Miles Davis - Bitches Brew CD2
Air - Moon Safari
Tangerine Dream - Zeit CD2
Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
Granados - Goyescas
William Ackerman - Past Light
Here we have another lovely piano CD in the shape of Granados courtesy of the excellent Naxos label. Naxos do a very comprehensive series of budget classical CDs which are a great way to get into the world of classical music.
Enrique Granados's music, like his Spanish compatriot Isaac Albeniz, is more well known in its classical guitar form than the original piano versions. Indeed the Spanish flavour of many of these pieces works brilliantly for Spanish guitar and pieces by both composers have formed the set lists of the best classical guitar players throughout the 20th century, initially through Segovia who initiated many of the guitar transcriptions from such heavyweight composers, through Williams and Bream and others in his footsteps. Hence you are generally much more likely to have heard Asturias or Sevilla or Oriental on guitar than piano.
I'm not sure Segovia's approach was right. In an almost single handed effort to get the classical elite to take his instrument seriously he personally transcribed many pieces originally written for piano, or other classical instruments like the violin, for guitar. He also commissioned established composers from the classical world to write for the guitar. The results of both approaches are mixed. For one thing the versions for guitar are fiendishly difficult which stands to reason when you consider the differences between the instruments. Some things possible on a piano are physically not possible on a guitar. Similarly the sustain possible on a violin is likewise not possible on a guitar. Segovia was also too hasty in dismissing wonderful music written by composers who wrote exclusively for guitar - composers who understood the unique characteristics of the instrument most notably a lot of the South American composers such as Barrios and Lauro who did not come up to Segovia's snobbish standards. So generally I steer clear of guitar transcriptions of classical pieces. Despite some exceptions like a lot of these Spanish pieces (and Bach interestingly) they are usually better in their original forms.
While on the subject of guitarists we have our first sighting of Will Ackerman. Continuing the snobby theme there are many classical guitarists (Segovia would definitely be one) who wouldn't give someone like Will Ackerman the time of day. They would consider his playing and his music beneath them as it is relatively simple and played on a steel string acoustic guitar rather than a "proper" classical.
I'm pleased I've grown out of that attitude both as a listener and a player. We should all appreciate that the simplicity/complexity scale is no yardstick by which to measure the greatness of music. Furthermore as a player it is much better to master a simpler piece well with musicality and feeling, than to struggle through a car crash of a complicated piece. The great King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp was classically trained but said hearing one Jimi Hendrix chord meant more to him than the whole classical repertoire. For me seeing Tommy Emmanuel (an acoustic guitarist who doesn't even read music) live for the first time about ten years ago absolutely blew my mind (he was so good it made me want to throw my guitar away forever). Will Ackerman is not in the same league as Tommy Emmanuel but I have very much enjoyed both playing and listening to his beautiful music. In fact I play his albums much more than Tommy Emmanuel's who is more of a live showman than a recording artist and his compositions don't quite come across the same way on record. That's interesting isn't it? You need the spectacle as the music itself is not enough. It's a case of seeing someone do something in the flesh and thinking "wow, how did he do that?". This becomes meaningless on a recording. I've been playing a lot of ambient and DJ/electronic music recently. It is lovely to listen to, but as a live spectacle does it have the same effect? No, it's completely different. [Btw, don't you get tired seeing those best guitarist of all time posts on facebook groups? It's so boring and predictable. The answer btw is Tommy Emmanuel (not Jimmy Page, or David Gilmour].
So back on message - Will Ackerman has recorded many a solo guitar album for the Windham Hill new age label which he co-founded. This album Past Light is a collaboration with other musicians including labelmates Mark Isham and Michael Hedges, who flesh the sound out with guitar, synthesizer, piano, cello and fretless bass. The Kronos Quartet also guest on one track. It's gorgeous relaxing music. Not particularly earth shattering or memorable, but lovely to listen to when in the mood.
A very small point for Will Ackerman obsessives (if indeed there are any out there). On my album cover the word Visiting is very faintly visible after Past Light. With a keen eye you can just about make it out on the picture above. Visiting is the opening track on the album but the album itself is definitely called Past Light and not Past Light Visiting.
Enrique Granados's music, like his Spanish compatriot Isaac Albeniz, is more well known in its classical guitar form than the original piano versions. Indeed the Spanish flavour of many of these pieces works brilliantly for Spanish guitar and pieces by both composers have formed the set lists of the best classical guitar players throughout the 20th century, initially through Segovia who initiated many of the guitar transcriptions from such heavyweight composers, through Williams and Bream and others in his footsteps. Hence you are generally much more likely to have heard Asturias or Sevilla or Oriental on guitar than piano.
I'm not sure Segovia's approach was right. In an almost single handed effort to get the classical elite to take his instrument seriously he personally transcribed many pieces originally written for piano, or other classical instruments like the violin, for guitar. He also commissioned established composers from the classical world to write for the guitar. The results of both approaches are mixed. For one thing the versions for guitar are fiendishly difficult which stands to reason when you consider the differences between the instruments. Some things possible on a piano are physically not possible on a guitar. Similarly the sustain possible on a violin is likewise not possible on a guitar. Segovia was also too hasty in dismissing wonderful music written by composers who wrote exclusively for guitar - composers who understood the unique characteristics of the instrument most notably a lot of the South American composers such as Barrios and Lauro who did not come up to Segovia's snobbish standards. So generally I steer clear of guitar transcriptions of classical pieces. Despite some exceptions like a lot of these Spanish pieces (and Bach interestingly) they are usually better in their original forms.
While on the subject of guitarists we have our first sighting of Will Ackerman. Continuing the snobby theme there are many classical guitarists (Segovia would definitely be one) who wouldn't give someone like Will Ackerman the time of day. They would consider his playing and his music beneath them as it is relatively simple and played on a steel string acoustic guitar rather than a "proper" classical.
The Beatles are very nice young men, no doubt, but their music is horrible.
Segovia on hearing George Harrison describe him as the "Father of us all".
I'm pleased I've grown out of that attitude both as a listener and a player. We should all appreciate that the simplicity/complexity scale is no yardstick by which to measure the greatness of music. Furthermore as a player it is much better to master a simpler piece well with musicality and feeling, than to struggle through a car crash of a complicated piece. The great King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp was classically trained but said hearing one Jimi Hendrix chord meant more to him than the whole classical repertoire. For me seeing Tommy Emmanuel (an acoustic guitarist who doesn't even read music) live for the first time about ten years ago absolutely blew my mind (he was so good it made me want to throw my guitar away forever). Will Ackerman is not in the same league as Tommy Emmanuel but I have very much enjoyed both playing and listening to his beautiful music. In fact I play his albums much more than Tommy Emmanuel's who is more of a live showman than a recording artist and his compositions don't quite come across the same way on record. That's interesting isn't it? You need the spectacle as the music itself is not enough. It's a case of seeing someone do something in the flesh and thinking "wow, how did he do that?". This becomes meaningless on a recording. I've been playing a lot of ambient and DJ/electronic music recently. It is lovely to listen to, but as a live spectacle does it have the same effect? No, it's completely different. [Btw, don't you get tired seeing those best guitarist of all time posts on facebook groups? It's so boring and predictable. The answer btw is Tommy Emmanuel (not Jimmy Page, or David Gilmour].
 |
| Guitarists mentioned here:from top to bottom, left to right, Lauro, Hendrix, Emmanuel, Barrios, Williams, Bream, Segovia, Fripp, Ackerman (and no Page or Gilmour) |
So back on message - Will Ackerman has recorded many a solo guitar album for the Windham Hill new age label which he co-founded. This album Past Light is a collaboration with other musicians including labelmates Mark Isham and Michael Hedges, who flesh the sound out with guitar, synthesizer, piano, cello and fretless bass. The Kronos Quartet also guest on one track. It's gorgeous relaxing music. Not particularly earth shattering or memorable, but lovely to listen to when in the mood.
A very small point for Will Ackerman obsessives (if indeed there are any out there). On my album cover the word Visiting is very faintly visible after Past Light. With a keen eye you can just about make it out on the picture above. Visiting is the opening track on the album but the album itself is definitely called Past Light and not Past Light Visiting.
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