Are Flamenco Guitarists Better Than Classical Guitarists? 

Hi, Thanks for the great video. Yes, it's true that there is a lot of heated debate between classical and flamenco guitarists surrounding performances of this great concerto. I recently posted comments in response to a flamenco guitarist's video in which he was venting anger because of Narciso Yepe's criticism of Paco De Lucia's interpretation. I've included an English translation of my comments here as I feel it has relevance to what you were talking about in this video. The ideas in the comments are partly based on conversations I had with Profesor Carlos Bonell during my studies at RCM and interviews I've watched with maestro Jose Maria Gallardo Del Rey.: It is obvious that the comments of maestro Yepes were an exaggeration, perhaps in part because he was jealous or maybe the maestro felt threatened that the recordings of Paco de Lucia could potentially outsell his own. That said, it is also true that different musical traditions have different aesthetic values. What sounds good in one culture is not necessarily considered beautiful in another, and the Concierto de Aranjuez is not flamenco, it’s classical music. We must also rememember that Maestro Rodrigo was not a guitarist himself and at the time he composed this concerto, most works written by non-guitarist composers for the guitar were written for Don Andres Segovia. Segovia was extremely good at adapting the musical ideas of the composer to sound and work well on the guitar. However, because of the politics of the time, Segovia was not living in Europe when Rodrigo composed his concierto de Aranjuez and so the concerto was dedicated to another guitarist, Regino Sainz de la Maza. Sainz de la Maza was also an excellent guitarist but he was not able to convince Rodrigo of the need to modify the partitura of his concerto. So the result is that we have a superb musical work but one that in places doesn’t work very well on the guitar. (For example, in some passages the music is written in the higher register of the guitar and would have more resonance and sound better if played an octave lower). After the war when Segovia heard the concerto, he contacted Rodrigo to ask for his permission to make changes to the score so that it would sound more guitaristic. However, Rodrigo, perhaps out of pride and stubbornness, denied Segovia the permission he was seeking and so Segovia, being equally proud and stubborn, decided to never play this concerto. Other classical guitarists since have performed the concerto having made changes to the score without Rodrigo’s permission. And then came the great Paco de Lucia. Paco, like many who are not classical musicians, believed that classical musicians are oligated to play exactly what they see on the score. (This is not always true as some classical musicians do make deliberate changes to the original partitura for musical reasons.) As Paco himself was not a proficient reader of music, he employed the services of the classical guitarist Jose Maria Gallardo del Rey to teach him the exact notes of the original score so that his performance of the concerto would be true to the score, if not idiomatic of the instrument. This is a significant point in which many classical guitarists differ from Paco de Lucia’s interpretation of the concerto and is one of the reasons for the controversy presented in this video. Personally, I enjoy Paco’s version of this concerto for what it is; a wonderful flamenco interpretation by a virtuoso flamenco guitarist. I also believe that when famous musical figures like Paco de Lucia or Miles Davis perform classical music, they are promoting classical music to new audiences and they transport new ideas to the music which revitalizes the music in some way. I am a humble classical guitarist but sometimes I also love to play what might be considered flamenco on the guitar and when I do so, I hope the flamencos are not so hard on me as Narciso Yepes was with Paco de Lucia!

I only like the Paco version. I've heard others, but he plays with raw power and emotion like no one else. It isn't just notes on a page anymore when Paco plays it.

For Paco's interpretation of Aranjuez , Rodrigo himself said " it was the best interpretation I had ever heard" .

Im a classical guitarist, and it’s obvious that flamenco players have on average more technical facility than classical players. I would recommend learning both styles to help with your technique. Since dabbling in flamenco my right hand is even more precise and it’s a lot easier to do arpeggios and picado.

John William’s version is fantastic. You never feel he’s struggling and the scale passages, in particular, are clean and precise.

While I've never heard a performance of this piece that I didn't like, I find myself always returning to Narciso Yepes' recording using his ten-string guitar. I find it irresistible!

Paco's performance is by far the best...although John WIlliams does quite nicely.

John Williams. First recording I ever heard, and my fav of them all. Refined and crystalline but with sweeping drama and aching emotion where it counts. His tempi are restrained at times to great effect.

It’s John Williams and Kaori Muraji for me - sublime. Excellent presentation from this fine channel

I don't know if Flamenco players are better, but Paco's interpretation of Aranjuez is beyond human. There wasn't, there isn't, and there will never be a better one.

You NEED to check out Remi Boucher's solo version. Somehow, he manages to squeeze guitar plus orchestra out of his guitar... and make it incredibly musical.

It's not that Flamenco Guitarists ar Better Than Classical Guitarists, it's Paco better than everyone else 😂

de Lucia's version surprised me and is now my favourite.

I am a classically trained guitarist, a Venezuelan one to be more precise, my master's master was the great Alirio Diaz. In the Venezuelan tradition of classical guitar there isn't a clear line between academic and popular music. That is key, in my opinion, classically trained musicians from Europe and North America can sound too clean, to the point that their music becomes somehow sterile. Now look at Adam del Monte or Yacambu Costa, ask yourself why they sound the way they sound. That is my humble opinion.

Manuel Barrueco Concierto de Aranjuez conducted by Placido Domingo. 1997 (EMI) Domingo also sings Rodrigo songs with Barrueco on the recording.

I like how Petrit Čeku played it. But my favourite preformances of any piece change so I'll probably have many more favourites lol

Ángel Romero with André Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra

I love many Classical guitarists. I love many Flamenco guitarists. This is apples and oranges. What I do not love is hearing a classical guitarist try to play a tango without first learning the art. There are many who develop a repertoire that they are not prepared for. RU-vid is full of mediocre renditions of tangos by classical guitarists.

Daniel Casares and Pedro Javier Gonzales' versions are my favourites for sure. Daniel Casares composed a wonderful concerto titled"La Luna de Alejandra" as a secondary perspective to the piece. Definitely worth a listen!

As far as I know, Christopher Parkening spent some weeks talking with Joaquín Rodrigo exchanging ideas and tips to create the perfect performance/recording.

In pacos version I think the orchestra is fantastic, and that really helps paco’s interpretation sound so good, I love Pepe romeros interpretation the most but the orchestra sounds so good with paco

John Williams with the Philadephia Orchestra is close to perfection.

Check out the musicology stuff. But I think I'm right in saying that the composer, Rodrigo, preferred Paco's interpretation above all ...

Yepes is my favourite version

The movement which fits best with Paco's technique is the 1st. Paco didn’t read music he was helped by Jose Maria Gallardo del Rey. Pepe Romero learned Aranjuez as a kid even before knew how to read a score. A bit like you learn how to speak before you learn how to read. I heard him play with no amplification absolute control, amazing. I like old William's recording with Philladelfia Orchestra he has a unique sense of propulsion on the tempo. Yepes was the first to play it with brilliance virtuosity the piece deserves

It would make sense if Spanish compositions that draw on the flamenco tradition were also played on a flamenco guitar, but classical guitarists invariably do not do that. I'm pretty sure that there is a significance difference in the tone of the guitars, which also affects volume, so it is not just a question of technique. Flamenco guitars can naturally be louder and steel string guitars can naturally be louder again. I've heard guitarists say that flamenco is based on just four chords. Maybe the tone of a flamenco guitar is less "perfect" on some parts of the fretboard and that is why classical guitarists avoid playing one.

'"Are Flamenco Guitarists Better Than Classical Guitarists?" ... stupid question ...

Paco's version is wonderful and fresh and I thoroughly enjoyed it but my alltime favorite is the John Williams and Daniel Barenbuim 1974 recording M-33208

I note that your thumbnail and title ask two different questions. The thumbnail question "Who plays the best Aranjuez" loads the subject in favour of Classical music, whereas the title "Are Flamenco Guitarists Better Than Classical Guitarists?" is a more even-handed question. What if the thumbnail question was "Who plays the best Soleá?" 🙂 You could do another vid on that. That said, your actual treatment of the subject was knowledgeable, even-handed and interesting. Bravo!

I have two favorite versions the Narciso Yepes rendition and Paco De Lucia's, but overall Narciso Yepes is the most fluid and musical in my opinion. Paco De Lucia though renowned as one of the most famous and acomplished Flamenco Guitarists was a also very well versed in Classical guitar technique and he even released a number of classical guitar recordings over the course of his career,. there was some disicussion early on in his career that he had talked to his Father about becoming a proffessional Clasical guitarist rather than a Flamenco Guitarist as he very much enjoyed and was acomplished at Classical guitar technique but his father advised agasinst it asking him if he would rather be " a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in big pond" and of course the rest is history.

Excellent subject to address; and some interesting points brought up! I have the recording of Christopher Parkening performing. Superb; although Paco is a standard for this piece. Thank you; very enjoyable!

Julian Bream said once (was it in Guitarra?) that he didn't think, as an Englishman, he really knew how to play Spanish compositions. He might not have been fair to himself. I remember hearing an early Narciso Yepes recording and the way he played the Three Cornered Hat had what sounded like a flamenco-like attack, but that's not in later performances by Yepes, so it may have become a personal choice in interpretation, i.e. not to do that, which may be a typical classical approach. Recordings can make a big difference too, especially in concertos, my favourite example there being Nicanor Zabaleta doing Saint Saens' harp & orchestra piece where the concert harp sounds as loud as the orchestra & it's the best recording imaginable, but it could not have been done outside a recording studio & mixing desk. A concert harp couldn't compete with a full orchestra in volume without the help of a mixing desk! For guitar recordings, Sharon Isbin's are ones where the balance between guitar & orchestra don't sound right, to me, and famously John Williams got his special Australian guitars built to be louder because he did have a problem being heard early on. A relative saw him do Rodrigo's concerto c.1970 live in an old hall and the guitar literally could not be heard. Juan Martin said once that some flamenco techniques originated in the need for volume to be heard. This of course being long before anyone could or would use amplification. "The Daddy" of the Romeros, who I tend to think of as the best of the family (Celedonio), did also play and even write some flamenco style pieces, but they're not great. He was best doing classical and, in fact, I think his version of Sanz's Suite Espanola was far better than Pepe's even though Pepe came up with it!, i.e. selecting a handful of Sanz's tunes and turning them into a suite. Hear the way Celedonio concludes the final Canarios tune and it has a unique flamenco like volume or attack, which I think comes purely from his choice of technique, not the recording mix.

Paco is not just a flamenco guitarist. Is THE flamenco guitarist.

Concierto de Aranjuez is such a masterpiece... I've heard almost all famous recordings there are in RU-vid, from Bream, Pepe, John Williams, Pablo Sainz-Villegas... But lately, the best version I love the most is Zoran Dukic. His 2nd movement almost moved me to tears.

I object to the formulation of the question: music is not a competitive sport. As for preference, well ... I ...

Excellent video ! I have to say, Paco is better than anybody else even when you can't actually hear him .....................................

My favorite recording of Concierto de Aranjuez is that of Alfonso Moreno with London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Enrique Batiz. I believe is one of the most balanced renditions, with the orchestra and the guitar going along smoothly, while Moreno is an excellent guitar player combining technique and romantic/impressionistic feeling.

To the question, the answer s: DEFINETELY!!! And then, beyond, above and far ahead there s Kazuhiro Yamashita, only guitarist better than everyone in terms of making a guitar sound and ability to go places through his hands and fingers.

Angel romero and john williams are my personal favourites by far

In my opinion no one plays the Concerto better than John Williams does, very controlled technique, which is the norm for him, incredible volume and sound quality, and a lot of emotion.

Small suggestion: Your narration is good, but when you're on camera, your hand movements are excessive, and they distract from what you're saying. If you watch quality documentary work (i.e. stuff not on RU-vid, or before the RU-vid era), you'll notice that hosts use minimal hand gestures while speaking on camera. If you work to minimize these, the quality of your videos will be much improved.

In essence comparison in art is completely redundant, however, Paco de Lucia is so uniqe in terms of melody, harmony and especially in technique, so whatever he played was a few levels ahead all other world guitarists, as well as the famous Concierto de Aranjues, which he portrayed as it should be, like composer Joaqin Rodrigo wanted.

I think Paco have done the Part..exceptional..❤

It's not so much flamenco vs classical but rather strictly following the rhythm or not. As Paco said, he thought his input to the concierto would be valuable because classical guitarists didn't play it rhytmically correct, since classical musicians "live for the good sound" of the guitar. Spanish music is much more rhytmical than any other, so playing a Spanish piece as you would other pieces is simply incorrect. That's why you need a flamenco guitarist to play it well, in the rhythm that it was composed, and that's why Rodrigo said Paco's version was the best.

Are flamenco players better at this piece, is probably a more productive question. I'm biased, as my favourite music is flamenco, although I was listening to Segovia, John Williams and Julian Bream along with Pack de Lucia. Paco plays the piece better than most players and Rodrigo himself said Paco's was the best version. There is something poetic about Paco's phrasing. He is very strict on timing, yet makes it feel so natural and expressive. He studied the Spanish composer's and made it his own. That's why he plays the piece better. John Williams goes to his friend Paco Pena to get clues as to feel- yet he was the prince of classical guitar. He shows respect to tradition and delivers with clarity. He's not satisfied with past education, but continues to keep his mind open. My favourite classical guitarist of past is Julian Bream who is a legend in expression and gifted tutor. Today, there are many fine classical players - at the top of their genre, but you have to understand and feel flamenco in order to get close to the expression of a flamenco player, especially one like Paco. Some of my favourite guitarist (at the top of their game in fusion jazz) don't have what Paco de Lucia has. I did enjoy your video and the recording/performance evaluation. This piece of music has gripping me since the 70s.

I really love this concerto, but I'm always frustrated by the low volume of the guitar compared to the rest of the orchestra. I would be grateful to anyone who can recommend a good performance where the guitar is amplified, either originally or in post-production, so I don't have to constantly adjust the volume knob, as I'm doing now. Even better would be if someone knows the recording with Paco de Lucía with the guitar amplified, something that can be easily done today with the right equipment

There are a hand full of guitar pieces that everybody knows but does not know where they came from. Asturias and Malagueña are 2 examples. Jose Feliciano sang my favourite version.

I guess we can find links ourselves to the recordings you mention I would point out that the middle movement of the concerto in question is not the Concerto de Aranjuez But you certainly have some interesting analysis.... And yet, it is customary in American thought patterns to make everything into a competition.... Nope, orchestras hardly rehearse before a live performance, therefore the coordination with the soloist is not there. Violinists can play super Piano, but not so the oboists, etc ...

What about Alexey Zimakov and his performance of Aranjuez?

John Williams✌

Interesting discussion. Thanks. I prefer Paco's performance of the first and third movements, and Williams ("The Seville Concert") for the second movement. Pepe Romero's performance mentioned in the discussion is also very good.

I think Rodrigo might have missed his calling to collaborate with Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood. BTW you sounded great when you played the guitar solo section. I'm wondering if we could ditch the orchestra altogether and just play the guitar part and call it a day.

Brilliant lecture; so enjoyable, bravo!

You can't have it both ways. Ramón Montoya in the 1920s brought classical influences into Flamenco guitar - who's treading on whose toes now?

The only bad thing about that concerto is that it ends.

My favorite Rodrigo Concierto De Aranjuez recording of all time is Alexander Lagoya ,Phillips label on a Ramirez guitar. Have not heard a better recording over all. There is not one spot where it's not perfectly natural, Killer tone as well.

Paco’s made several mistakes in this recording but, as others have noted, he played with such passion that it was easy to over look the minor technical errors

Thats litteraly comparing apples and bananas

We're going overboard comparing guitarists playing this famous and beautiful concerto. Music, as the most sublime of all arts, resonates with the senses of the receiver. If it's played well, not necessarily as per dictated perfection, people generally will respond to it positively, if it's played mediocre to bad, people will shift their attention to something else. Every classical guitar and every flamenco guitar sounds different. You can play classical, flamenco, Arabic, Greek, Latin, jazz, blues, folk music, concerto, duo, quartet or solo on any of them, when played well, the non academics as opposed to the academics will love it, in the final analysis that is what matters. There also remains the question of tuning, 432Hz vs 440Hz, people lose their subconscious anxiety on 432Hz but unfortunately 440Hz tuning prevails as the world's standard tuning, at least for orchestral instruments. There is a lot more to be said about guitars, playing guitars and guitarists than merely ponder on who is the best, especially when comparing different genre musicians who are at the same technical or artistic level, even when they're playing the same piece of music and on their own choice of instrument.

Alexey Ziimakov

The compose itself is harmonically pretty simple, but like said little thinga matter. I prefer flamenco players versions.

I love how Angel Romero plays it as if he owns it. Such arrogance and yet class!

That's an stupid question.

I love both forms, classical and Flamenco, but the best version of this great concerto is hands down the inimitable performance of Angel Romero when he played this immortal work at the United Nations some years ago. Case closed! I've seen Paco's performance of this concerto and heard his comment that he thinks the work should be played up to speed. Well Angel plays it briskly with clarity, verve and power and in general gives a more polished performance than any one else I've seen.

1. Paco de Lucia 2. Pepe Romero (plays very well Flamenco!) 3. Yamashita … although the order depends on my Daily mood (maybe the rasgeados from 1 and 2 are more „spanish“) 4. Fisk (seen live at the Brucknerhaus in linz/Austria (with one of the best acoustics world wide) many years ago with Rodrigo in the audience

in the cadenza section you strum the strings with the index fingernail, this makes the tone inconsistent, harshly sounding and diminishing the dynamic range. Why don't you use the thumb instead?

Is there a recording with a chamber orchestra? maybe an octet or quartet?

People saying "that's a stupid question" without any explanation as if they think they have a fixed worldview. I would say flamenco guitar players usually have better technique. Not a professional but have played both classical guitar and piano. Gonna guess it's the classically trained people who think "it's a stupid question". Flamenco guitar players are usually better than classical guitarists. Cry as much as you want.

All i do know is that flamenco classical jazz and fusion players are infinitely better than all the rock pop and indie guitarists on Rolling Stones top 250 list!

another good example is Tomatito's performance with Michel Camilo on their latest album Spain Forever Again

In my opinion, it's nota case of 'better', rather each style is (to some extent - think of 'Asturias, for example) different. I must admit I can listen to classical guitar all day long, whereas, after a while, I will have had enough of listening to flamenco. I studied classical guitar for about two years (but was never much good), nevertheless my favourite version of the second movement of Aranjuez has to be the Miles Davis and Gil Evans version - and not a guitar in sight! I'm also very fond of the version by the Modern Jazz Quartet with Laurindo Almeida; which brings me to my suspicion that jazz guitarists are possibly actually better than their classical and flamenco colleagues - knowledge and use of somewhat esoteric chords and scales, much of it improvised! Let's not forget that Almeida was a highly accomplished classical artist, too. My number one hero is a player who seems to blend jazz with modern classical playing: Ralph Towner. Thanks for humouring me.

Sachez que Paco avait appris le 2ème mouvement 75% d'oreille ! Sans partition , sans oublier que son interprétation avait déplu à nombreux guitaristes classiques notamment N.Yepes qui l'avait bien critiqué !

In my opinion the acoustic guitar is not suitable for playing with an orchestra because of its intimate character. Once I heard a guitar quartet version of this concerto and it sounded so much better. The only orchestral work I like is the one of Vivaldi in D with a small line-up.

Hmmm, okay, clickbait title. Neither flamenco nor classical are "better", they are different. Moving on, it is interesting to hear the vehement defence of Flamencoists playing classical, when often you get exactly the opposite reaction to classicists daring to play flamenco. Maestro Romero has been pilloried for his flamenco endeavours. Flamenco "snobs" hate classical guitarists "stepping on their toes" every bit as much. Personally, I am more a classical fan because there is a tone & subtlety that most flamencos can't achieve. Maestro Peña points this out, though they do try. As to my favourite performance of Aranjuez, I have 3: Bream (his tone is magical), Romero (his technical ease is insane), & Sainz de la Maza. (It was written for him after all) As a side note; Segovia refused to play it because it was dedicated to Sainz de la Maza.

Flamenco guitarists when they saw a classical guitarist play a flamenco song: "Wow that's interesting go ahead, brother!" Classical guitarists when they saw a flamenco guitarist play a classical song: "Man that sound is disgusting, stop stepping on the other field"

The Question who is better then the otherone ist silly !

To me, the performances are mostly the same. The performers are all virtuosos. Which performance one likes best is personal taste. My favorite is Angel Romero's performance of the piece.

Paco de Lucia's tone quality is horrible, not that most classical guitarists of the presenter's generation have any sense of tone production. One of the reasons that the classical guitar is in a state of crisis.

I like Luise Walker´s version most!

1) Paco 2) The others 😊

These polls are so dependent on personal taste, musical background and lots of personal biases that make no sense at all. My personal preference goes to the Bream-Melos chamber orchestra in the early 60´s that in my opinion precedes all modern interpretation of Rodrigo´s score.

Sergovia was a blessing and a curse, As a result, many classical guitarists are rigid, stuffy, and elitists. Often the classical guitar literature is rather boring. Flamenco guitar comes from the heart.

Paco, Parkening, and Williams. I find Yepes horrendous, especially considering his harsh criticisms of flamenco players.

Lots of technically adept classical players butcher this piece, you have to be a musician to nail this.

Once again, thanks for another thought-provoking discussion. I don’t find your contrast between flamenco and classical at all snobbish, but rather an invitation to explore and learn from both approaches to the guitar.

I love the Pepe Romero version with the danish national symphony, his tone and rhythm are fantastic, especially in the 1st movement.

Apples vs Oranges argument One style not better than another, just different… many similarities though…but saying one is better than another is like comparing a dermatologist to a cardiologist.

Similar to Rhapsody in Blue, the approach of a classic pianist and a Jazz pianist. Is different.

John Williams recorded the best version. Just my modest opinion...

At least you guys have someone to learn from (flamenco guitarists). It's way worse for the pianists. Edit: The very end shows courage. Go there!

My favourite version is Pepe Romero’s. His fluidity and rhythm are wonderful. The orchestra is critical to this piece and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields does a stellar job. Paco de Lucia’s version has its own merits, as do versions from maestros Bream, Yepes and Williams. For me, a great rendition requires the very best from soloist, orchestra, and conductor. Recording balance is also critical and here again the Romero 90s recording offers near perfection. The guitar can be heard clearly but is never too prominent. With so many wonderful versions of this most beautiful of pieces available, you owe it to yourself to listen to as many as possible.

Beautifully played at the end of the video ❤

So, I recommend you watch Grisha's Flamenco Guitar Lesson: Arrastre Technique.

Of course not. Paco does play the Aranjuez well, but in general hearing flamenco guitarists trying to play classical music (with the exception of certain Spanish pieces) is painful to listen to as they lack both the understanding of the music as well as the command of all the techniques required to be able to play the classical guitar repertoire. Their scales and rasqueados are always very good but there are soo much more than that in the world of classical guitar. I do not agree with much of what Jacob Schmidt says in this video, and he is in no way a spokesman or a representative for classical guitarists in general, but I do agree that Pepe Romero’s recording of “Aranjuez” is fantastic.

Of course Pacos is the best!!

I like Pepe ROMERO’s version.

So much talk and so little music. Direct comparison and analysis between, say, Bream and Paco, of some passages would have been instructive and interesting.

Segovia LOVED flamenco. He started playing it back in his youth. He just did not like this particular concert, his favorite was the Castelnuovo-Tedesco.

Pepe Romero is also a great flamenco player.

La técnica de la guitarra clásica es muy superior a la del flamenco, y su repertorio es infinitamente mayor. Y no solo se trata de rapidez . Han existido aproximaciones entre ambas, me acuerdo del gran Manolo Sanlucar. Recomiendo oír a Stephanie Jones, por ejemplo.