John Williams in Concert : Weiss , Scarlatti and more , amazing Live guitar recital , year 1981 ca. #johnwilliamsguitar John Williams guitar virtuoso !
Nice to see him on the Fleta. He bought a Smallman in 1980 and probably began using it with Sky. I saw and played it as it was on it's way to John. It was an incredible instrument. Not sure when he abandoned those Fletas after which he had a few Smallmans. He played the Smallman at the Opera House in the early 80's but I forget the date.
I've got this very same tape (VCR) which I've had since the '80s. A group of us, then young guitar students would swoon over his flawless right hand technique and do our level best to emulate it. I haven't seen a right hand as such in the young players of today, they can still play the big pieces, and the quality of the sound is unfortunately just a tad the poorer for it. Not being a dick, just saying. If anyone knows of anyone with a similar right hand these days I'd be interested to know about them.
Weiss - Suite in F 0:14 Praetorius - 3 Dances 13:15 Roncalli - Passacaglia 18:44 Scarlatti - Sonata K 213 (in Dm) 24:10 Scarlatti - Sonata K 159 (in D) 29:08
I want to thank you Daniele Magli for making it possible to appreciate this. Those of us who were not able at the time to attend or see the televised program, can enjoy it now. It's also important from a student's point of view, to have the opportunity to listen to and observe the artist more intimately. We only get the final result of hours and years of hours of study and consideration of the music and technique to be applied. Thank you for this and your other videos.
Nice too hear again I had it on VHS video, love the tone , very clear and concise playing, I think this fleta may have been purchased by Jason Waldron from Australia.
Espetacular e incrível ao mesmo tempo por conseguir soar tão claramente e regularmente! Como dizia mestre Segovia: "o violão é o instrumento mais fácil de se tocar mal". Pura verdade! Por isso reconheço como surreal a clareza de Mr. John Williams. Thanks Daniele.
why did u stop playing the Fleta ? .......he has a perfect RH position, knuckles are inline with the strings, plays off the lest side and employs rest strokes without changing his hand position from free to rest stroke , this is true effortless power.......
If it was advertised in 1981 then it would be the Fleta. The Smallman was a few years later, 1984 I think. In addition the rosette is from Fleta not Smallman.
Thanks for putting this up, Daniele. It confirms my long held opinion of Williams: one of the greatest technicians of the guitar, but consistently lacking in deep feeling. Example: the Roncalli Passacaglia (?), a piece that induces a profound melancholy at the hands of Segovia, whose exquisite phrasing is always motivated by and directed towards the heart, but which in the hands of Williams becomes a display of poorly conceived arrastres and inappropriate accents that effectively destroy its great beauty.
Segovia may have drastically changed his interpretation (and fingerings lol ) if he was still around .Perhaps he got it wrong ? Does music always require deep feelings ? (me thinks not ) In my opinion there is great feeling in a lot of Johns playing as well as accuracy and Rhythm and a lovely tone .I don't really understand where your coming from Jeffrey .
This sort of comment comes up all the time when the topic is John Williams. We all hear different aspects of music when we listen. Our expectations are obviously a part of what we find, or hope to find, when we listen to music. I am not trying to dissuade you from feeling one way or another. But let me suggest that there may be qualities other than the musician’s deeply emotional and personal feelings by which to be fulfilled in an interpretation. The music itself, for example, has a life and a structure (for lack of a better word) that exists outside of our personal desire to express ourselves through it. That is what John Williams is so good at articulating: he steps away from the forefront of the music as opposed to dominating the picture with his personal feelings. Some people may admire the more selfless act that this represents. But quite apart from that, I agree with another writer in this thread, who hears Williams’ ‘heart’ through his playing. I do, too. But it is not the only thing going on, maybe not even the most important thing. The music itself here is first. In a way it’s a bit like actors and acting. Some actors turn what ever role they play into themselves; other actors become the role they play. No right or wrong here. But ask yourself who is the greater actor.
It's a ' 72 cedar top Fleta. He changed over to a Smallman many years later. Also, I used to own a 1980 cedar top Fleta , so obviously am very familiar with them.
Uffff qué harto estoy de todos estos interpretes que solo poseen técnica y concentración y que después no saben nada pero nada…del aspecto creativo..y lo digo con conocimiento de causa…inacapaces de improvisar sobre la más básica estructura aparte de un desconocimiento absoluto de armonia etc
