Your Classical Guitar Input Here

Stu

by Stuart Lee
(Tyne & Wear, UK)

No 1. John Williams.
I'm an engineer; I was trained to appreciate and strive for attention to detail, precision. I also love classical guitar. John Williams is, for me, the embodiment of these virtues.

I've seen many classical guitarists live (Williams in 1988) and I can honestly say his was the single performance I've witnessed with no discernible error throughout it's duration. He also held the audience utterly spellbound with his mastery, musical sensibility and, in my opinion, unparalleled flawless technique.

How anyone can exhibit this degree of perfection on the guitar is beyond me. Twenty one years ago and I still consider it a privilege to have been there and to have met and shook hands with the man post recital...

No 2. Julian Bream.
I first heard Mr. Bream through a live (late 1970's)recording of his duets with John Williams during a US concert tour. I was blown away by their seemingly completely contrasting styles and yet... beautifully integrated sound, so naturally I wanted to find out more.

What I discovered was a virtuoso whom I believe is unmatched in terms of tonal variation and sheer emotional connection with the instrument. I also had the privilege of seeing Julian Bream live in 1989 and, whilst not as perfect as John Williams (making quite a few errors that night) nevertheless took the audience to another place with his gorgeous musical evocations.

No 3. This is hard! There are so many wonderfully gifted guitarists in the world today (many of whom weren't even conceived when Williams and Bream started their musical careers.

Several amazing Chinese girls immediately spring to mind, and one who is probably responsible for their careers (aka Mr. Andres Segovia).

But if I have to name one, please can it be two... Sergio and Oadir Assad. I honestly think that nothing is more beautiful than the classical guitar... save perhaps two.

I have been privileged to see at least six or seven duos live in my time (all brilliant) but these bearded Brazilians were at the pinnacle. I never heard such perfectly integrated playing (most of the time they didn't even look at their instruments or each other... they just proceeded in beautifully enmeshed artistry, wow!) and with a subtle and yet striking tone. Lovely!

So, in summary...

1. John Williams. Simply and most probably unmatched perfection.

2. Julian Bream. The guitar is clearly an extension of his soul.

3. Sergio and Oadir Assad. Individually stunning, together awe inspiring.