Tosta, interesting; and understandable. I find Bream a bit too much on the cool, or uninvolved sounding, even when the playing is 'perfect?'. I much prefer Williams and Oscar. Segovia's repertoire, on the numerous albums I have often did not engage me.
I doubt I listened to a full side; yet the reverse is true of Pepe and Angel, on the albums I have. I make lists of guitar pieces I like and find the current level of newer (to me)players is quite accomplished. Mind you these new have had the benefit of excellent recordings by masters to learn from and emulate. With today's video world I expect the overall caliber of serious players to improve as well. It's hard to beat hearing and seeing technique at the same time. |
Goes without saying Schubert; naturally I'm sure you have some of his talent within you as well, well you know, somewhere : ) . Now me, I have an uncle who's a pilot ... : ) |
And Schubert, tempus fugit ... |
Mapman- thank you, that is beautiful - tune, lyrics, voice, presentation and back-up group. What a classic. |
Ptss, I agree that the younger players are amazing technicians. But I have a problem telling them apart, with noted exceptions (Jorge Caballero, Lorenzo Michele and Ana Vidovic). |
"Gentleman" Jim Reeves.
We need more of those these days. If they can sing too, then wow. |
Mapman, I'm with you. Good manners should be cultivated in kindergarten; and like fine wine, get better with age. "What a wonderful world it would be". |
Tosta, I agree. I think it takes some time and relaxation for young players to develop so they are easily recognizable. Or, is it that we need to hear them often? |
Ptss,
the players of old each had a "signature sound." I don't know why, but on stringed instruments these days everyone sounds so very similar for the most part. There are a few exceptions, but it's hard to tell most of them from just a few seconds of listening. |
I think the overall quality of guitars is better today, maybe becoming more similar. I find they are getting more powerful/solid- sometimes almost bigger sounding. This may make sounds more similar. What do you find? |
I agree, but some makers have gone off in totally new directions which don't please everyone. I'd rather hear John Williams on his old Fleta than on a new Smallman. But, yes, overall it's a golden age for lutherie--for all instruments, it seems. There are some astounding violins and mandolins, for instance, being made these days. |
I agree with Tostados' preference for Fleta over Smallman. But how often do you get to hear a master play in a small room without amplification? (answer: virtually never.) The modern "loud" guitars (e.g. Smallman) don't seem to have quite the same beauty of tone as more traditional designs They are designed for projection in big auditoriums. I don't really understand why Williams would play a Smallman on record. Perhaps he agrees with Jerry Garcia, on The Pizza Tapes, where he said, "Louder is better. On this planet, louder's better."
I like almost everything by John Williams, Michael Chapdelaine, Elliot Fisk, Laurindo Almeida, Joe Pass... there are many great players. |
I'm with you LLoyd on many enjoyable players. I've never checked what guitars players are/have been using although I find the different qualities (well mainly lack of quality) very significant. But if guitarists are moving to "stronger" guitars I think it me be that the demands of fortissimo playing always seems to reveal weakness in a guitar, at least to my ears. Of course I have always had to overlook that, particularly in Spanish music, because 1.there is so much beauty in the delicacy 2. the fortissimo sections are where the recording quality has also been weak. Your thoughts? |
Also Lloyd, I posted a response on your older question re power cords for phono preamp. |
Lloyd, I've only heard a few classical guitar concerts where amplification was used. JW was one of the artists and I think the only other time was one of the times I heard the Assad Bros. I could make a long list of the fine classical guitarists I heard unamplified but it would be pointless and boring.
Now, steel string players make the amplified sound part of their presentation. Tommy Emmanuel is never without his digital reverb (Midiverb II) and Adrien Legg uses a whole host of effects. Chet Atkins mostly used an electric guitar. |
Tostados, I guess I am deprived. I live in Houston, and amplification is usually used to augment the sound; invariably used in large venues where the big names tend to play. It's not intrusive, but they certainly don't use tube amps, and it's not quite the same as all acoustic. The local guitar society gets a few players to come play in a Unitarian chapel where you can sit close enough to get only direct acoustic sound; heard Barrueco that way, a real treat. I think even Segovia and Parkening, when playing Jones Hall (where the symphony performs, it's fairly large), had some sound reinforcement. Neither ever used a modern, loud guitar, afaik.
PTSS, thanks for the responses. You may be right, I had not thought of it in those terms. Volume, especially fortissimo passages, has always been the problem with classical guitar, which is unsurpassed at the other end of the spectrum. "Stonger" guitars are made now with double tops (with a nomex core) or elaborate bracing systems and a very thin top, all intended to produce more volume. But most players would say that it's a trade-off and that such guitars do not have quite the same delicacy of tone and balance that more traditional designs may have.
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Search out guitar recordings on OPUS 3, especially OPUS 3 no.78-10 by a guitar quartet using custom made guitars. |
Another "Jewel" of a recording. Guitar Concerto #2 in A, Opus 36 by Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829). Played by Pepe & Caledonia Romero with The Academy of St. Martins in the Fields conducted by Sir Neville Marriner. Philips recording circa 1976. I have it on the 2 CD set 454 262-2 and even though it was digitally remastered via the Bitstream system in 1996 the sound is excellent in my system.
(Lexicon RT-20, Reference level Spectral and MIT system with exceptional ac power conditioning and isolation, B&W speakers)
Magnificently played with a superbly conducted Academy providing perfect support. Transcendent. |
Lloydc, I saw Segovia in Jones Hall around '75 (give or take a year) and I'm nearly certain there was no amplification. I don't know that he ever played amplified anywhere.
The one time I saw Parkening was a large room in Austin and he was not amplified. He did use a ton of added reverb on his recordings, however. Some would say an excessive amount. |
Hi Tostas, what do you think of Giuliani? |
Tostados, thanks. I just saw the mikes hanging from the ceiling, must not have been hooked up. It was a great concert. |
Ptss, I think he's a fine composer. I really like the Op. 9 Sonata in C. Sort of Beethovenian IMO. You may know he knew LVB and played cello in the premier of the 5th and 6th symphonies... Anyway, he and Sor are my favorite of the 19th-c. composers for guitar. I do need to hear more Rigondi but I've heard lots of Aguado, Carcassi and such. |
Lloydc, perhaps those were recording mics.
I didn't notice them. I noticed the number of people with uncontrollable coughs and there were many. So it goes. |
Yes, now that you mention it, there was a lot of coughing at that concert. Segovia did his routine of glaring at the audience until it quieted down a little. |
I respect Andres; but find him a mite coolish,,, |
Ptss, you should hear his EMI recordings from the 20'w and 30's. Anything but "coolish." It's not the tired old man who stayed on the concert stage decades beyond his shelf life. It's raw and gutsy playing. |
Ah hah. Little did I know. I only saw pictures of 'the old master'
: ) |
tostadosunidos , I enjoy your knowledge.
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Just enjoyed "Latin American Guitar Music by Barrios and Ponce" played by John Williams on SonyClassical SBK 47669 (AAD). Originally recorded in 1978. |
