"I thought I had loved Aranjuez before I heard this performance. Now I know it was merely a romance with its melodic content. This one performance truly opened to me the meaning of this music. And now all others appear bleak and weak; too refined, too assiduous to reveal what lies beneath the tablature. Just close your eyes and listen carefully how Paco plays solo passages in the glorious Adagio, especially the one before the last orchestral piece. At times his guitar will resemble arabian oud: dark and brooding, then it will suddenly turn to festive, untamed flamenco emotions; what a deep insight into the essence of Spanish music! You don't hear Rodrigo, Paco, Adagio, Guitar or Orchestra here - you're one on one with pure legacy of one of the richest and complex European cultures packed into music with lossless compression. THIS is the spirit of Aranjuez, finally."
Pure genius
J. Gianni | 11/27/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I grew up listening to the version of Aranjuez played by John Williams as it was one of my father's favourite pieces of music and became one of my own. I thought Williams version was stunning but now having listened to Aranjuez played by Paco de Lucia, Paco brings something extra to the music, an Andalucian understanding, a flamenco spirit, and such incredible technique, lightening fast fingers that melt into a blur.
All in all, the spirit in which the music is played, in comparison makes Williams superb interpretation appear dull and robotic. This is surely how Rodrigo intended his concerto to be played.
Paco de Lucia is an absolute genius and is to my mind without equal as the world's best guitarist. If you've never heard of Paco de Lucia before, you could do a lot worse than begin your discovery with this album."
A master piece!
Wombat | Melbourne, Australia | 06/08/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this CD by reading review in this area and I'm glad I did to say the least!.
This is the 3rd version of Concerto de Aranjuez that I have - the other two are by John William and David Russel respectively. The J.W. is a bit better D.R. - but this version by Paco de Lucia is the best in my opinion. The rythm of his guitar blends in very well with the orchestra - the sound of his guitar is so gentle/smooth and yet it doesnt hide some subtle notes. My musical vocabulary is very hopeless so i cannot describe what i felt in musical terms - it doesn't really does the CD any justice sorry :)...if you're fan of Aranjuez - Grab this CD now!."
A True Gem
Ferbose | Pasadena, CA United States | 05/01/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Like most classical lovers, I had a decent recording (that got a Penguin rosette) of this concerto and had heard it numerous times on radio. Somehow I never felt this concerto has been played to its full potential. When I hear Paco de Lucia, I am glad someone finally did it full justice. In Flamenco, in jazz or in classical, Paco de Lucia's musicianship always touches heart and souls. I am not surprised that the composer himself calls this the greatest performance of the concerto, and I can't think of why any classical guitar lover wouldn't want to own this CD."
Spicy Aranjuez
Wombat | 10/25/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"(...) Now that I've heard virtually the entire CD, I can say that it's OK. Paco's playing of the Aranjuez Adagio falls a bit short of John Williams' performance with the Seville Orchestra. On the other hand, Paco's performance of both the Allegro con Spirito and the Allegro Gentile are most enjoyable, with the bright, rhythmic, and percussive flamenco sound working really well for the two allegro movements. The tempo of those two movements is also a little faster than most other performances; this really adds to the excitement. Furthermore, the accompanying performance by The Orquesta de Cadaques is very energetic. I found the rest of the CD's compositions (Triana, El Albaicin, and El Puerto) much less enthralling but decent enough. After all, Rodrigo's Aranjuez is really a tough act to follow. Summing up, I give the two allegro movements of Aranjuez a five-star rating and the rest of the CD a three-star rating."