Excellent Introduction to Spanish Classical Guitar Music
M. Levitt - classical music buff | Philadelphia, PA | 09/18/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"As a sampler, this CD is an excellent introduction both to Spanish classical guitar music and to guitarist John Williams.
The music ranges from Renaissance composers (Sanz, Mudarra) and harmonized folk melodies to standard 20th Century works (Rodrigo, Torroba etc).
John Williams is excellent throughout. The CD is also cheap, and can be used either just for enjoyment, or further to explore other recordings by Williams, the classical guitar repertoire, or other classical guitarists.
As a marketing ploy, it is very effective.
For the collector or classical guitar enthusiast, the chief disadvantages of the CD are duplication of other recordings, and that the way at least some of the works on this CD are listed isn't helpful in telling the listener the set(s) to which these pieces belong and how to find them (e.g. "from ______, Op # "). The font listing the titles and track numbers is small and somewhat hard to read.
However, this CD should attract many listeners and enthusiasts both to the classical guitar, the repertoire, and guitarist John Williams - and I'm all for that.
Over 70 minutes playing time.
Recommended."
A True Classic
M. Levitt - classical music buff | 01/26/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album/cd is extraordinary. All the songs are gorgeous and exciting to listen to. John Williams' interpretation and technique are perfect. After 22 years of listening to it, I still enjoy and appreciate it more every time. I love giving it as a gift."
"This admirable concept belongs to Hector Berlioz and it must not be a surprise the best guitarrists in the story have in common this trademark.
John Williams has always known the delicate equilibrium between the expresiveness and the glamouer. His impresive technique however is not exposed as his prima edonna. He goes directly to the soul of the composer, melts in his spirit and let the music sharp the qith eloquent conviction the composer's demanded atmosphere.
From Granados to Albeniz, from Rodrigo to Agustin Barrios - El indio Mangore -, from Moreno Torroba to Ponce , you will find the warmth, the passion and the Midas touch of this golden guitarrist."
The Best Classical Guitarist in the World
Stuart M. Paine | Arlington, VA USA | 08/27/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"All of the music on this disc was recorded for Columbia Records between 1964 and 1970 for release on four different LP albums. These are those albums (and I've had them all for 35 years):
COLUMBIA RECORDS PRESENTS JOHN WILLIAMS (1964)
VIRTUOSO MUSIC FOR GUITAR (1965)
MORE VIRTUOSO MUSIC FOR GUITAR (1967)
JOHN WILLIAMS PLAYS SPANISH MUSIC (1970)
Fourteen of the first fifteen tracks here are from the 1970 LP and are presented in their original sequence. Track 6, "El Colibri" by Segreras, is not from that LP. It here replaces the proper sixth LP track, "Valses Poeticos" by Granados, which strangely has been omitted from this collection entirely. Otherwise, the album, certainly one of Williams's greatest, would have been complete on this disc.
What follows is a complete list of the Spanish and Latin American pieces included on the three earlier LPs and in the original sequences (* signifies omission from this collection):
COLUMBIA RECORDS PRESENTS JOHN WILLIAMS
"Sevilla"
"Recuerdos de la Alhambra"
"Fandanguillo"
"Soleares" (Turina) *
"Rafaga" (Turina) *
"El Testemen de Amelia"
"Scherzino Mexicano" (Ponce) *
"El Colibri"
VIRTUOSO MUSIC FOR GUITAR
"Spanish Dance No. 5"
Etude No. 8 (Villa-Lobos) *
"Homenaje a Debussy"
MORE VIRTUOSO MUSIC FOR GUITAR
"Fantasia..." (Mudarra)
"Diferencias Sobre el Conde Claros" (Mudarra) *
Prelude No. 4 (V-L)
Prelude No. 2 (V-L) *
"Aires de la Mancha" (Moreno-Torroba) *
Better choices could have been made from this pool. I myself would have included the "Valses Poeticos" and left out the Villa-Lobos. I've always been bowled over by JW's approach to Spanish repertoire, but don't find him completely convincing with Villa-Lobos' music which in my opinion benefits greatly from a "warmer" touch (like Bream's). Most certainly, the inclusion of these Segreras and Villa-Lobos pieces in a "Spanish" recital is a bit strange, although they're both showy and can be loosely associated with Spanish guitar. Turina's "Rafaga" is one of JW's most fiery performances and could have made the cut. One could in fact make a compelling case for all three Turina pieces from the first LP. Happily, another JW disc which draws from the same recordings, SPANISH GUITAR FAVORITES, does have both the "Valses Poeticos" and all the Turina, and is also available on Amazon.
Quibbling aside, these performances were at the time (and still are) STARTLINGLY good. It's difficult to convey nowadays just how impossible it seemed in 1970 that a human being could play like this. This music is difficult to play and nobody had ever done it with such confidence and ease. I'll never forget seeing JW in 1971 and looking around the hall to see faces uniformly agog.
There are three different packagings for this same disc. I have not heard them all and am in no position to comment as to their relative value. Thank you for reading.
Track Listings (23) - Disc #1
Liesl N. from PERRY, MI 
