The long wait is over for guitar-music aficionados. Sony Classical is now issuing the first-ever complete collection of recordings by the incomparable John Williams. This Original Jacket Collection comprises 57 original albums made over four decades, including his style-crossing collaborations and a DVD. And Williams’s recordings of more than 60 works will now be available on CD for the first time, all mastered from the original tapes. Born in Melbourne but living in London from an early age, John Williams studied at the Royal College of Music and in Siena with Andrés Segovia. In the years following his acclaimed Wigmore Hall debut in 1958, he gave enormously successful concerts in Paris, Madrid and the Soviet Union, and in 1963 he made his debuts in Japan and the USA. Described by guitar authority Graham Wade as “perhaps the most technically accomplished guitarist the world has seen”, Williams was one of the first classical musicians to play at London’s iconic Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and he has also appeared in rock concerts playing steel-strung acoustic and electric instruments, and with his own groups Sky, Attacca, and “John Williams and Friends”. His recording of the “Cavatina” from The Deer Hunter hit the pop charts (of course it’s included in this collection). The long and distinguished list of his musical collaborators includes fellow guitar legend Julian Bream as well as Paco Peña, Itzhak Perlman and André Previn. Composers including Leo Brouwer, Stephen Dodgson and André Previn have written for him. Williams made his first album – Bach and Spanish repertoire – for Columbia Masterworks in 1964, and seven years later received a special award from CBS Records to celebrate having sold one million records, a unique feat at the time for a classical musician. Among his most recent Sony Classical releases are “The Magic Box”, a compilation of classical, folk, world and country music from 2002, and “Places Between: John Williams and John Etheridge Live in Dublin”. The complete collection naturally contains these and everything else Williams recorded in between, by composers ranging from Byrd, Dowland, Couperin, Scarlatti and Handel to Paganini, Elgar, Fauré, Falla, Albeniz, Britten, Villa-Lobos, Takemitsu, Theodorakis, Brouwer as well as film music by Nino Rota, Henry Mancini and Ennio Morricone. There’s also his intoxicating disc of Venezuelan guitar music, showcasing “exceptional solo playing that is both rhythmically charged and lyrically impulsive … It would be difficult to imagine a finer tribute to a remarkable and appealing musical tradition than this one … In a word: brilliant” (ClassicsToday). The new box contains no fewer than three different Williams recordings of that most popular of all guitar works, Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez – from 1964 with the Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, from 1974 with Barenboim and the English Chamber Orchestra, and from 1983 with Frémaux and the Philharmonia Orchestra – plus a performance of its much-loved Adagio in Williams’s celebrated 1993 “Seville Concert”. That entire concert is presented here too, on both CD and DVD – the latter also including a bonus documentary portrait of the artist. Reviewing his second studio recording of the concerto, Gramophone in January 1975 proclaimed: “John Williams himself has already made one of the finest [versions], yet if possible even more conclusively this new one must be counted a winner, irresistible from first to last. Williams before showed himself the most formidable technician, rigorously precise: now he shows himself as that and more, giving Rodrigo’s ideas extra flair and imagination.” A host of other irresistible Williams recordings came about when he teamed up with Julian Bream in the 1970s to play guitar duets. The album’s huge success led to two sequels. RCA later repackaged the three LPs onto two CDs, adding tracks from the artists’ “Together – Live” recording. BBC Music Magazine wrote: “Bream and Williams make a dream duo, and the three Together LPs from the seventies are arguably the finest ever made of music for two guitars … Be warned: buy one, and you’ll want the other.“ That won’t be a problem for buyers of this box set: both CDs containing all the “Together” tracks are included in this vast CD/DVD collection. Set contents: DISC 1: MS 6608: Columbia Records Presents John Williams DISC 2: MS 6696: Virtuoso Music For Guitar DISC 3: MS 6834: Two Guitar Concertos (Rodrigo and Castelnuovo-Tedesco) DISC 4: MS 6939: More Virtuoso Music for Guitar DISC 5: MS 7063: Two Guitar Concertos (Rodrigo and Dodgson) DISC 6: MS 7163: Haydn and Paganini DISC 7: MS 7195: Virtuoso Variations for Guitar DISC 8: MS 7327: Concertos by Vivaldi and Giuliani DISC 9: 32 16 0398 : Songs for Voice and Guitar DISC 10: M 30057: John Williams Plays Spanish Music DISC 11: M 32686: Songs of Freedom - Theodorakis DISC 12: M 31194: Music for Guitar and Harpsichord DISC 13: LSC-3257: Together (Julian and John) DISC 14: 72979: Gowers Chamber Concerto, Scarlatti Sonatas DISC 15: M 31963: Previn and Ponce Concertos DISC 16: M 35123: Music from England, Japan, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico DISC 17: ARL1-0456: Together Again (Julian and John 2) DISC 18: 73350: Gowers: Rhapsody for Guitar; Villa-Lobos: 5 Preludes DISC 19: M 33208: Rodrigo & Villa-Lobos DISC 20-21: M2 33510: Bach: Complete Lute Music DISC 22: M 35108: John Williams and Friends DISC 23: M 34508: Duos for Guitar and Violin DISC 24: M 35172: Castenuovo-Tedesco, Arnold and Dodgson Concertos DISC 25: M 35145: Barrios DISC 26: M 36680: Malcolm Arnold and Leo Brouwer Concertos DISC 27: M 35820: Manuel Ponce DISC 28: ARL2-3090: Julian Bream & John Williams Live DISC 29: IM 36671: Guitar Quintets DISC 30: IM 36679: Echoes of Spain - Albeniz DISC 31: SE 37726: Stevie DISC 32: IM 37250: John Williams and Peter Hurford Play Bach DISC 33: M 37791: Portrait of John Williams DISC 34: FM 37825: The Guitar is the Song: A Folksong Collection DISC 35: IM 37848: Rodrigo DISC 36: IM 39560: Bach, Handel, Marcello: Concertos DISC 37: FM 42119: Echoes of London DISC 38: FM 42332: Paul Hart Concerto for Guitar and Jazz Orchestra DISC 39: FM 44575: Fragments of a Dream DISC 40: M 44518: The Baroque Album DISC 41: MK 44898: Spirit of the Guitar: Music of the Americas DISC 42: MK 45948: Leyenda DISC 43: SK 46556: Vivaldi Concertos DISC 44: SK 46720: Takemitsu DISC 45: SK 48480: Iberia DISC 46: SK 53359: The Seville Concert DISC 47: SK 53361: From Australia DISC 48: SK 64396: The Great Paraguayan (From The Jungles of Paraguay) DISC 49: SK 68337: Concertos by Harvey and Gray DISC 50: SK 62007: The Mantis & the Moon DISC 51: SK63000: John Williams Plays the Movies (and The World of John Williams) DISC 52: SK 63173: The Black Decameron DISC 53: SK 60586: The Guitarist DISC 54: SK 63385: Schubert and Giuliani DISC 55: SK 89483: The Magic Box DISC 56: SK 90451: El Diablo Suelto DISC 57: 88697009072: Places Between DISC 58: Collaborations [compilation] DISC 59: SVD53475: The Seville Concert [DVD] Note: The two collaborations with Cleo Laine are no longer owned by Sony and therefore not included in this set.
A**N
When it is gone it is gone buy it before it is gone or pay higher price.
How true just see the complete Julian Bream box set and compare the original price to price asked by third party seller.The box set has been remastered and is crystal clear as John William is playing in front of years.If given the choice between John William or Bream I will chose John wiiliiams b cause the box set contain a vast repertoire than Julian and just listen to Bach lute played on guitar to Bream.I have listened to both and prefer John Williams.All I can say is this box set is highly recommended and one of the best for all I bought.I have 3 CD in one go without being tired of the beautiful sound of the guitar and I could not do this with Bream.
P**M
Superb
I bought this as a 70th birthday present to myself and I've got to say it's the best present I've ever had!There truly is something for all tastes in these CD's, and if there's not, you don't like music!The DVD alone is superb, even my wife enjoyed it... better stop there, I'm on dangerous territory.I've just spent 2 -3 hours uploading the music to my computer, it's the only way I shall ever hear it all.Thoroughly recommended and terrific value for money.
G**E
JW the King
Perfection - a must for any serious JW fan. What a joy to hear familiar and long lost recordings. A career defined. No Sky or Changes etc. (This is his main label output here) but JW's broad 'classical' life still comprehensively covered. Thanks - a treasure to go alongside my Bream box.
A**R
Excellnt and well worth the money.
This collection is the best investment I have made for a while. As a classical Guitarist I find it inspiring there is so much on here I'm looking forward to working my way through all the wonderful cds. highly recommended.
D**N
Five Stars
The best classical collection ever, beautifully put together. Also very relaxing
D**Y
fantastic
Not everything recorded by JW but most of his output and all of a very high standard, fantastic value
R**D
Superb effort but silly Vivaldi mistake on CD 8 cannot give 5 out of 5
Suberb collection but MS7327 (cd8) recording of Vivaldi concerto in D major is not the original 1968 recording by the English Chamber Orchestra unlike the two others on the CD which are the correct recordings. The Vivaldi D major is the 1982 recording by the same orchestra which sounds quite different and is very inferior to the 1968 recording. As I started my playing with this disk I am finding myself disappointed. I am surprised at this mistake in such a prestigious release.
A**G
Five Stars
I have the vinyl for those special listening moments, but its geat to have it all on CD
E**A
Five Stars
Very nice!!!!
L**S
Excelente colección!!!
A todo melómano de la guitarra clásica y a todo guitarrista clásico le encantará. Lo recomiendo sin ningún tipo de dudas...
M**A
Von Amazon bestellt
Schönes Sammelstück, was ich noch zu einem unschlagbaren Preis bestellten konnte.Diese 50-CD Kollektion ist überall vergriffen und John Williams ist eine der Gitarrenlegenden des 20.Jahrhunderts.Danke Amazon.de
機**覧
ビルティオーソの記録
器楽のビルティオーソとは、凄まじいスピードで弾き上げる”器械オペレータ”を形容するようですが、真のビルティオーソというのは、このジョン・ウィリアムスのような演奏家を言うのでしょうね。超絶技巧を駆使するのではなく、必要充分な技量と必要充分な楽興を澱みなく与えてくれる演奏家。若い時の演奏には、魔術的な良く動く指の動きに任せて勇み足の演奏もあるようです。有名な魔笛の主題による変奏は、オリジナルの音型を変えてまでテクニックの権化になり弾き切っているようにも思えます。しかし、それでもギターのような乱れた音が出やすい楽器をよくもここまでコントロールしているものだ、と感心します。良くこれだけ指が動くものだ・・などと感じさせず、まさしく音楽を演奏したビルティオーソであり、その演奏記録の殆どが集大成された全集が、この金額で入手できた事はとても嬉しい事です。しかし、何度聞いても、感銘を受ける演奏です。飽きが来ない。特にBACHのLute suiteはLPで発売されて以来頻繁に聴いていますが、これは凄い。他の演奏も、素晴らしいものばかりです。
M**N
A brilliant guitarist in a collection of unparalleled breadth and artistry
The contents of the collection follows my reviewAs a guitarist I like to compare things like technique, style and touch as a way of judging performers. The guitar is a unique instrument in many ways. It is similar to keyboard instruments in its extended range. It resembles a clavichord (striking the strings) and virginal (plucking the strings) in its delicate dynamics, making it a difficult solo instrument for larger halls without using amplification. Beethoven described the guitar as a miniature orchestra in itself and that comparison is apt. No instrument maintains such an intimate relationship with a performer's hands, so stylistic aspects of a guitarist are a direct reflection of technique and touch. A guitarist's touch on the strings is the single most identifiable quality and the most important artistic measure by which he/she can be judged. Touch is important for steel string and amplified guitar playing as well but it is judged differently than when someone is playing classical guitar, where touch is more critical to the quality of the notes played and their dynamics.Following Segovia's revolutionary impact on classical guitar playing in the previous century, the two guitarists who emerged mid-century whose artistry lifted them above other guitarists were Julian Bream and John Williams. Despite similarities in musicianship, they are technically quite different. Julian Bream says that he has been influenced by the styles of Andrés Segovia and Francisco Tárrega. He is a reflection of the Spanish style of play with its great expressiveness, its attention to timbre and dynamics and its virtuosity. Bream is also an excellent lutenist, an instrument I also play, and the lute with its complex string organization rewards clarity and technical finesse even more than guitar. John Williams is something of a stylistic hybrid. He is perhaps the most technically proficient guitarist with an elegance to his touch that is most obvious in his Bach performances. His sense of timing, his clarity of phrasing, his purity of tone and his insistence on playing the substance of a note rather than merely negotiating a series of notes without regard to their musical "truth", are all aspects of his mastery. His emphasis on sight-reading and ensemble playing make his recordings of concertos and chamber music as close to technical and expressive perfection as is possible given the audible limitations of the guitar. Merely negotiating the strings can produce a series of disconcerting noises and the relative weakness of the instrument's dynamics cause a guitarist to naturally overcompensate, distorting the musical balance of a piece in the process. All of these difficulties must be overcome and the process sound effortless if the guitarist is to succeed musically.This box set of his complete recordings made for Columbia Classical (which is now Sony Classical) represents one of the three pillars of classical guitar artistry. If you were fortunate or prescient enough to have purchased the earlier Julian Bream collection (which now sells for several times its original price) and you also acquire this John Williams collection, you can listen to the two finest guitarists of our time playing pretty much the entire extant classical guitar repertoire. It is a vast treasure trove and there are many highlights. The Williams collection contains superb recordings of guitar concertos written by Rodrigo, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Stephen Dodgson, Paul Hart, Patrick Gowers, Andre Previn, Manuel Ponce, Villa-Lobos and others. These performances are close to definitive - If such a thing is possible - with superb orchestral accompaniment and exemplary re-mastered sound. Other highlights of this massive collection are the brilliant Williams Bach performances, an excellent array of chamber music performances such as guitar quintets by Boccherini, a beautiful quartet for lute, violin, viola and cello by Haydn, numerous chamber works by Paganini, Vivaldi, Bach, Purcell and Mozart, and a vast series of solo recitals whose traversal of the Spanish guitar repertoire is truly breathtaking in the virtuosity it displays. The set comes with a miniature hard-cover book that features an informative essay, photos and complete discographic information along with reproductions of the original album covers. The box itself is quite thick and sturdy and can be carefully lifted with one hand if necessary.This is an original albums collection so it features the original cover art and, crucially, the original analytical comments on the back of the album. Produced in the days when musical analysis was written for adults, these comments are another treasure trove, this time of information that helps to place these recordings in context and increases the listener's appreciation for the artist. There are 59 discs in all, the last a wonderful DVD containing William's concert in Seville. The original albums were shorter but you're not cheated because the price per disc is less than $2.00, a bargain that makes this collection self-recommending if you're a fan of Williams and guitar music. The collection also reflects William's interest in lute music, jazz and pop so it is quite eclectic. The sound is generally superb with Sony's 24-96 and DSD re-masterings producing warmth and clarity in a wide soundstage. Solo recordings are closely miked with the oldest recordings slightly thinner but still excellent. This is a great set but it's a limited edition whose price will eventually skyrocket.The set contents:DISC 1: MS 6608: Columbia Records Presents John WilliamsDISC 2: MS 6696: Virtuoso Music For GuitarDISC 3: MS 6834: Two Guitar Concertos (Rodrigo and Castelnuovo-Tedesco)DISC 4: MS 6939: More Virtuoso Music for GuitarDISC 5: MS 7063: Two Guitar Concertos (Rodrigo and Dodgson)DISC 6: MS 7163: Haydn and PaganiniDISC 7: MS 7195: Virtuoso Variations for GuitarDISC 8: MS 7327: Concertos by Vivaldi and GiulianiDISC 9: 32 16 0398 : Songs for Voice and GuitarDISC 10: M 30057: John Williams Plays Spanish MusicDISC 11: M 32686: Songs of Freedom - TheodorakisDISC 12: M 31194: Music for Guitar and HarpsichordDISC 13: LSC-3257: Together (Julian and John)DISC 14: 72979: Gowers Chamber Concerto, Scarlatti SonatasDISC 15: M 31963: Previn and Ponce ConcertosDISC 16: M 35123: Music from England, Japan, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and MexicoDISC 17: ARL1-0456: Together Again (Julian and John 2)DISC 18: 73350: Gowers: Rhapsody for Guitar; Villa-Lobos: 5 PreludesDISC 19: M 33208: Rodrigo & Villa-LobosDISC 20-21: M2 33510: Bach: Complete Lute MusicDISC 22: M 35108: John Williams and FriendsDISC 23: M 34508: Duos for Guitar and ViolinDISC 24: M 35172: Castenuovo-Tedesco, Arnold and Dodgson ConcertosDISC 25: M 35145: BarriosDISC 26: M 36680: Malcolm Arnold and Leo Brouwer ConcertosDISC 27: M 35820: Manuel PonceDISC 28: ARL2-3090: Julian Bream & John Williams LiveDISC 29: IM 36671: Guitar QuintetsDISC 30: IM 36679: Echoes of Spain - AlbenizDISC 31: SE 37726: StevieDISC 32: IM 37250: John Williams and Peter Hurford Play BachDISC 33: M 37791: Portrait of John WilliamsDISC 34: FM 37825: The Guitar is the Song: A Folksong CollectionDISC 35: IM 37848: RodrigoDISC 36: IM 39560: Bach, Handel, Marcello: ConcertosDISC 37: FM 42119: Echoes of LondonDISC 38: FM 42332: Paul Hart Concerto for Guitar and Jazz OrchestraDISC 39: FM 44575: Fragments of a DreamDISC 40: M 44518: The Baroque AlbumDISC 41: MK 44898: Spirit of the Guitar: Music of the AmericasDISC 42: MK 45948: LeyendaDISC 43: SK 46556: Vivaldi ConcertosDISC 44: SK 46720: TakemitsuDISC 45: SK 48480: IberiaDISC 46: SK 53359: The Seville ConcertDISC 47: SK 53361: From AustraliaDISC 48: SK 64396: The Great Paraguayan (From The Jungles of Paraguay)DISC 49: SK 68337: Concertos by Harvey and GrayDISC 50: SK 62007: The Mantis & the MoonDISC 51: SK63000: John Williams Plays the Movies (and The World of John Williams)DISC 52: SK 63173: The Black DecameronDISC 53: SK 60586: The GuitaristDISC 54: SK 63385: Schubert and GiulianiDISC 55: SK 89483: The Magic BoxDISC 56: SK 90451: El Diablo SueltoDISC 57: 88697009072: Places BetweenDISC 58: Collaborations [compilation]DISC 59: SVD53475: The Seville Concert [DVD].
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