Artistry: American Landscapes [Original recording remastered]

Sharon Isbin (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 12, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Angel Records
• ASIN: B00005YDKJ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,918 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharon Isbin's Americana, April 13, 2005

By 

Erik North (San Gabriel, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Artistry: American Landscapes (Audio CD)

Without question, Sharon Isbin is one of the finest classical guitarists of all time, regardless of gender or nationality. Her mastering of many different styles and pieces from many different times marks her as one of the all-time best. And on this recording, made during 1993 and 1994, Ms. Isbin takes on three unique American guitar concertos that she herself commissioned to expand the guitar concerto repertoire.

With "Troubadours", a series of variations for guitar and orchestra composed by John Corigliano, Ms. Isbin explores the music of medieval troubadours from a uniquely 20th century perspective. In "From Afar", a fantasy for guitar and orchestra composed by Joseph Schwantner, she opts for a mesmerizing and dreamy approach to the form. And with Lukas Foss' "American Landscapes", Ms. Isbin goes for what might be called a Classical Americana approach. This last concerto borrows a few pages from traditional Appalachian bluegrass stand-bys like "Poor Wayfaring Stranger", "Stay A Little Longer", and "Cotton-Eyed Joe."

All three pieces are performed superbly by Ms. Isbin, and she is greatly aided by conductor Hugh Wolff and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. For anyone interested in guitar concertos, American classical music, or both, this is a can't-miss recording.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have Music!, January 28, 2003

By 

Music Seeker (Sunny FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Artistry: American Landscapes (Audio CD)

This cd ranks among the best in contemporary orchestral music. It features incredible depth of emotion and intellectual stimulation. Listen to it a few times and you will be very pleased. Isbin is the most innovative and daring classical guitarist performing today. A++

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great American Concertos, December 30, 2006

By 

P. Alvarez "vivaldi116" (Killeen, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Artistry: American Landscapes (Audio CD)

American and British composers have tried

for decades to move the guitar away fron

its Spanish, and Latin-American connections

and in their effort have written works of great

ingenuity. This recording has three concertos

all written for Sharon Isbin, by three different

American composers. In "Troubadors" John Corigliano

takes us back to the middle ages with a tune by

Beatriz de Dia, who was a lady troubador from

the middle ages, Mr. Corigliano uses her original

tune "A Chantar" and developes it into something very

special. "From Afar" by Joseph Schwanter is a work

of genius, and inventiveness. The last work in the

CD is a guitar concerto by Lukas Foss, in which Foss

uses several American folk tunes, in some aspects

brings to mind the Americana works of the

past generation of American composers. Mrs.

Isbin does a wonderful work as always, and

the Saint Paul chamber is equally up to the

task. Wonderful recording.