Customer Reviews

Ana Vidovic Guitar Recital

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This CD is a stunning debut recording by one of the most gifted young guitarists to appear in some time. Her technical abilities are of the highest level. Anyone that can play the Prelude to the 4th Lute Suite this briskly AND musically is above most criticism. And I have been playing the 4th Lute Suite for thirty years myself.

Now, of course Ana Vidovic has lots of room to grow aesthetically--how could it not be so, as she made this recording before she was twenty years old? For example, the Sonata Romantica suffers a bit from excess impetus. She almost never lets the music breath and in this music, hommage to Schubert as it is, expansiveness is inherent to the style. But let us also praise her choice of repertoire. She has unerringly chosen very fine pieces from the repertoire, which is not always the case. Her Walton Bagatelles are remarkable, showing a panache that we are used to hearing only from Julian Bream, for whom they were written.

One thing that Ana Vidovic has in spades is a real ear for harmonic progression--this is one of the many things that sets this recording apart from many others by those with velocity and fingers and little else.

So, my advice is to purchase this recording. I doubt very much that you will regret it and you will be hearing a lot more from this artist over the years.

This cd was played by a new coming about 25 years old guitarist who was born in Croatia. Maybe in the time released this cd, she would not be 20 even. Ceatainly I tend to be interested to her cute looking, but when I listened to this cd actually, I understood that she played with the prominent techniqus so that we could not think she was a young guitarist.

I can understand her great performance when I know his history as a guitarist. She entered in music shool, Zagrev at 13 years old, and was tought by Astvan, the most famouse guitarist in Croatia, won the Sor competition in Rome, the Taregga competition and performed many recitals in counties like U.S.A, U.K, Porland and Australia etc neverthless she is young. Off course not only her solo recitals but also the peformance with orchestra. It seems that she have made many fames and results.

She is a great player as she can take such spotlight, but the selection songs in this cd is not showy songs like "La cathedral by Brios" "Sun burst by York" that young players tend to play, is occupied by songs that old guitarists tend to play, Bach, Ponce and so on. It seems that she think about classical guitar history deeply by such song selections though young.

The song rist in the cd is not always included difficult songs on technique, however even if the songs is simple, by the beautiful melodies with the sensitive finger touch to the strings, I can guess her potential techniqus. For instance, if I listen to the beautiful and high speed melodies of Bach prelude or the rythmycal play of Tarrega Danca mora, I can guess her incredible techniqus.

And her playing guitar is made in her born country, Zagrev Croatia, or the latter songs of the album is from her county. By such things, I can think that she cherishs the emotion to her born county.

Thank you for reading poor English.

Ana Vidovic, in this recording, comes across as a "phenom." Exceptional technique but a guitarist who has some growing and maturing to do. Put differently, her technique exceeds her emotional grasp of the music.

About two years ago we were fortunate to hear Ana perform live at a Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society concert. She has grown tremendously. She still has a world class technique, but her playing, her grasp of the music was simply wonderful, one of the best classical guitar recitals I have heard in years. The Society's reviewer wrote of the concert: "Come back Ana, soon and often!"

Hopefully the CD reviewed here will be the first of many. Few guitarists of any age play as Ana does in this disc. She is capable of much more, and deserves the widest possible audience.

For anyone following ALL previous versions of Bach's Fourth Lute Suite (Williams, Barrueco, Galbraith, Russell, and a long etc) Vidovic deserves a place of her own. Her playing is superb: it has energy, character, precision and strength enough to deceive anybody ignoring she was barely 19 at the time of the recording. If you do not have this CD buy it now. Bear in mind it is not Sony, or BMG with their outstanding sound engineers, but Vidovic makes up for all that absence. She is part of a new generation of croatian world class virtuosi and in my opinion, a clear step forward in Classical Guitar Playing.

The two previous harsh reviews aside, Ana Vidovic is indeed a star still rising. This recording is wonderful in every way. Those critical of the tempo of some pieces remind me of the appraisal of Mozart's music having too many notes. Some people just don't get it. I love Ana's music and wonderful playing, my son loves Ana.

This recording, made when Ms. Vidovic was only 17, is one of the most incredible displays of guitar virtuosity I have ever seen. Her playing is incredibly clean and precise with great separation of voices and wonderful articulation. We all wish we could play like she does as a 17 year old, let alone as well as she will play. She is certainly a star on the rise, and if you haven't heard her, buy this now.

This is how John Duarte described the privilege of listening to the performance of this exceptional young girl at the Albert Augustine Memorial International Guitar Competition in Bath, England. Indeed, there are few words that could describe the surprise one may experience after seeing the fragile demeanor of this child, when the first notes of the Prelude to the Partita in E Major start without a warning. A stunning velocity and technical perfection combined with unexpected maturity and deep and profound understanding of the music give the listener over an hour of exquisite musical pleasure. She is absolutely brilliant, perhaps one of the greatest performers ever, in the tradition of Barrios, Luise Walker, Ida Presti and Alexandre Lagoya.

I've had the recording for a while and I saw her live too. The recording is a nice interpretation of Bach because of the speed of the pieces. I met her after I saw her live in '05 and she is a total doll. Buy it even if you don't like classical cuz it will change your mind.

Ana is going to be someone to watch out for for years to come. Seeing her live is simply a rare treat in life. A true master, at least in my eyes. The only reason I rated this a 4/5 is because of her incredible speed. It's absolutely mind bogling how fast and accurate she can play, yet is speed the right thing in all situations? Example. The first track. Ana stuns you with 'how fast she can move through the piece.' I sat and listened to this track, comparing it to another master, Julian Bream. Ana moves through the piece with computer percission. Julian flows through the piece at over a minute slower. He seems to be in complete control of speed, accuracy, and emotion. Ana was quite young when this was recorded, and I have been impressed with her later work. I enjoy this recording for what it is. A young master that has perfected the technical aspect to her playing. I'm not going to say slow down, or copy Bream. Continue to grow, and develope. I'll keep listening.

Ana Vidovic plays the lines of Bach far better than a just a viruostic guitarist, but her understanding and experience with Bach is displayed only after the first phrase of the Prelude. The romantic and energentic power of Tarrega is perfectly characterized in the Capricho Arabe, Vals, Danza Mora and this might just be the best recording of the Five Bagatelles that I have ever heard. I have listened to many Classical guitar CDs and own a collection of over 100 different cds and I play Ms. Vidovic's CD within the top 3 of my cds. Even if you don't like classical guitar, I suggest you buy this one, it will probally change you !!