Scott Joplin on Guitar [Import]

Giovanni De Chiaro (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 1, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Centaur
• ASIN: B0000057W1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #204,310 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Classical, not Ragtime, October 16, 2004

By 

Robert Carlberg (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scott Joplin on Guitar (Audio CD)

De Chiaro's obviously a classically-trained guitarist, as the renditions here are very crisp and precise without a hint of soul. Classical musicians rarely succeed when trying to play jazz or folk; you can't notate the "feel" so they tend to not have any. De Chiaro is technically flawless here, but in so doing he makes Joplin's music curiously dry and academic.

The beauty of Joplin's music is the gentle alternation between blues and Chopinesque virtuosity. In De Chiaro's hands these rags sound like Bagatelles unfortunately removed from their wistful origins. It's pleasant enough, in a Segovia-like way but not what I was hoping for. Dave Laibman and Stefan Grossman have both done better -- though not nearly enough.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sounds great, May 7, 2000

By 

Dave Rohm "Rockadomas" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scott Joplin on Guitar (Audio CD)

He briefly describes that Joplin took inspiration from Sousa marches and local mandolin choirs. This guy really starts hot-rodding it on some of these songs. He can play fast and when you combine that with Scott Joplin's songs you get a real lift with a relaxing feeling. Never mind that it was a breakthrough to play a band's worth of parts on the piano, this guy puts it on the guitar! I hope someone will transcribe it to a book so the rest of us can be thouroghly humbled.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, January 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Scott Joplin on Guitar (Audio CD)

I was fortunate enough to hear Giovanni de Chiaro in person when he came to French Camp, MS, two or three years ago. He is superb - I'd say almost, if not as good as, Christopher Parkening. His fingering is lightning-fast, and he captures the proper Joplin Scott spirit. A must-have for any music fan.