin - The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale ReviewThis is a cash-in album originally released in 1966 to exploit the Batman fad. It has gained some noteriety over the years, because Sun Ra and members of The Blues Project played on it. Musically, however, it is nothing special. Most of the tracks don't have much of a melody, and just feature the musicians jamming. This is okay to listen to, but it doesn't really represent the best of either Sun Ra or The Blues Project. However, I do have to say that the nearly 7 minute "Batman and Robin Over the Roofs" is pretty wild, cool and swinging. One unfortunate thing about this CD is that it is in mono. I think that a good stereo mix would really enhance this recording. This CD is really for hardcore Batman, Sun Ra or Blues Project fans only.Batman and Robin - The Sensational Guitars of Dan & Dale Overview

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Virtuoso Violin Review

Virtuoso Violin
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Virtuoso Violin ReviewThis CD features Itzhak Perlman at his best! I have bought several of these bargain discs on the EMI label, and I am yet to be disappointed. They feature great artists and great music - every one! Perlman is magnificent on this disc. His unique style and fiery temperament are perfectly represented. I only wish that EMI had advertised that the disc featured Spanish selections exclusively. I was particularly attracted by Sarasate's Bizet Carmen Fantasy, but all of the cuts were very satisfactory. If I had been in charge of producing the disc, I might have selected a few other pieces, but otherwise I cannot quarrel with what is an outstanding CD at any price, much less the ridiculously low price at which EMI offers these bargains. A must add to any collection of violin music, classical music in general, or Itzhak Perlman in particular!Virtuoso Violin Overview

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Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky Review

Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky
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Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky ReviewFor those interested in Stravinsky's 1959 Movements for piano and orchestra, there is a major disappointment here. Sony has mangled the first movement by ignoring a repeat, then plowing through the second ending immediately after the first ending. It makes me sick to hear it. Seeing the "Recent Stravinsky" LP in its miniature CD form was a delightful blast of nostalgia, but I'm still waiting for a CD issue of Movements. And an apology from Sony.Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky Overview

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Centenary Collection 4: 1958-1967 Review

Centenary Collection 4: 1958-1967
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Centenary Collection 4: 1958-1967 ReviewThis set marks the transition of classical recordings into the Stereo age. There is so much material that it is difficult to address it all, but I will do my best! The first disc, 1958, features an all-Mozart program by Rita Streich, including arias from her unmatched performances as Die Königin der Nacht and Blonda, as well as a rarely heard "Aer Tranquillo" from Il Re Pastore. These coloratura arias are delivered with such precision and flute-like high notes that you may doubt parts of them human! The second disk is Pierre Fournier playing two of Beethoven's later cello sonatas as well as the all-too-rarely heard Chopin sonata. The next disc is also cello, and features Rostropovich with the Schumann concerto, Rachmaninov Sonata (another rare gem) and a previously unreleased on CD Rococo Variations of Tchaikowsky, which easily outdoes even his own performance with von Karajan. The next disc, featuring Wilhelm Kempff, showcases two of his finer recordings: The Emperor Concerto and Hammerklavier sonata, both of Beethoven. There is something about Kempff's Beethoven sonatas that is truly enchanting (he recorded the entire cycle of 32 no less than three times, although the first had a few omissions for space). The next disc is from 1962, and that means von Karajan's Beethoven symphonies 3 and 8, which many people probably have in their collections already. Superb they are, but I would have preferred some lesser-known recordings. Karl Böhm's CD, unfortunately, does not do him the justice he deserves. The Mozart Sinfonia Concertante is somewhat banal, although the Strauss is very nice, especially Salome's Dance of the Seven Veils. Böhm shines brightest as an opera conductor, and the Salome is the only operatic selection. Pity.
Eugen Jochum brings spark to a very nice Brucker 7th and motets, even to a less-than avid Bruckner person like myself. Fritz Wunderlich is featured next, with warm, passionate arias from Mozart, Haydn, Verdi (in German!) and 12 magnificent Schubert Lieder. Although his career may have only lasted 10 years (ending with his untimely death, in the middle of recording Haydn's Die Schöpfung), Wunderlich is truly one of the great German lyric tenors. Géza Anda is next, with a nice Mozart K. 449 (in which he also serves as conductor) and a surprisingly eloquent Davidsbundlertänze. The last disc of this box is Narciso Yepes at his 10-string guitar. Full of resonance and technical virtuosity, he displays a program exclusively of Spanish music, including Sor, Albéniz, Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez and Falla's Spanish Folk Songs with Teresa Berganza. The intimacy of this last cycle of songs, mostly rather simple, is truly exquisite.
Even though many classical CD enthusiasts may have a few of these recordings in their collections already, this set is well worth the price, displaying eloquence and precision all the way through.Centenary Collection 4: 1958-1967 Overview

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Albéniz: Echoes of Spain Review

Albéniz: Echoes of Spain
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Albéniz: Echoes of Spain ReviewThere is no better collection of Albeniz on guitar, and no better John Williams recording. Once you have heard his version of 'Granada,' no other recording in the usual key of E will suffice. He actually tuned his 5th string up from A to B -- suicide on your A string! -- to get a more resonate sound in his transcription. Williams's extrovert style works wonders with 'Cordoba' and 'Sevilla' as well. Given this classic mix of an extrovert guitarist and an extrovert composer, the closing rendition of the "Tango is D" is all the more magnificent. Never was Albeniz more reflective; never was Williams more reflective. Arguably the best guitar recording ever dedicated to a single composer, though a series of recent and brilliant recordings by David Russell (of Torroba, Barrios, etc.) make it hard to make such a blanket statement. Anyway: buy this recording!!!!!!!!!
.Albéniz: Echoes of Spain Overview

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The Essential Falla Review

The Essential Falla
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The Essential Falla Review"The Essential Falla" is just that, including all of Manuel de Falla's major works (performed by the likes of Dutoit, Fruhbeck de Burgos and de Larrocha) on these two CDs. Highlights are excellent performances of Falla's three most famous works: "El amor brujo", "Noches en los jardines de Espana" and "El Sombrero de tres picos". The rest of the included music is perhaps less well-know but no less enjoyable. Perhaps the only quibble I have with this CD is the enclusion of the Harpsicord Concerto. While it is an enjoyable piece, it is very much a Stravinsky-esque neo-classical work, and it seems somewhat out of place amongst Falla's other, very Spanish, works. Nonetheless, if you enjoy 20th Century Spanish music, this CD is indeed an essential.The Essential Falla Overview

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What's It All About Review

What's It All About
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What's It All About ReviewFour and a half IMPRESSIVE Stars!! On his latest solo guitar CD, legendary multiple Grammy Award-winning composer, guitarist, and leader Pat Metheny takes a break from his ground-breaking groups to explore some of his favorite songs from his early years of growing up and absorbing the popular music of the day. These songs have been on his "radar" for decades and are a natural follow-on to the success of his Grammy Award-winning first solo CD One Quiet Night. Originally all vocals, with two exceptions, they come from the likes of Paul Simon, The Beatles, Burt Bacharach, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Thelonious Monk. All songs were recorded by Pat, late at night, after extensive 'woodshedding', using the uniquely tuned baritone guitar and 3 other acoustic guitars with different sonic traits. No overdubbing. He takes these songs primarily on an introspective trip in order to re-examine these major and minor iconic classics. The 'best of the best' begin with the Simon and Garfunkel hit "The Sound of Silence": he gives it a dense shimmering sound with an almost Japanese koto effect from his 42 string guitar, beautifully building momentum thru the silences. "Garota de Ipanema" (The Girl from Ipanema) is richly dark and bluesy as Pat's baritone guitar gives fresh twists of the main theme and the bridge, giving it a deep 'saudade' feeling that can come over one late at night. The Chantays' "Pipeline" was a huge surfing hit when Pat was around 8 years old, and he changes it from the original 'cowabunga'-style to a great 'flamenco'-style sound. Pat makes "Betcha by Golly, Wow" live up to its title. The Sergio Mendes/Lani Hall classic "Slow Hot Wind" is given some tasty tempo and improv twists. The Association's hit "Cherish" and Dionne Warwick's classic "Alfie" are deeply examined, elegant beauties. And finally, what is perhaps the definitive solo guitar version of Monk's "Round Midnight" with Pat 'comp'ing himself beautifully on this bonus track for mp3 downloads. It's interesting to get inside of the head of an innovator like Pat, who has played with everyone from Brazil's Toninho Horta to 'free jazz' legend Ornette Coleman, and hear what he plays during breaks on the road and late at night, reconstructing the 'hit parade' songs of his younger years: it's beautiful stuff and it's Highly Recommended!! Four and a half BIG Stars. (Amazon mp3 download; 11 tracks with digital booklet -62minutes/ CD-10 tracks~56 minutes)What's It All About Overview

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Peter Fletcher Plays Erik Satie Review

Peter Fletcher Plays Erik Satie
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Peter Fletcher Plays Erik Satie ReviewErik Satie (1865 - 1925) remains an enigma to the classical music world. His compositions are so apparently transparent and minimalist that he simply defied classification for years. Highly regarded among the brilliant minds of his time, composers such as Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Milhaud, his purity of impulse of creation, reducing the excesses of Romanticism to what would open the way toward modern music, is still a point of revelation.
Peter Fletcher is not only a brilliant musician, but he is also a musicologist whose absorption in the music that he elects to perform demonstrates sensitivity to the composer's impulses that allows him to enter the difficult world of transcription. This generous recording of the music of Erik Satie includes works that are indeed standard repertoire (the 'Gymnopedies' and 'Gnossiennes' are often performed by pianists and by orchestras in the famous transcriptions by Debussy, as well as the rarely heard works such as 'Sports et Divertissements' that Fletcher performs impeccably along with the French poetry beautifully recited by an uncredited female reader ('Tiny Thoughts for Children'). And after an array of jewels Fletcher ends this recital with the lovely waltz 'Je te veux'. Ah, Paris!
The recorded sound is warm in presence with excellent engineering. But in the end it is Fletcher's suave tone and quiet surface (no fingers on strings sounds here!) that allows us to simply listen to the gentle genius of Satie's melodies. No higher praise could be paid a performer. Highly recommended,
Grady Harp, January 06Peter Fletcher Plays Erik Satie Overview

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Rodrigo: Concerto Madrigal; Concerto Andaluz Review

Rodrigo: Concerto Madrigal; Concerto Andaluz
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Rodrigo: Concerto Madrigal; Concerto Andaluz ReviewRodrigo is probably best know for his Concerto de Aranjuez for solo guitar (which Pepe Romero has provided the definitive recording of), but he also wrote the magnificent Concerto Andaluz for four guitars and Concerto Madrigal for two guitars. The Madrigal is performed wonderfully by Pepe and Celin Romero. They share a strong musical bond and seem to feed musically off of each other throughout the concerto. The Andaluz is here in its definitive recording. It was recorded and premiered by the Romeros in the late 60's but Rodrigo later added a wonderful cadenza section to the second movement which adds to its great emotional and musical impact. All in all, a great CD that I highly recommend.Rodrigo: Concerto Madrigal; Concerto Andaluz Overview

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Symphony 46: To the Green Mountains, Symphony No. 39: Symphony for Guitar and Orchestra, Korean Folk Song Review

Symphony 46: To the Green Mountains, Symphony No. 39: Symphony for Guitar and Orchestra, Korean Folk Song
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Symphony 46: To the Green Mountains, Symphony No. 39: Symphony for Guitar and Orchestra, Korean Folk Song ReviewI've known Michael Long since 1985 and since his release of this recording back in the early 90's, he has established himself as a first-rate guitarist. This recording is a sumptuously delicious escape into the post-impressionist orchestral writings of Hovhaness. While the performance at times seems excessively subdued - almost to the point as if the musicians have stopped playing - you are nonetheless transported to an ethereal musical chasms charmed by Long's phrasing and dedication to rhythmical nuances.This is a first-rate recording! Let's hear more!Symphony 46: To the Green Mountains, Symphony No. 39: Symphony for Guitar and Orchestra, Korean Folk Song Overview

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Rodrigo: Complete Concertos for Guitar and Harp Review

Rodrigo: Complete Concertos for Guitar and Harp
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Rodrigo: Complete Concertos for Guitar and Harp ReviewThese are probably the best recordings of the Rodrigo guitar concertos available. There is noticeable analog tape hiss in the background but this is a small price to pay for these excellent, classic recordings. The technical precision of Pepe Romero on the guitar along with the excellent performance of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the equally good sound engineering is a rare treat. Rodrigo and the Romeros seem meant to go together so this CD set is a must have. It's unfortunate that an equally good recording of the Concierto Serenata is not included. The performance on the harp is disappointing. I am puzzled why Catherine Michel breaks into chords where Rodrigo wrote arpeggios. If this is artistic license it is a poor choice. The sound of the harp often fades behind the sound of the orchestra too. The entire recording seems poorly engineered. The orchestra sounds distant, as if it is poorly mixed or too few microphones were used. In the absence of a better performance, the Concierto Serenata would have best been left off the disc.Rodrigo: Complete Concertos for Guitar and Harp Overview

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Villa-Lobos: Complete Music for Solo Guitar Review

Villa-Lobos: Complete Music for Solo Guitar
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Villa-Lobos: Complete Music for Solo Guitar ReviewHeitor Villa-Lobos was a remarkable 20th-Century Brazilian composer whose works mixed elements of jazz with the flavors of South American folk music. In his compositions one can hear the premonition of later musical forms to come: salsa, rhumba, even a taste of tango, but the over-riding factor is the melodic jazz, which is so reminiscent of Villa-Lobos' contemporary Django Reinhardt. One also hears the bravado of Spanish flamenco, complete with its pounding rhythm and complex phrasings. Villa-Lobos may just be the first truly international composer, in that his work reflects the input of numerous influences from around the globe. Indeed, he was toying with jazz fusion before the term was even invented.
Out of all of his total output, his compositions for guitar were relatively few, but they are also the most long-lived and the most celebrated. That's because Villa-Lobos, who had performed as a street musician, had a clear sense of how he thought the guitar should be used as an instrument of expression. After just one listening it is easy to recognize both the beauty and importance of his works.
It's also easy to recognize just how talented the guitarist, Norbert Kraft, is. And I don't mean this strictly in technical terms. Even the great Segovia admitted that he found Villa-Lobos' pieces difficult to play, but Kraft sounds like he's doing it with his eyes closed. He's loud where he needs to be, and quiet when the music calls for it. You can tell he is very passionate about Villa-Lobos. As another reviewer has pointed out, Kraft is Canadian and, at first, that seems like heresy. But there's something very appropriate about a foreigner mastering Villa-Lobos' international music. It is definitely in keeping with the spirit of the works. I think that after hearing these definitive interpretations of his six-stringed masterpieces, Villa-Lobos would be pleased.Villa-Lobos: Complete Music for Solo Guitar Overview

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Spanish Music for Classical Guitar Review

Spanish Music for Classical Guitar
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Spanish Music for Classical Guitar ReviewI have many David Russell CDs and I've seen in in concert once. He is amazing. I highly recommend this CD and his others. If you're looking for other good CDs, I recommend Jason Vieaux's CD where he play's the Bach Lute pieces. The best I've heard.Spanish Music for Classical Guitar Overview

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Villa-Lobos: Music for Flute Review

Villa-Lobos: Music for Flute
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Villa-Lobos: Music for Flute ReviewExcellent quality of audio and performance. I highlight the piece called "Assobio a jato (Jet whistle)". I recommend this album.Villa-Lobos: Music for Flute Overview

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Mountain Songs Review

Mountain Songs
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Mountain Songs ReviewSince opening this disc this morning, I've now listened to the "Mountain Songs" three times. The work truly is a masterpiece, and is wonderfully recorded. It has both familiar melodies and charming folk tunes masterfully arranged for flute and guitar - try listening to "All the Pretty Little Horses" and the stunning guitar performance of Franco Platino! That guy can really play.Mountain Songs Overview

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