Bach Guitar Recital

Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
• Audio CD (August 16, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B000002RU9
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,128 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #65 in Music > Classical > Instruments > Strings > Lute

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent classical guitarist: With his own sound, April 12, 2007

By 

D. Reinstein "marindavid" (Fairfax, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bach Guitar Recital (Audio CD)

Julian Bream is, without a doubt, one of the premiere classical guitarists of the modern recording era. Comparisons between great guitarists is often unfair and misleading as they each have their own styles - and each musician and his/her style tends to be particularly well suited to certain types of music. For example, Andres Segovia's style, cultivated by self-teaching throughout his now ended life, concentrated on flowing legatto smoothness and flowing melodies. Bream's, on the other hand, while equally masterful, is better characterized as emphasizing the precision and crispness of each and every individual note. What better composer to focus on to show this particular proclivity that J. S. Bach, whose work, having been written largely for the keyboards (harpsichord) but also for the lute and triple harp, tends to emphasize the kinds of music Bream excels at. Stacatto phrasings, each written to be played with crystalline exactness, are the types of pieces wherein Bream's magnificence is conspicuous and best showcased. Thus, the special relevance of this particular compilation of some of his best Bach work on this CD.

It includes only four major pieces - each of which has, of course, subsets/parts. The Basic pieces are all by J.S. Bach and include:

1. Prelude, Fugue and Allegro BWV998

2. Suite BWV 996

3. Chaconne from Partita BWV 1004, and

4. Parita BMV 1006a

Originally recorded in 1994 and recently re-released by EMI Classics, this CD showcases Bream's greatest abilities as a musician of chiming precision and maturity. The fact that his renditions of these pieces are unique and differ in many ways from the versions recorded by Segovia, Williams and others - render them no less excellent. Simply put, they are different. Excellence comes in many flavors! Born in 1933, he is, perhaps, the most thoroughly accomplished of living classical guitarists and it is arguable that his style represents more than a 'difference' with Segovia's musicianship - but a generational C change and progression in the interpretation of pieces such as these written, by-in-large, in the 18th century.

No matter how you see this issue, I am confident that any lover of classical guitar will enjoy (many times) this CD and Bream's highly stylized and precise renditions of some of J.S. Bach's most memorable and complex masterworks.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great recording, April 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bach Guitar Recital (Audio CD)

Julian Bream is definitely among the best musicians of the 20th century, and his performance is supreme in this recording of Bach's compositions, originally written for the lute (though still debated in the academia) and violin. If you like Bach, this CD will not disappoint you in any way. These pieces are among the most popular for the classical guitarists, and matches the sound of the guitar very well.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo!, February 19, 2002

By 

Feller who likes Old Yeller "bottomline5" (Webster, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach Guitar Recital (Audio CD)

Bream makes this music sound like it was written for the guitar. The individuality of contrapuntal lines is extraordinary. Musically compelling interpretations. I never get tired of listening to this album.