Search - Mel Bay Andrew York - Contemporary Classic Guitar on DVD

Good music but not put together well

The Curious | 09/21/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I've enjoyed listening to this but I have 2 complaints that would have caused me not to buy it. One is that you have to listen to the commentary. I expected the commentary to be a separate menu selection from the actual performance. Since I only want to listen to the music straight through without commentary, this is irritating. The other is that the volume is inconsistent and jumps up. Its good music, but its feels homemade instead of like a professional production. He needs to try again."

Continuing the legacy of Sor, Giuliani, Aguado, Tarrega and

Faezal Yunus | 01/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must admit that prior to this I had just heard York's Sunburst, that too played by the legendary John Williams. Sunburst's melodic beauty alone should be reason enough to whet one's appetite for more and now I know that it is just the tip of the iceberg!

This collection brings a much-needed respite from the same old repertoire performed by all eminent guitar players till date. In fact, listening to York will shed away the misnomer that good players often tend to be poor composers. He not only inspires one to play perfectly but also to compose original music.

York's compositional output has beautiful melodic quality, diverse styles that include modern as well as old influences and combines virtuosic ability to play. Bob Marley's reggae comes alive in the first track while "King Lotvin" evokes the style of medieval English times, only much more sophisticated. The disc even includes an introductory prelude for Sunburst and has Bach's Gigue from 3rd Cello Suite played with amazing control owing to an inventive alternate tuning.

Classic guitarists will love the tips he shares for playing his pieces. York's alternate tunings share the inventiveness of Aguado; his diverse compositional content far exceeds the output of even Sor and Giuliani while his melodic style is equivalent to the beauty of Barrios or Tarrega's compositions. Listen, watch, learn and get inspired!
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