Customer Reviews

Laureate Series: Guitar

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i'm not very experienced with listening to guitar music but i have been studying piano for 16 years now (i'm 20) and i know a good instrumental recital when i hear one. this is one guys: fresh lyricism and flawless technique. although those looking for 'fire' in a guitar performance probably won't find it completely satisfactory, but superb technique and the way it enables her to shape the subtle details makes this a very desirable cd... at naxos price... anyone slightly interested should get this

I don't like negativity, but after reading all these rave reviews I felt I had to add my two cents. This isn't a bad CD, I think it's pretty good....but it's a little slow (if not to say boring at times). I would rather just hear the last two movements of Mompou's "Suite Compostelana" - like Scott Tennant recorded on "Wild Mountain Thyme". I think the main reason I'm writing this though is the comment another reviewer made about her version of Domeniconi's "Koyunbaba" making John Williams sound like a "schoolboy"! I have both John Williams' "The Guitarist" and this CD----believe me, it isn't even close! John Williams version is absolutely incredible (as is his entire CD, a much better selection of repertoire) and makes Ms. Goni's version seem somewhat lame.

This cd is a must for the first 2 pieces alone! Gonis performance of Koyunbaba is (for me) far greater than the legendary Williams' recording. This version is unhurried, and massively progressive, utilising every note and passage to work the whole monumental piece. Invocation y danza is arguably greater than Williams' recording also..truly mesmerising. There are other highlights here, such as Dream in the magic garden by Barrios.

I bought this before hearing Ms. Goni in concert, at which she did the Koyunbaba (as every guitarist must now do, it appears -- even Chris Parkening uses it as his encore piece). Ms. Goni's tone and attack are superb on the album, and in person. I have heard at least 4 others do the piece, and hers is hands-down the best. The rest of the album is similar in quality -- outstanding -- and the selection of pieces is very nice. She is also a delight to chat with; very down-to-earth and personable. My favorite among my (about 40) classical guitar CD's.

One rarely finds so many great modern selections on a single disc, especially with classical guitar music. Equally rare is the spectacular performance given by Antigoni Goni. Every piece is performed with immaculate technique, but Goni is no mindless technician. She is a masterful musician, sensitive to the ebb & flow that makes music more than just a collection of random pitches. I favor her performances over such great guitarists as John Williams & Manuel Barrueco. Her playing of the the Rodrigo - Invocacion y Danza and the Brouwer - El Decameron Negro are the finest renditions I have heard. This disc holds a very high spot in my collection, and it is well worth the purchase.

This is a really lovely album--warm, musical, and accomplished, with a couple of great performances. Like other reviewers, I think this is the best Koyunbaba recorded (though like other reviewers I would have preferred four tracks). The Black Decameron is a piece I feel hot and cold about, but again this is a terrific version.

Ms. Goni is pretty often my favorite guitarist: her tone is beautiful, and musically she sounds natural, direct, and almost effortless, even in demanding work. David Russell sounds joyous, Alice Artzt thoughtful, Bream intense, Ana Vidovic prodigious, Jason Vieaux stylish, but Antigoni Goni is clear. Listening to her is a pure pleasure. Beautiful stuff.

The Naxos Laureate Guitar Series is a good way to familiarize oneself with classical guitar literature without having to spend a fortune. And, if that is one's goal, then this is a fine recording to achieve that end. But if you are already a classical guitar aficionado, then this CD serves little purpose towards building a collection because the pieces recorded here have been recorded a zillion times before. I prefer some of the other Laureate guitar recitals where many of the pieces are new or rarely heard.

Another squabble that I have is with the production of the Koyunbaba, a piece that I love no matter who records it, though I have my favorites. Goni does a good job here but why isn't the tune separated into 4 tracks like everyone else does? The guitar student certainly won't appreciate this, as won't the listener who wants to skip to a favorite movement. Another problem with Koyunbaba is speed. Though Goni gives an okay overall performance, it is played too fast. Her recording time of 11:45 is a full 3 minutes faster than that of Lily Afshar and 2-1/2 minutes faster than John Williams. Goni accomplishes this by playing the 1st and 3rd movements way too fast. Williams and Afshar (and, Alexander-Sergei Ramirez) really know how to let the piece breathe. If you get a chance, listen to the awesome 1st movement in the hands of Lily Afshar. Afshar really brings out the Middle Eastern flavor of the piece and even bends strings to give it a bluesy feeling in places. Little of that charm is here and Goni's rendition, by comparison, is plain.

63 minutes.

At her concert I was overwhelmed with emotion about her playing. Then, when I listened to this CD I felt she is among the top performers in my collection, and my wife agreed. Over the years I got emotional whenever I listened to Segovia and Bream, and now I can add Antigoni.

Brilliant, precise, emotional. If you like classical guitar, you should LOVE this CD.

This is a superb CD recorded by one of the best young players in the world. A composition like "Koyunbaba" played by two world-class classical guitarists should indeed be different, each interpretes it in their own characteristic way and that's what makes it so great. Having said that, I personally found her version to be more expressive and musical although the great John Williams' version is technically mindboggling and superb as always.