Customer Reviews

Schubert: "Arpeggione" Sonata; Giuliani: Guitar Concerto

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

 

 

Williams is a living legend. Critics claim he lacks emotion but cannot dispute his flawless, superhuman technique. I only wish he would stop using that Smallman guitar for his all his recordings/performances. He does use a Gaetano Guadagnini from 1814 on this one for the Giuliani Concerto which sounds suprisingly good. John Williams is doing a tremendous amount for making guitar recordings accessible to non guitarists and for lending credibility to the guitar as a serious, magical and enchanting instrument. Bravo! Mr. Williams.

JOHN WILLIAMS' PERFORMANCE IS A JOYFUL DELIGHT! HIS SKILLFUL KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THE TONES OF HIS SMALLMAN GUITAR EMBRACES THE SHUBERT MUSIC, WHICH INVITE THE LISTENER TO HIS PASSIONATE LOVE OF THE GUITAR'S SWEET MUSIC. HE COMPLEMENTS THE AUSTRALIA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA'S VIVID AND SPARKLING ACCENTS. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS RECORDING FOR WILLIAMS' OBVIOUS PASSION FOR THE MELODIC MUSIC OF SHUBERT AND GUILLIANI. IN THE ALBUM NOTES MR. WILLIAMS MENTIONS HIS AFFINITY FOR THE MUSIC THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. FOR THE LISTENER, THIS RECORDING WILL ALWAYS BE A MEMORABLE EVENT. ENJOY THE MUSIC AND YOU MAY ACTUALLY BELIEVE YOU'RE THE GUITARIST! FOR 1999, THIS IS ONE OF THE GRANDEST CLASSICAL RECORDINGS. AS I LISTENED TO THIS RECORDING, I RECALLED IN MEMORY SEGOVIA'S RECORDING OF PONCE'S " CONCIERTO DEL SUR ". THE GAETANO GUADAGNINI GUITAR WAS AN EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR THIS GUILIANI RECORDING. ONE SHARES THE INTIMATE SALON TEXTURES OF A GUITAR BY WILLIAMS' SOFT AND HARMONIC ADAGIO STYLE. THIS RECORDING IS A MUSICAL ADVENTURE, ENJOY THE FLIGHT THROUGHOUT THIS AND THE FORTHCOMING CENTURY.

The Arpeggione Sonata of Schubert sounds terrific in this performance by John Williams and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. We were privileged to hear the piece performed live by these performers in Penrith [outer Sydney suburb] around the time that the CD was recorded.

While "it's never the same unless you're there at the game" as football fans know, the recording is as good as a recording can be.

Highly recommended.

This is the kind of CD that transcends Classical Music and enters the mainstream as an example of what Classical Guitar can be. You don't have to be a Classical Music aficionado or a classical guitar buff to really appreciate this CD. It is a perfect example of the beauty and universal appeal of the classical guitar.

The arrangement of the Arpeggione Sonata for guitar is fascinating, making lovely music perhaps even more lovely.We used it with our U3A Musical Appreciation group who were unanimous in deriving great enjoyment from the recording and also in feeling that musicologists are wrong in assigning Schubert to the Romantic rather than the Classical period.

This CD was so very dissapointing. the Arpeggione was good, however, the Guiliani was lacking. I must say, overall, a waste of money. Classical guitar is very enjoyable, but I cannot say that for this entire CD.

No one with ears can fault Williams's, as always, excellent playing, but what's with the pairing with the Giuliani Concerto? Do we really need to hear that recorded again and again? Enough already!