Customer Reviews

A Jug of Wine and Thou

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow!, Ms. Afshar's interpretation of Domeniconi's Koyunbaba is simply wonderful! There is more expression, more emotion, more "Easternness" to her version than to that of Antigoni Goni, or of John Williams (on "The Guitarist"). You haven't really heard Koyunbaba until you've heard this one.

Ms. Afshar's five Persian ballads are evocative, and only available on this CD. As a plus for guitarists, Mel Bay has issued the score of all five.

This CD is music to be enjoyed!

My wife's cousin attended a concert by Ms. Afshar and bought this album for me. She knew I loved guitar music and liked to hear new performers and new melodies.

I have played this album over again and again. It offers serious music that functions equally well as background and music closely attended to. To the largely Spanish, Latin American and Italian repertoire (Albeniz, Domeniconi, Ponce, Granados, etc.), Afshar adds her own arrangement of five lovely Persian ballads. It would be wrong to say that they are the high spot of the program because the quality of music in this disc is uniformly high throughout.

Late one night, seeking to calm down after a stressful day, I played this record by Afshar. I followed it with John O'Dette on lute playing Dowland's, and then Zanon playing Villa Lobos's guitar pieces. Who was best? All were first rate.

I decided to purchase this CD because I was so impressed by "Hemispheres", Lily's latest recording! This is incredible guitar playing! This is the most astonishingly artistic performance of "Koyunbaba" I have ever heard! Lily is a great artist!

This is the ultimate makeout album. If you want to score with a cultured girl, this is the disc to buy.

Ms. Afshar with her rendition of these persian melodies takes us to a delicate,beautiful ralm of romantic and at times ecstatic love;where joy and sorrow fuse into oneanother.

Ms. Afshar's playing is incredible. This album is highly recommended for everyone.

This CD is one of my most priced CD's in my collection of classical guitar songs. Truly remarkable work by Dr. Afshar.

Frankly, I'm unimpressed. This performer's technique is far from impeccable (e.g., uneven tremolo -- isn't this what students go to school for?); her interpretations are rather haphazard (e.g., listen to Barrios's very well known Waltz No.4: rubatos seem misplaced, dynamics random). I know these days we've become spoiled by outstanding players like -- just to pick a few -- Bream, Williams, Barrueco, and Galbraith, but whatever the case may be, this record isn't on the same level. Also: I'm quite disappointed with the pile of hyperventilating and dishonest five-star reviews on this page... they're obviously written by people somehow interested in pushing this record rather than honest music lovers: I am so certain of this because musical shortcomings on this recording are very obvious. Sorry guys, the only thing you achieve is making everyone ignore positive reviews altogether. I'm even tempted to give this piece two stars in an attempt to outbalance the hype, but otoh, that would be unfair to the performer: it's not _that_ bad, so I'll leave it at three and hope other buyers read all reviews, and read them critically and analytically. "Best Koyunbaba"! for Christ's sakes, in reality this is probably the worst Koyunbaba I've heard (I mean, comparatively; it isn't bad). As far as it goes, the Parkening version (shortened; not a very great one) is much better (for example). Bottom line: skip this one.