Narciso is one of the best guitar players in history. He is an inspiration to many musicians. I really don't care how many strings he has in his guitar. This is a good performace. Thanks for uploading.
There is an audio-visually restored version of this, with HD video and without the unrealistically tinny (distorted) sound, here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-D8Pskkgss5I.html
It's the incredible precision with what he plays which somehow gives me the feeling of peace. Every single note he treats with care and a passion for perfection and in a way sublimal that I never heard in the same way by any other guitarrist. He is personally my number one classical guitarrist. To my ears his playing is so delicate that I know it's him playing when I hear a piece of him. To make it short: It is the quality of his play that is totally unique and in its precision to me unbeaten.
Me too, brother. My heart is filled with the utmost peace when I hear this man playing. He is my number one guitar player also. Narciso is the clearest example of a sincere and humble genius I Know.
@Lisnageeragh The strings are tuned F# G# A# C E A D G B E. The top 4 are not played (except on obscure lute pieces) and are instead there to create chromatic resonance.
I like his precision, his thumb, his clarity of line and counterpoint, his milking of the wound strings for tone (in suitable pieces, like Rodrigo's concierto), his refusal to romanticize Bach, his ability to play Sanz on a modern instrument without it sounding like a transcription, and his humility that allows to music to speak without interpretive flourishes.
what came to my mind right now to say about his play perhaps the most eminent point: In his play I do not hear the singlest Ego. The master dissapears behind the music that he shares with us, instead he lets the guitar speak or sing for itself. This is why my feeling says, that this can a human only do when he reached the highest point of mastership, in this case the mastering of the guitar. In his play you cannot find deep expressions of emotions and yet you feel his ... I continue ...
It seems so easy for some to criticize the performers of the past once they have developed and laid down the path (technique) for the younger ones to follow. Remember....the puzzle is always easier once someone passes you the answer sheet. I've had the pleasure to see Yepes in live performance, and he was magnificent. I bet most of the critics play better keyboard than guitar - computer keyboard, that is!
... continue ... part 2: love of music between the notes that he plays. Just observe his facial expression when you observe him in other videos and you see that he is fully concentrated, he feels every single note he plays and often his mind seems to be lost in music.
You state the top 4 strings are not played (except in obscure lute pieces), and yet this piece is clearly utilizing the 4th string, and may have even dipped into the third, though I didn't watch closely enough to see for sure. There are parts showing the 3rd fret being played at 3:30, 3:43, and again is at least one closeup at 3:50 showing both the 2nd & 3rd frets being employed.
He is one of the great guitar players. For me he is someone who plays all his notes correct and clear that is for me still a learning process. . His level is way high, my is compared with him like a baby.
actually, his version most likely (I'd have to check the original score) has more correct notes considering this suite was written for lute-harpsicord (lute, harpsicord, or laftenwerk. not sure about that spelling). you're right though, it's not necessarily the most refined rendition of this compared with more recent players, but it's more authentic to the original i think.
Yes, I did notice his fingerings, with the thumb and using the bass as trebles. But, whow!...one must has to be attent, earwise, to these details. I only hear a broad range of colors...and of course, if I looke at the video, I see what he´s doing. I think only Julian Bream (just watched his fugue BWV 1001) and Segovia do (or did) this kind of thing. One thing I did notice recently was Yepes´ dampening which no one seems to do like him, anyway.
As for the performance here, always liked Yepes for some music - his renditions of Catalonian folk music (Llobet) and Italian classical/romantic (Giuliani etc) are very nice. Here the piece does lack in tempo, though more importantly, the playing is too staccato and the fugue-like multiple voices don't "ring" as they should (and as they were originally intended). This piece was probably composed for a the harpsichord-lute, so capturing on guitar requires more legatto and campanella effect.
Whoever has attempted this piece knows it to be devilish. The "mechanist", "square" and "unelastic" have more to do with the guitar´s intricate sound than with Yepes´ interpretation. I do agree that it sounds like he´s "stomping", emphasing the individual elements of the phrase rather than shaping the whole phrase. But, who can play Bach on the guitar like Glenn Gould played on the piano? Bach is not for 99.99% of all guitarrists.
@srsteve12 : Y do you not just merely order it ? Today ! It contains ´xerox´ copies of original manuscripts ; the guitar transcriptions proper ; pictures of lutes, harpsichords, and lute harpsichords and discussions on the use of those instruments ; and. notes on variants to the music. Several of the individual dances to the suites are printed on A3 fold-outs to save the performer turning the pages. Thus, the music to such appears 3 x A4 pages cross-wise. There are many notes to explain ´Bach´.
Its simply a 12-string guitar with first 6 strings following the usual e/b/g/d/a/e tuning, followed by 6 strings with lower basses. Particularly useful for playing baroque lute music capturing the low bass sounds found on the 11- and 13-course lutes. You can find the 10-string guitar online if you're interested, as it's a relatively popular instrument. Runs about $1,500-$1,700 for an entry-level model.
All the guitar masters I've heard are part of essential listening, generally without unnecessary comment, but they are all vitally important to consider the whole possibility of achievement on this instrument. Yepes is so fine an interpreter and disciple that no fault should be found or expressed; our loving gratitude is all and is enough. Beauty.
Wish I could dress as well as Narciso. If only I hadn't listened to my college music master who asserted that I would not be a world concert recitalist
Vik 10: I mentioned D. Russell. But the more I listen to him, I realize he has little color (despite his great interpretations). Notice how Yepes´ hand moves constantly back and forth to give color (his range of colors is terrific) and none of the modern note-perfect players do this. Neither Williams, nor Barrueco. There´s little color and the dynamics are always the same.
I respect him because he can play songs on the guitar I wish I could play. I respect him because he can play a 10 string guitar. I respect him because he's not trying to show anybody up, he is simply playing, and spreading his passion for classical music and the guitar. You don't have to enjoy him, but instead of critiquing his shortcomings, perhaps you should admire his successes.
it is very difficult. i can play it now but sometimes i don´t know how to play it. i play guitar for 1 1/2 years and i give concerts, but this is one of the difficult pieces i´ve ever played. try to play it, then you ´ll see ... and to learn guitar isn´t very easy. it is difficult for the most people. i ve even beaten a girl who plays 8 years guitar. try to play it. so ,das musste mal gesagt werden. normalerweise misch ich mich in soetwas nicht ein, aber da hat mich getroffen.
A video comment might be the best fact in this argue, so post it...! I also like Narciso Yepes,he got me into classical guitar (,isn`t that positive) I for my part am not in this world to be "the greatest"!!! Let´s care about problems then...
@mermeladadecacahuate : Mate. The music starts with a fantasia commencing wih a descending fourth and followed by a fugal section. I cannot be bothered searching out the score of which I have two guitar transcriptions. Then the bouree.
different music does different things to different people. metallica moves me in ways that this music can't, and vice versa. you can't judge real music. music has existed for thousands of years. even if classical music is the peak of western music, that doesn't make it more real than anything other kind.
He was one of the original group of players who brought the classical guitar back into fashion during the mid 20th century. At the time, there were very few players in general and even fewer who could play at a reasonably competent level, you sorta also needed to be able to hire someone else if you could not get first choice-Andres Segovia , lol. Yepes playing needs to be appreciated in that context, basically a pioneer during a different time. To answer your question no-by today's standards this level of playing would not come close to earning one a career as a concert guitarist . Hardly an acceptable level of skill for today's stage but keep in mind he helped lay the foundation, giving the modern guitarist a reference point to improve upon. We can visit any good university today and easily see this level of playing and beyond......we wouldn't see that without the ground work of players like Yepes.
Yepes used to play on a 10-string guitar. The 6 first strings -- the ones that are actually played -- are tuned like a normal guitar. As you can see, the others are almost not played, except sometimes the 7th one, which is probably tuned in low-B (very convenient). These extra bass strings just vibrate sympathetically, and make the instrument sound in a pretty unique way. Not easy to play though, he spends his time damping some of the strings to prevent some harmonics to be heard. Tough!
Yepes said that one should not play the guitar without counting with Segovia. This means that one shouldn't play the guitar without having in my what Segovia achieved. Obviously he wouldn't say the same about himself, but i would also say that one should not play the guitar without counting with Yepes neither. These two masters together represent what the guitar is ALL about.
