Temujin

by Phil Jones
(Oxford, UK)

1. Julian Bream. Regarding his rise to prominence, I like the fact that he had to overcome a great deal of prejudice, both from the British class system against a working-class lad wanting to play classical music,and against the guitar itself within the classical world. In terms of his playing, I like the way his tone is both expressive and yet utterly solid. He seems to me to be the complete classical guitarist.

2. Anthony Glise. When I first heard his rendering of Brescianello's Partitas my immediate reaction was to be turned off. But the more I listen, the more I'm convinced that he has the inside track on what makes that music (and, by extension, baroque music for plucked instruments) work. Now, if he can only get it together to finish off his long-promised canonical edition of Brescianello, he'll be a complete hero.

3. Segovia. Because he is the father of us all, and without him the classical guitar would be little more than a cult instrument like the oud or the theorbo. And because his recordings still sound magnificent after all these years. Truly, he wrote the book on what the modern guitar can do.