Thursday, January 9, 2020

You Didn't Like My Last Post? Ok, Now Playing - Recuerdos De La Alhambra




9 comments :

  1. Mighty pretty!

    Sounds best at half volume, however. Softer won makes it soothe, hypnotic and nostalgic.

    I'll have to check and see if classical guitarists Andres Segovia, Julian Bream and John Wiliams recorded this. I'm betting Leona Boy did.

    Do you now Leona, Kid? Se made some beautful guitar videos. Don't know if she's still around or not. I remember reading she' injured her han a while back.

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    1. Well, Chet's wife was Leona Carter. Otherwise I don't know Leona.

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  2. It was great hearing Chet play classicl guitar. Clearly the guy could do anything. Now listen to this three great classical guitarists play the same piece. I just did and found all f them most illuminating.

    Recuerdos de la Alhambra

    1. Andres Segovia

    https://youtu.be/sdaPoUNk5R8

    2. John Williams

    https://youtu.be/MDlQE9djIxE

    The musi cstarts at 2:00. The first two minutes are a waste of time.

    3. Julian Bream

    https://youtu.be/PqfkMgVaOeY

    There are other versions as well - all very good. I love to listen to different artists play the same piece. The subtle differences in their interpretations can be amazing.

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    1. Franco, Thanks for the links ! I'll check them out later.

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    2. Franco, Thanks again for the links. Guitar-wise you might like some Ramon Montoya.

      I don't think Segovia did a good job with it. Williams and Bream played it well, but I noticed that they didn't play the melody as Chet did as the tempo slowed to the ending. There is a version of Chet playing it with the Boston Pops where the ending is even more pronounced and Arthur Fiddler actually sneaks a peek at Chet's hands as the tune ends.

      I don't see that video available now.

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  3. I've loved the following poem since the 1950's but never knew what the title meant before. Thanks to you, Kid, –– and Chet, –– and Andres, –– and John –– andJulian I know it now. ;-)

    ___________ RECUERDO ___________

    We were very tired, we were very merry—
    We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.
    It was bare and bright, and smelled like a stable—
    But we looked into a fire, we leaned across a table,
    We lay on a hill-top underneath the moon;
    And the whistles kept blowing, and the dawn came soon.

    We were very tired, we were very merry—
    We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry;
    And you ate an apple, and I ate a pear,
    From a dozen of each we had bought somewhere;
    And the sky went wan, and the wind came cold,
    And the sun rose dripping, a bucketful of gold.

    We were very tired, we were very merry,
    We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.
    We hailed, “Good morrow, mother!” to a shawl-covered head,
    And bought a morning paper, which neither of us read;
    And she wept, “God bless you!” for the apples and pears,
    And we gave her all our money but our subway fares.


    ~ Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)

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  4. That poem of Edna St. Vincent Millay may not seem to have anything to do with guitsr playing, but as i said of the famous piece there is a soothng kind of sweetness and a sharp aura of nostalgia about it I have always found very touching.

    In that regard both the music and the poem are very much alike.

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  5. I'd be very interested to hear what Tommy mght do with this Memory of the Alhambra. I'm sure he'd have no difficulty playing it very well with perfect accuracy by ear, if he wanted to.

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    1. Franco, As Tommy always says "I would not be playing guitar like this if it wasn't for Chet Atkins." He does tend to not play tunes that Chet played so well. Respect I think. I'm sure Tommy could play anything he wanted.

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