HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: basinski@biosci.arizona.edu (Mark Basinski)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Re: Help out a new guy
Date: 18 Nov 92 21:44:54 GMT
Followup-To: rec.music.classical.guitar
Distribution: usa
Organization: Univ. of Arizona

In article <1992Nov17.201710.324@netcom.com>, seifert@netcom.com (Rich
Seifert) wrote:
> > [talking about Mudarra's "Fantasia" that sounds like a harp (sorry, I
> > forget the actual title)]
>
> I think that what most people (including myself) like about this piece 
> are those beautiful dissonances ringing through. This requires playing
> the dissonant arpeggios cross-string (1-2-3, and occasionally 4).
> 
> What is interesting is that the original tablature indicates that this
> is NOT what was intended! Mudarra shows those arpeggios done by 
> changing the left hand fingering on the SAME string, which of course
> eliminates any ringing through. 
> 
> We are left with a decision on maintaining the intent of the composer,
> or going for the most beautiful (to our ears) sound. I (any many
> others) opt for the latter, but it is just interesting to note that
> this is more OUR sensibilities than the composer's.
> 
 Don't forget that the original publications were kind of like today's
 "E-Z Guitar" methods, in that they were intended for a non-professional
market, and much of the music in them is fairly easy (though there are 
plenty of exceptions to that too!). There is also other issues:
	
		* the "ringing-through" sound is actually fairly dissonant (technically
	    speaking) and to "early-renaissance-ears" might have been considered
	    very ugly and to be avoided!

  *  the kind of strings they had might not have sustained enough to have
	    the same kind of effect?

There is the whole brouhaha about "authentic performance" - i.e. in certain
circles it would be considered "sacrilege" to perform this music on any
thing except an "original instrument" (or copy thereof). Other music
writers,
in particular, Richard Taruskin, has made fun of the "authenticity" 
fanatics - how can we possibly know what is "authentic" and have that have
the same meaning in our day and age? 

	The music deserves to at least be studied with the original fingering, to 
see if you can get the feel of what the composer wanted, but if you like
the campanella effect (and it was used by other lutenists/guitarists of the
period, Sanz in particular), then play it that way.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Basinski      Internet: basinski@biosci.arizona.edu
From: davidc@brahms.udel.edu (David Casper)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Re: Need a Recomendation
Date: 20 Nov 92 18:56:21 GMT
Organization: University of Delaware

In article <1992Nov19.160346.1098@bnr.ca> loyola@bnr.ca (Nelson Loyola) writes:
[...]
>I'm thinking of eventually taking lessons after I build up the dexterity
>in my  hands.  Does  anyone  have an  opinion  on this or should I start
>right away with taking lessons?

I agree with the two others posts that responded to this and would just
like to add:  IMHO definitely start right away with lessons...don't
develop bad habits...and go directly to a college/university instructor
(for all of the reasons mentioned in the earlier post)...even if
you find that a college/university instructor charges twice as much than
a music store or "yellow pages" instructor, then you'd be better off
taking half as many lessons (perhaps once every two weeks)...this way
the price equals out, but you'd be getting a much higher quality lesson...

David
-- 
David W. Casper
davidc@brahms.udel.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
From: reavie@bldghsc.lan1.umanitoba.ca (Keir Reavie)
Subject: Rachel Gauk in Winnipeg
Keywords: Gauk Concert
Organization: university of Manitoba
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 21:04:16 GMT

Rachel Gauk, a young classical guitarist from Toronto, gave an
outstanding performance in Winnipeg on the evening of Saturday
November 14. Gauk played her repetoire, the majority of which consisted of 
music by Latin American composers Antonio Lauro, Leo Brouwer and Jorge 
Morel, with great passion. The highlight of the evening was her performance 
of Misionera by Fernando Bustamante. Gauk also played a new piece by 
Canadian composer Omar Daniel, adding variety to the evening. She ended 
the night with a vibrant version of de Falla's Primera Danza Espanola. 
Nobody went home disappointed.

I had never heard of Rachel Gauk before, but she is easily one of
the most exciting guitarists I've seen in some time. She has
studied with Norbert Kraft and Eli Kassner in Canada, David
Russell in England and Raphaella Smits in Belgium. Ms. Gauk has
also worked with the Toronto Symphony, the National Arts Centre
Orchestra of Canada and the New World Chamber Orchestra in
Mexico.

Gauk has recently released her first recording. It contains a
large part of the repetoire she played here in Winnipeg. Copies
were selling quickly after her performance. I would highly
recommend it to anyone that enjoys latin-flavoured guitar music.

Rachel Gauk. Danzas y Canciones. Marquis Classics, 144 Front St
West, Toronto, Canada, M5J 2L7. Distributed in Canada by Denon,
and the United States by Allegro Imports.

I hope to hear more from this classical guitarist soon.

Keir Reavie
reavie@bldghsc.lan1.umanitoba.ca
From: lhcompt@cs.umd.edu (Lawrence H. Compton)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Re: Yngwie Malmsteen
Date: 16 Nov 92 04:33:43 GMT
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742

In article <92317.092043KAP118@psuvm.psu.edu> KAP118@psuvm.psu.edu (Kevin Polcovich) writes:
>Yngwie Malmsteen. Any Comments on style, music, etc.?
>                       Just Wondering.....Kevin

His guitar playing is ruined by his arrogance. You are not a virtuoso
just because you can play fast. He believes he's great, but if he is
why is he playing adolescent heavy metal?

							Larry
From: basinski@biosci.arizona.edu (Mark Basinski)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Re: Modern guitarists who play classical  (was Re: Yngwie Malmsteen)
Date: 17 Nov 92 22:02:30 GMT
Followup-To: rec.music.classical.guitar
Organization: Univ. of Arizona

In article <BxvI5G.C9E@hplabs.hpl.hp.com>, fouts@bozeman.hpl.hp.com (Martin
Fouts) wrote:
> Enjoy what you like, play what you can, and stay on the d*mn beat (;-)

 Exactly! I like relating music to food (pardon my metphor)...but what I
mean is everybody has their own taste. If you like seafood and I don't,
you can talk about how great lobster is until you die, and I still won't
like it (but I at least I did try it, more than once!). Some things take
some getting used to, "one must develop a taste" 

 Having said this, when I listen to Steve Howe play classical, I find it 
pretty bad. True, I thought "mood for a day" was cool when I was 17, and
I played it (but back then I also thought "Siberian Khatru" was cool and
learned that too...). Having spent many years listening and learning
music from all parts of the classical guitar repertory, I now find Steve's
"classical" stuff pretty bad - I mean it's OK for what it is, just an
amateur thing, but compositionally quite lacking. There is so much really
great music (that is not necessarily difficult or flashy) available for
classical guitar. I'd rather hear a simple pavan by Alonso de Mudarra
played well than hear someone playing paganini on a steel string, but 
that's just my taste. 

	 I think the main issue is frequently this: what are you looking for in 
music? an exciting guitarist? or a beautiful sound? an aesthetically
satisfying composition? There is no one answer...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Basinski      Internet: basinski@biosci.arizona.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
From: chenl@cbnewse.cb.att.com (julian.l.chen)
Subject: Re: Parkening
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 19:29:16 GMT

| I agree with one exception.  I always felt Parkening's technique was
| at the level of the best.  Why do people say otherwise???  My main
| criticism is that there is something about the recordings on Angel
| records that I really dislike.  It sounds very muffled.  Has anyone
| else noticed that?
|
| I have a recording of Williams' Recuerdos de la Alhambra and I can
| hear a definite "galop" in his tremelo.  Parkening is smooth as silk.
| I never have understood what people have against Parkening.
|
| Mike "not Musically Correct" Anderson
|

Your must be hearing a very old recording of Williams. I was in one of
John Williams concerts last year, his tremelo was definitely among the
finest I have every heard, live or on record. The tremelo part in his
new CD Iberia reconfirmed my opinion. I agree that Parkening also has
very good tremelo.

Julian
From: basinski@biosci.arizona.edu (Mark Basinski)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Williams & sight reading
Date: 17 Nov 92 18:07:22 GMT
Followup-To: rec.music.classical.guitar
Organization: Univ. of Arizona

In article <92Nov17.032151.21024@acs.ucalgary.ca>, quigley@acs.ucalgary.ca
(Martyn Thomas Quigley) wrote:
> Another story.  About 10 years ago I saw a tv documentary on Andre Previn.
> He had written a guitar concerto and invited JW down to his country
> home.  Previn showed the ms to Williams and suggested he might want to 
> look at it for a few weeks before getting together again to try it out.  
> Williams got Previn there and then to play the piano reduction, Williams 
> picked up his guitar and *never having seen the score* just *sight read* 
> the entire concerto, which was still in ms form and not arranged nor 
> fingered for guitar.  Previn said afterwards that it was the most 
> astonishing display of musicianship he had ever seen in his life.  And
> Previn is a world-class pianist himself.
> 
  Leo Brouwer was one of the judges at the Alirio Diaz Competition in
Caracas in October 1990, and at a party beforehand, several of my fellow
competitors and I were talking to him. He told us of the premiere of his
Toronto guitar concerto a couple of years before. Basically, Brouwer 
wasn't able to get *any* of the music to Williams until just a couple
of weeks before the performance, and from what Brouwer said that night,
he couldn't get the last movement to WIlliams until the day before, so in
the premiere performance, Williams was basically sightreading this stuff,
really fast and difficult scale passages, and nailing it. Brouwer was
conducting, and said he was just astounded at how well Williams played,
and that during the last movement, at one point he looked over at 
Williams, furiously wailing, and Williams half-glanced at Brouwer, and
smilingly muttered "you bastard!" under his breath without dropping a
note...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Basinski      Internet: basinski@biosci.arizona.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
From: gerald.b.ross@um.cc.umich.edu (Gerald Ross)
Subject: Re: Classical ==> Jazz Fingerstyle
News-Software: IBM OS/2 PM RN (NR/2) v0.14 by O. Vishnepolsky and R. Rogers
Reply-To: gerald.b.ross@um.cc.umich.edu (Gerald Ross)
Organization: University of Michigan Math Dept
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 14:36:21 GMT

In  <1eeh0sINN36n@emory.mathcs.emory.edu>  uswsp@mathcs.emory.edu (William S. Pittard {EUCC}) writes:

> One thing I thought was funny is that
> jazz players call most fingerstyle pieces "chord melody"
> pieces whereas classical players really don't make much distinction
> between rhythm and lead voices since its something you are always
> contending with.

One reason for the term "chord melody" may be the way many (not all)
jazz guitarists approach the guitar. They see the guitar
in a more chordal, positional and key sense as opposed
to a scalar view.  I play fingerstyle jazz.  I did not start
off playing classical guitar hence my reading ability is
almost non-existent ( I can look at the staff and s l o w l y
name the notes ).  When I arrange a new tune, I learn the
chords first, then fit the notes on the staff to the chords.
If the note is not in one inversion of the chord, I try
another. If the note falls outside of easy reach, it becomes
a single note or perhaps a 2 note harmony line.

--
==============================================================
=
= Gerald Ross
=
=     ...It's 1992.  So where's my jetpack?
=
==============================================================
From: schouten@crhc.uiuc.edu (Dale Schouten)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Re: Wanted: hymn tunes & variations
Date: 16 Nov 92 21:59:41 GMT
Article-I.D.: calcutta.SCHOUTEN.92Nov16135941
Organization: University of Illinois Center for Reliable & High Performance
	Computing
NNTP-Posting-Host: calcutta.crhc.uiuc.edu
In-reply-to: laidler@STSCI.EDU's message of Mon, 16 Nov 1992 18:36:33 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.183633.2695@stsci.edu> laidler@STSCI.EDU () writes:

   I'm looking for classical guitar arrangements of traditional
   hymn tunes, with or without variations, for beginner or
   beginner-intermediate level.

metoo!
(especially if anyone knows where I can get Parkenings arrangement
of Simple Gifts, or anything else on the album of the same name.)

Dale
schouten@uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
From: kalt@nmsu.edu (Kerry Alt)
Subject: Re: Transcriptive vacancies
Organization: NMSU Computer Science
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 22:41:03 GMT

In a word: yes.
--

**************************************************************
**  Kerry Alt                    email:    kalt@nmsu.edu    **
**  New Mexico State University  office:   505/646-3645     **
**  Box 30001/3CS                fax:      505/646-6218     **
**  Las Cruces, NM 88003-0001    home:     505/524-7247     **
**************************************************************
From: stolcke@ICSI.Berkeley.EDU (Andreas Stolcke)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Good/bad acoustics for guitar (Was: re: parkening)
Date: 16 Nov 1992 02:01:38 GMT
Organization: International Computer Science Institute, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: icsib30.icsi.berkeley.edu

In article <1e6rdpINNl7g@fido.asd.sgi.com>, huy@rainbow.asd.sgi.com (Huy Nguyen) writes:
|> I used to think Parkening was among the best until I actually saw him live
|> at a recital in SF. He can play pretty fast and smooth but the tone
|> was very naily and he just doesn't play with enough volume. 
|> It's just wasn't the same as with his recoding. I haven't bought any
|> of his new recording so may be the new recording is just as bad.
|> The way he was playing on that night(Herbst Theater, Winter 88?), I don't
                                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> know how he ever becomes famous. I heard that there was a period when he
|> was burned out with the guitar and he did not play at all during
|> that time. 

Maybe the performer is not the only one to blame. Herbst theatre must be
among the very worst places to play as a guitarist.  Last weekend I heard
the Assads play there, and their sound didn't project very well, which was
made even worse by a rather noisy audience.  I know it was probably not the
performers' fault since I heard them play in much larger places with
a terrific sound up into the last rows.  I remember a similar experience
at Herbst with a Julian Bream concert.

Herbst is one of these old plushy theaters that take
a rather heavy toll especially on the treble frequencies, resulting in
a very unbalanced sound.  I wish they would let guitar performers use the
renovated Davies Symphony Hall instead.

PS.  The Assads were terrific nevertheless.  They played a transcription
of Rhapsody in Blue I hadn't heard before.  Anyone know whether they
have this recorded yet?  The program notes mentioned that they have three
CDs out, whereas I know of only two ("Latin American Music for two Guitars"
and "Alma Brasileira").

-- 
Andreas Stolcke					stolcke@icsi.berkeley.edu
International Computer Science Institute	stolcke@ucbicsi.bitnet
1947 Center St., Suite 600, Berkeley, CA 94704	(510) 642-4274 ext. 126
From: ak835@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael P. Burns)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Re: Need a Recomendation
Date: 23 Nov 1992 13:15:19 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc10.ins.cwru.edu


.
loyola@bnr.ca (Nelson Loyola) asked:
.
>Could someone please recomend a good classical guitar book?
.
(paragraph deleted)
.
>Also flamenco music interests me very much.  Could one learn this
>style of playing from reading a book or do I really need lessons?
.
I agree with the other answers to your question and would apply
the same to your interest in flamenco.  It is very easy to develop
bad habits while trying to learn by oneself.  You will learn more
rapidly and avoid problems by working with a good teacher.  By the
way, many of those who say they never took lessons actually did,
they just didn't take FORMAL lessons.
.
Flamenco is also best learned with a teacher.  If there are no
flamenco teachers in Ottawa start with a classical teacher.  The
basic techniques are the same and will transfer to flamenco music
when you do find a teacher.
.
Good luck!
-- 
Michael P. Burns

ak835@cleveland.freenet.edu
From: ihrj@vax5.cit.cornell.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Assad Bros., GFA competition, Leisner
Date: 22 Nov 92 19:56:05 EST
Distribution: rec
Organization: Cornell University

I wonder if any of you have gotten to see the Assad brothers on their
current tour. A few friends and I caught them at Union College in
Schenectady, NY about 10 days ago. I've seen them once before and
have 4 of their albums, so I wasn't surprised at how good they are.
They played several pieces I've heard them play before - Egberto
Gismonti's Baiao Malandro, Infancia, and Agua de Vinho (sp ?), which
were incredibly exciting - I could have sworn Infancia was untranscribable,
but they played it really well. I've heard their Scarlatti sonatas before
and they were wonderful. They also played exerpts from Faure's Dolly
Suite, Rodrigo's "Tonadilla" (which was wonderful), Villa Lobos "Choros
no. ? - Alma brasiliera" and, so as to blow everybody's mind, Gershwin's
"Rhapsody in Blue".

Sergio's transcriptions and arrangements are excellent. They really
capture the spirit of many of these non-guitaristic works (the Rodrigo
is originally for 2 guitars), and really fill considerable harmonic
space. Besides their sense of ensemble is amazing. They rarely look
at each other - it's as if they communicate telepathically. Odair
is an amazing guitarist - he makes everything look SO easy and his
right hand is amazingly fluid. He uses such little effort - it's a
object lesson in right hand technique (his left hand is no slouch
either).

I talked to Odair after the concert. He's a pretty nice guy (from
all the signs, Sergio is the intellect of the two). He told us this
amusing story of how they recorded their Alma Brasiliera album (which
I will spare you), and also said they have a new release on Nonesuch
soon (he said he'd just received the DAT, so it may take a few months)
- a recording of Scarlatti and Rameau.

They also performed at the GFA competition in New Orleans recently
(did anybody on the newsgroup go ?). My friend went (didn't
make the semi-finals, though) and said that they were so much
better than the other performers there, that they made them look
like amateurs. Although David Leisner was apparently really impressive -
he has lost use of his a finger due to a car accident but he apparently
played a whole bunch of the Villa Lobos with 3 fingers (I screw them up
with 4 !). I refer to his right hand, of course.

Anyway, if you do get to see the Assads, GO ! You CANNOT be disappointed.

Later,

G. A. George
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
From: laidler@STSCI.EDU ()
Subject: Wanted: hymn tunes & variations
Reply-To: laidler@STSCI.EDU ()
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 18:36:33 GMT


I'm looking for classical guitar arrangements of traditional
hymn tunes, with or without variations, for beginner or
beginner-intermediate level.

I'd also be interested in guitar/organ or guitar/piano duets
of any sort, in the same skill range.

If you've got any, or know of a likely source, please send
me email.

Thanks!
        Vicki Laidler
	laidler@stsci.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
From: elf@dgp.toronto.edu (Eugene Fiume)
Subject: Re: Wanted: hymn tunes & variations
Organization: Department of Computer Science
Date: 16 Nov 92 22:08:10 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.201847.29601@sequent.com> kene@sequent.com (Ken Ewing) writes:

>The only thing I've seen like this is two books by Rick Foster 
>called (predictably) "Hymns for Classic Guitar" and "More Hymns 
>for Classic Guitar".  There are corresponding record albums for 
>each book.  Foster has a third book, which I possess but have 
>forgotten the title.  The first two books (and possibly the third) 
>are published by Mel Bay.  I bought them 10 years ago or so, so 
>I don't know if they are still available.

Foster's (I think it's Foster alone, though come to think of it, Parkening
may have had a stab at it by himself) "Simple Gifts" is also in one of
Parkening's two volume set, "Sacred Music for Guitar 1,2".  I saw lots of
copies of these in two decent Toronto stores, so I expect the situation to
be similar elsewhere.  They're on my shopping list, so I'll look more
carefully at these volumes next time I'm in.
-- 
Eugene Fiume, Dynamic Graphics Project
Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
elf@dgp.toronto.edu, (416) 978-5472
From: basinski@biosci.arizona.edu (Mark Basinski)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Fisk & Paganini (was Re: Yngwie Malmsteen)
Date: 16 Nov 92 17:03:51 GMT
Followup-To: rec.music.classical.guitar
Organization: Univ. of Arizona

In article <1992Nov16.051738.8475@schaefer.math.wisc.edu>,
mckinzie@schaefer.math.wisc.edu (Mark McKinzie) wrote:
> ObClassical.guitar:  Has anyone heard the Eliot Fisk recording of
>     Paganini's Caprices?  Oh My.  Truly astounding, at times.  The
>     one drawback is the fact that much of what makes the Caprices
>     so exciting on violin (or flute) is the way in which Paganini
>     translated guitar techniques (harmonics, double stops, hammer-ons,
>     etc...) and forced them into the virtuoso violin toolbox.  Many
>     of the passages which make your jaw drop when performed on a
>     violin become very dull and ho-hum when Fisk rattles them off
>     on the guitar.  Still, this ranks right up there in my top five
>     recordings of the Caprices, for the novelty if nothing else.
> 
 I don't have the recording, but I've seen Fisk do the Paganini live a
couple of times. I'm afraid I get bored with the "make your jaw drop"
approach. In fact, Eliot is *so* into showing off how fast he can play 
that he really ruined the performance (at least I thought so)...I mean,
he could have gone just a *little* slower (it still would have been
extremely fast) and not played so sloppily. Geez...and then he came out
and for an encore did an arrangement he made of the Ponce song 
"Estrellita" - and I have to say that it was just about the most beautiful
thing I've ever heard *anyone* play on guitar. I just can't understand how
an artist capable of such sensitive and beautiful playing can also play
in such a messy ego-trip  way...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Basinski      Internet: basinski@biosci.arizona.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
From: quigley@acs.ucalgary.ca (Martyn Thomas Quigley)
Subject: Re: re: parkening
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 02:30:38 GMT
Organization: The University of Calgary, Alberta

fouts@hpl.hp.com writes:
>
>Segovia had a similar problem in that he should have retired long
>before he died, because he was no longer up to the physically
>demanding repertoire he attempted to play.

Quite so--I can recall seeing AS live in the late 70's, but I went more
to see the great man, rather than to hear him play.

Mart
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar