Friday Favorites – 1/27/2012
Posting Friday Favorites once a week has been the most time-consuming task of the week here on Bud’s Blog. I went back and looked …. I posted the first Friday Favorite back in August of 2010 on the Atlanta Rhythm Section’s hit, So Into You. In describing my plans for Friday Favorites, I wrote, The intent is a short (yes, I can do short) post on something that’s a favorite of mine, be it music, art, books or whatever. Well, they are no longer short, so maybe I can’t. Part of the problem with Favorites is that after over 70 posts, it’s hard to come up with another favorite and Friday Things I Like a Lot just doesn’t catch the ear. But I keep doing it because Friday Favorites is, in fact, the weekly post I do most for me.
Although I’m educated, my education has been mostly scientific. I’m not culturally educated and I’ve never been inclined to pick up a book to learn about, say, Claude Monet. When it comes to the arts, I know what I like but I don’t know a lot about what I know I like. Ask me, When was the Baroque Period in music? Google. How old is Dave Brubeck? Google. Friday is my time to learn a little about the things I’ve loved through the years, motivated by passing it along to anyone who might be interested. Friday is the day when I let Wikipedia and the internet educate me. It’s good for the sixty-something brain and for the sixty-something soul.
This week’s Favorite is a good example. If a say John Williams to most people, they either say, Who? or, Star Wars, thinking, of course, of the prolific American composer of numerous film scores. However, this week’s Favorite is John Williams the classical guitarist. My first exposure to Williams was his recording of Cavatina, written by Stanley Myers (I Googled that) and used as the theme for the Deer Hunter (knew that). I became an ardent fan.
What I didn’t know was that he was born in Australia (I thought he was American) and emigrated to England in 1952, where he studied piano at the Royal College of England because they did not have a guitar department (he later founded one). He studied with Andres Segovia, making him one of the few living guitarists with a link to the master. Although he has recorded practically the entire repertoire for classical guitar … and extended it by commissioning works … he is perhaps best known for bringing attention to the works of Paraguayan guitarist and composer, Augustin Barrios, whom he considers the greatest of composers for the guitar. As a teacher, he has complained that because of the complexity of many works, guitar education has focused too much on getting through the notes and too little on phrasing and tone. He encourages ensemble playing with easier pieces for his students. Williams also has his own website where he provides free downloads of his transcriptions and compositions for guitar, as well as notes on the music.
In this video, Williams plays Barrios’ La Ultima Cancion to a live audience. You get to see the ease with which he plays this beautiful piece and the silence that settles over the audience as he does so. Be sure to notice the faces of the musicians in the orchestra as they listen. And, most of all, enjoy.
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Tags: entertainment, favorites, Friday Favorites, guitars, John Williams, music, smiles
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January 27, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Very informative. I’m laughing, Bud, because I knew John Williams was a classical guitarist. And I knew John Williams wrote a lot of great movie scores. But I didn’t know they were two different people! LOL. Loved the music videos.
January 27, 2012 at 12:04 pm
That’s really funny. I’m laughing, too. Perhaps we’re both culturally uneducated.
January 27, 2012 at 12:08 pm
P.S. – Thank you for not catching my reference to Clause Monet (which I’ve since fixed)!
January 27, 2012 at 12:08 pm
I hope not on everything! I just listened to that last piece for the second time. Amazing!
January 27, 2012 at 8:32 pm
I’m sure you’re not. You seem to have a more liberal education than I do.
January 27, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Thanks for all the interesting information. I knew John Williams was a guitarist and not the John Williams, score writer. What I didn’t know was the he was an Australian transported to England (reversing the historic order of things!). I love his work and have some of his CDs. I loved the videos too.
January 27, 2012 at 8:34 pm
He is definitely a favorite. One of the good things about writing this is I often resurrect older recordings from my stereo cabinet.
January 27, 2012 at 12:48 pm
Lovely. I know what you mean about themed posts, my Friday Favorites can take a long time to, well, find a favorite to share. Thanks for sharing this, I enjoyed it very much.
January 27, 2012 at 8:34 pm
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
January 27, 2012 at 2:28 pm
It’s funny… for as much as I love music, I’ve never been a fan of the sound of classical guitar. I do love acoustic guitar (I find men who play it to possess a certain sexiness). When it comes to classical guitar, I do recognize the incredible difficulty, intricacy and skill involved. I very much respect musicians who can play it. Ironically, the ornateness of classical guitar reminds me of the ornateness of Baroque – the era of classical composition I care for least. Still, though, a true talent on display here. Thanks for that.
January 27, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Interesting. Of course the entire repertoire isn’t as ornate as La Ultima Cancion. Part of what I like about Williams is his passion for the music. He’s very well spoken and when he talks about it, you can hear how much he loves it. And he makes his transcriptions available online. Who does that? If I were a woman, I think I’d find him sexy. Is it weird to say that?
January 27, 2012 at 3:02 pm
I love your Friday favourites.
Just saying!
January 27, 2012 at 8:40 pm
I’m very glad you enjoy them. I do, too, even if they are harder to write.
February 1, 2012 at 7:13 pm
I remember that first Favorites post. I downloaded “So Into You” on my iPod because of that post.
February 2, 2012 at 10:31 am
Yes, you’ve been with me a long time. And that is a great song.