Customer Reviews

El Diablo Suelto - Guitar Music of Venezuela

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me start saying that I am Venezuelan and I have had the chance to see many guitar players perform many of the songs selected in this CD. I can honestly say that the performaces presented by John Williams rank among the best ones I have listen in a long time. The song arragements were done by another giant of the classical guitar, Alirio Diaz, a venezuelan guitarrist that has taken classical guitar music to a higher level. The result is a recording full of live and emotion, as well as, technical mastery. This a true guitar document that presents Venezuela's musical legacy to the guitar world. I just hope that Mr Williams is willing to do another CD with more of this music.

John Williams has done more to expand the horizons and repertoire of the guitar than any other classical guitarist of our time. Following up on the African-inspired Magic Box, Diablo takes us to Venezuela where the sounds of the guitar are lively, fast-paced and carry a little of the feel of flamenco (some might disagree rather vigorously, but that's just how it strikes me). As always, Williams' technique and expressiveness are a perfect blend of impeccable mastery and artistic sensitivity to the spirit of the music. In those pieces where he plays with other musicians, he shows a keen appreciation for the merits of their instruments. The conversation between Williams and the other players is well-balanced and brings an appreciation for the number of obscure but highly gifted musicians out there. Unlike Magic Box, most of the pieces are for solo guitar and as far as Williams fans go, that's just fine. I found the style of music to be different than that of his previous album From the Jungles of Paraguay. That album was of course dedicated to the marvelous gems of Augustin Barrios, but don't think that Diablo is more of the same. It isn't. As for Sony, I can't say how pleased I am by the superb effort they put into the the recording of Williams' albums. Most classical guitar recordings sound as though they were made at the bottom of a swamp, but Sony consistently produces albums with unsurpassed clarity, capturing the wide tonal colors of the classical guitar more faithfully than most labels. My hat's off to them.

Hi classical guitar fans. This is the first time I've decided to write a few words for Amazon. This recording has moved me to add a few words to the roster.

I would like to convey something that perhaps is missing from the other commentary. This album rises above the usual "good recording", by Mr. Williams. We have here a CD that is the rare combination of all the right elements that combine to make it into the most hoped for "favorite record" status.

It is that good! I sensed it right away when I played it for the first time through. Every song is a gem, perfectly played and follows in the 'right' order. The producers have very cleverly managed to time the space between the tracks to be very minute, and so the music flows wonderfully from one song to the next.

Both my mother and father are in love with this CD as much as I am! They play it over and over. My mother (who is 70) counts it as one of her favorite recordings of all time.

Folks, this is truly a winner.

I happened upon this cd the other day and had to do a triple take before realizing it was an entirely new recording with many peices I'd never heard. I think John Williams has done a wonderful job of reaching out further than the typical guitar "master" would, he did the Barrios recording, then an album either by Greek composers or inspired by Greece (the pieces by Satie were based on Greek characters etc.) and then the Magic Box (African folk). I keep wondering when he'll team up with Paco Pena or Paco de Lucia or even Gerardo Nunez for a flamenco collaboration. Or delve into a Russian folk setting, that might be fun. There's so much opportunity for the broadening of the spectrum when it comes to the indigineous folk music of different contries. I'm so glad to see Williams taking the time to explore. Excellent, excellent album.

If you like both beautiful melody and rhythm of the Latin American sort, you will like this recording. If you like solo classical guitar of the supremely virtuosic sort, add that into the equation (plus a few excellent duets). These pieces are played with an uncanny rhythmic precision that does not sound mechanical. They are played elegantly, eloquently and with feeling neither overstated nor understated. Bear with me, because it is impossible to do justice to this beautiful recording with mere words. It is among my favorite recordings of all time - I never tire of listening to it.

John Williams shows, once again, his guitar mastery in this album. Nice surprise to have few pieces accompanied by a "Cuatro".

I consider Alirio Diaz' interpretations of Venezuelan guitar music to be the gold standard, and yet I was happily surprised by John's version of these pieces.

I discovered this record by chance. I had followed the work of John Williams for some time, but I never suspected that he had recorded Venezuelan music. John Willimas not just plays Venezulean music superbly but also catches the genuine spirit of it in all its sense.
If you like Venezuelan music this is definitely a jewel you must have. And If you haven't listened to it before I can't imagine a better way to be introduced to it.

beautiful sound!... great cd!
Im Venezuelan, and its not easy to find our music only played in one instrument (guitar)
great choice of songs, played beautifully! you can feel the emotion and passion..

John Williams is an exceptional classical guitarist and his exploration of the guitar music of Venezuela is a winner. Most of the work is for solo guitar with a few duets. The precision and mastery of his playing is almost beyond belief. The recording is extremely clear, capturing all the warmth of the instrument. Much of the music is based on Venezualian dance form and the booklet inside the CD explains this in detail. Williams reminds me of the best anthropologists, discovering and conveying unknown worlds with precision, honesty, mastery, allowing the work to speak for itself. It is a beautiful collection.

This album has already received great praise from other reviewers here (deservedly so), so I'm just going to add my brief remarks. Anyone who loves acoustic guitar music, classical music and/or music of Spanish origin must listen to this disc. I just ripped it to my computer and have been listening to it the past week. It is just great! Most of the works on this disc are based on Venezuelan dance forms, and the booklet helpfully describes all of them. Some of the tracks are very lively -- you will want to stand up and start dancing, even if you don't know how!! Other tracks are slower and more meditative, but it all adds up to one amazing acoustic guitar album and another fantastic contribution from maestro Williams.