Customer Reviews

Essential Guitar: 33 Guitar Masterpieces

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

One wonders how the producers of this two CD set were able to obtain the rights to such outstanding performances, then put the whole thing together and still make money on the product.

Economic issues aside, this is an outstanding collection of guitar pieces by the best performers and composers. Pepe Romero, John Williams, Andres Segovia, Julian Bream have several performances each. Some lesser known but excellent performers appear as well. Paco Pena, the superb Flamenco stylist, does two traditional Spanish tunes. Composers include Rodrigo, Albeniz, Bach, Tarrega, Torroba, Vivaldi, Villa-Lobos, Granados, and many others. Stanley Myers' "Cavatina", the theme to The Deer Hunter, fits in surprisingly well, although not strictly speaking a classical piece.

Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" played by Pepe Romero, with Marriner's Orchestra of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, is terrific. I liked it better than the more familiar versions of Julian Bream and John Williams. It seems more "Spanish", perhaps due to Romero's flamenco background, but I am only guessing at that. Marriner's superb orchestra certainly adds to the performance.

The technical quality seems to be excellent.

Highly recommended as an introduction for those new to the classical guitar and a valuable compilation of canonical performances for the aficionado.

If you only bought this double CD set, you'd have a good starter collection of classical guitar music. It includes most of the standards, as well as rarer pieces. In addition to the many solo pieces, there are several excerpts from orchestral works, with Rodrigo's indispensible Adagio from "Concierto de Aranjuez" topping the list. There are also several flamenco numbers included, complete with heel taps and castanets.

The recording quality is uniformly good, even on the tracks by Segovia. I don't know if they were remastered or recorded late in his career, but they're free of the surface noise present in so many of his recordings. The set clocks in at a generous 2 1/2 hours - one of the greatest deals in instrumental music; this is not a "bargain" quality set. Listen to the samples online - great stuff.

My only mild criticism is in the marketing. The advertising features John Williams and Julian Bream. Each contributes exactly one track. I would have enjoyed more pieces by them for stylistic comparison. But the less well-known (at least to guitar music neophytes like me) artists are every bit as good, and I intend to obtain more of their work.

This is a wonderful collection of guitar music. I thought it would be just guitar but there are lovely, lush, orchestral accompaniments that give you much enjoyment for the price of this CD. You can expect to hear the standards by Vivaldi and Bach, as well as modern great guitar compositions by De Falla and the Romeros.

I love all kinds of music, but when I can't decide what to listen to, I turn to this CD. Relaxing, interesting, magnificent; the skill is mind blowing. How anyone could manipulate these sounds out of a guitar is beyond me - superlatives don't do justice to an artist like Pepe Romero; but more, the songs are intensely enjoyable to listen to, and easy to appreciate. My favorites are Asturias, Caprice, Cavatina, Noche En Mataga, and La Alcazaba, but there really isn't a bad song on either CD.

This may be the best money I've ever spent. I got 2-1/2 hours of bliss for less than what I'd usually pay for one CD -- and you know how it is with music. You buy an album because of a song or two that you love, and you find that you like maybe half the songs on it. There's not a single selection in this one that I would've left out. It includes Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, performed by Pepe Romero on the guitar with the Acadamy of St. Martin in the Fields. I needed to replace my old LP recording of that. But I also get 30 other classical compositions and traditional Spanish pieces, each special in its own way.

Have you ever heard music that you wanted to last forever, maybe even to dive inside and live there for a while, immersing yourself in sound? That's how I feel about this collection. The only problem I have with it is that I bought it thinking it might be nice to listen to while I write. Not so. It's terrible for that. I'll sit with my hands poised above the laptop keyboard, assuring myself I'll get some work done while I listen. The music takes hold and carries me away.

I'm not expert at describing this or any type of music. I just know what I love. You might too, if you enjoy classical or Spanish guitar -- unless you have absurd expectations about combining listening with work.

Unlike many "budget" collections, this set contains decent recordings of fine performances by major artists. Highly recommended.

Either one of the two CDs are worth the asking price. The two together are a deal of a lifetime. Just read the list of performers - John Williams, Julian Bream, Pepe Romero, Andreas Segovia - this alone should tell you you're in for a treat!

The first CD starts with Pepe Romero's famous performance of the Rodrigo Guitar Concerto. Romero's delivery is crisp and vibrant, perhaps one of the best recordings of this piece that exists today.

The Asturias (also played by Romero) is another of my favorites, closely followed by the Bach transcriptions.

The rest of the tracks (37 in all) are all similarly excellent.
I wish I could write more, but my wife waits impatiently.

Buy it - I promise you'll love it.

This is a lot of very good music, very well played, for a very low price. You can't go wrong here (unless, of course, you already have versions of much of this music). Some of our premier guitarists are represented, which makes this a sort of sampler.

(If you find you need STILL more guitar music, however, you might consider Ron Rendek's WE GATHER TOGETHER, which includes, among its varied menu, some fairly recent and yet very accessible and pleasant pieces.)

Up until this collection, I'd never heard the "Cavatina" played in the Deer Hunter movie. After hearing it, I could play it all day and not tire of it! It moves me that much, considering that it's almost "not" a classical guitar selection. The rest of the music is first rate! Excellent playing, but the "Cavatina..."
Buy it and enjoy!!!!

This is a great guitar cd of famous guitarists. You definitely get your money worth in having the two CD's. Very impressed with this CD and have purchased 4 CD's to give them as gifts to friends and family who loves guitar music.