Search - Enrique Granados, Joaquin Rodrigo, Miguel Llobet :: Iberia: Albeniz, Granados, Rodrigo and Llobet

Will The Real John Williams Please Stand Up

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 05/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If "Who is John Williams?" was the question on a game show, 95% would answer the conductor/composer of Star Wars, and the other 5% would probably mention one of two former NBA players. Relatively few, if any, would say John Williams was a classical guitarist, which is a shame because John Williams the guitarist is arguably the greatest of all John Williamses. And of all John Williams the guitarist's recordings, "Iberia" is one of his best. On this disc, Williams first performs works for solo guitar, including Granados' "Valses Poeticos" (transcribed for guitar by Williams), Rodrigo's "Invocation et Danse" and Llobet's "Nine Catalan Folksongs." The disc concludes with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Paul Daniel, joining Williams on Steve Gray's arrangement for guitar of Albeniz's famous work "Iberia." "Iberia" was originally written with piano as the featured solo instrument, but the guitar seems a perfect fit for the leading role. Gramophone said that John Williams' "Iberia" was "a landmark recording" and I agree 100%."