[TwinFinnley]

I'm looking for some well recorded classical guitar albums. I found that I can get into a really good study/work groove when I listen to classical guitar, but I don't want to go willy-nilly in a store, grabbing whatever and have it sound like crap

If you have suggestions, I would love to hear them. Thanks all!

 

[mbhaub]

A set of cds that I've been listening to a lot lately, and with a great deal of pleasure, is The Well Tempered Guitars by Mario Castel-Nuovo Tedesco. It's a great bargain on Naxos and the Brasil Guitar Duo plays stunningly. Marvelous music, it's got melody, harmony, a wide rhythmic variety and great style. Best of all, it's 20th c music that you will actually enjoy. Highly recommended. There's a 2nd volume on the way -- I can't wait!

 

[robm321]

I found a bunch of LPs of Segovia. They can be found at second hand stores for cheap and most are recorded well.

 

[Arjisme]

A few suggestions:
John Williams - The Guitarist
Christopher Parkening - In the Spanish Style
Andres Segovia - The Segovia Collection

 

[FalconP]

The Sonatas for Guitar and Violin by Paganini are very tuneful and enjoyable. Naxos has three volumes of this music performed by Norbert Kraft and Hammer Moshe (here is the link to Vol. 1), and two further volumes by Symon Winberg and Scott St. John. All are impeccably recorded.

Kurt Rodarmer's transcription of Bach's Goldberg Variations for guitar is a well-acclaimed recording.

 

[UglyJoe]

Where to start....

Manuel Barrueco: Mozart and Sor (probably my favorite guitar recording), J.S. Bach Sonatas, "Plays De Falla, Ponce, and Rodrigo" (contains my personal favorite performance of Invocation et danse), 300 Years of Guitar Masterpieces (3 CD set, nearly a must own for any serious classical guitar aficionado)

David Russell: Bach, Fancisco Tarrega, Message of the Sea, Music of Barrios, 19th Century Music

John Holmquist: Garcia: Etudes Esquisses / Celtic Airs

John Williams: The Black Decameron

John Williams and Timothy Cain: The Mantis and the Moon

Odair Assad: Fuga y Misterio

Sergio and Odair Assad: "Rameau, Scarlatti, Couperin, Bach", Jardim Abandonado (really impressive interpretation of Rhapsody in Blue here)

Scott Tennant: Joaquin Rodrigo: Complete Guitar Works

William Kanengiser: Rondo Alla Turka, Echoes of the Old World

Just about any of the Naxos recordings that were prizes for GFA winners including Martha Masters, Kevin Gallagher, Frano Platino, and many others. Just about anything by LAGQ.

That's a good start.

 

[West726]

Anybody else? I'd love to hear something a tad more "punchy." Not a lot of Mahler on guitar, I would guess . . .

 

[Justin Uthadude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by West726 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ....I'd love to hear something a tad more "punchy." Not a lot of Mahler on guitar, I would guess . . .

Try Spanish, especially Francisco Tarrega
South American, try works by Antonio Lauro, Augustin Barrios, Villa Lobos
Leo Brouwer, Afro-Cuban with enticing rhythms

 

[DavidMahler]

There's a great Segovia boxed set which is sort of the holy grail of all recorded classical guitar........just go with that and then expand from there

 

[UglyJoe]

If you want punchy start with Williams' The Black Decameron, Williams and Cain's The Mantis and the Moon, and the Assad's Jardim Abandonado. Very good recordings all; the first has a fine recording of Brower's Concerto de Toronto as well as staple solo pieces such as El Decameron Negro. The second and third have a lot of really cool world music including some interesting percussion with the guitar. That's about as "punchy" as classical guitar gets.

 

[West726]

Quote:

Originally Posted by UglyJoe /img/forum/go_quote.gif Williams and Cain's The Mantis and the Moon.

For me, you nailed it. Thanks! I would never have found this without your help.

 

[UglyJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by West726 /img/forum/go_quote.gif For me, you nailed it. Thanks! I would never have found this without your help.

No problem. I tend to enjoy William's newer recordings. Some of his older recordings are very flat and not very musical. Don't know if it was his playing (probably not) or the production/engineering (probably). All I know is that the newer recordings are more emotive to me.