A Quick List of My Favorite Songs for the Classical Guitar
Hope you enjoy the music as much as I do!
1) Andres Segovia plays “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” (last.fm Audio)
This one is absolutely beautiful. Most recordings of Segovia (a classical guitar pioneer of the 20th century) actually playing it are of poor quality. Despite the recording quality, I enjoy listening to this one over and over and over and, well, you get the idea.
2) Christopher Parkening plays “Chaconne” (last.fm Audio)
Chaconne can be a little intimidating, at first, considering it is 13 minutes long. However, I love listening to it. It’s so peaceful and graceful. Christopher Parkening, a born-again Christian and a student of Segovia’s, performs this piece masterfully.
3) The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet plays an arrangement of Chet Atkins’ “Blue Ocean Echo” (YouTube Video)
The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, comprised of Bill Kanengiser, Andrew York, Scott Tennant, and John Dearman (and now, Matthew Greif, who replaced Andrew York), play an arrangement of Chet Atkins’ “Blue Ocean Echo” in this video. This song is just a lot of fun to listen to. The execution is awesome. Have fun!
4) The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet plays Pachelbel’s “Loose” Canon (YouTube Video)
This adaptation of Pachelbel’s classic Canon in D is performed by LAGQ, who take this classic tune through several musical genres, all using just the guitars in their laps. The variety of sound and style they achieve with one instrument is a testament to their mastery of the classical guitar. “Pachelbel’s ‘Loose’ Canon” is another fun one to listen to.
5) Christopher Parkening plays “Fairest Lord Jesus” (YouTube Video)
In looking for some classical guitar videos, I ran across this one of Christopher Parkening playing “Fairest Lord Jesus.” Not only is this an example of Mr. Parkening’s exquisite technique, but it also includes a short excerpt from an interview in which he expresses his desire to serve the Lord. I believe it’s because of his personal relationship with Christ that he can play this song with the conviction and feeling that most artists can only try to inject artificially into their music. A beautiful piece, excellently performed.
6) John Williams plays “Cavatina” from the movie, Deer Hunter (YouTube Video)
John Williams (no, not that John Williams), another student of Segovia, performs this gorgeous piece that was popularized when it was incorporated into the movie, Deer Hunter. I have no idea what the movie’s about, but John Williams, a world-class guitarist, plays this piece wonderfully.
Well, there are a few more pieces I wanted to add to this list, but these are the pieces that really caught my attention and turned me on to the classical guitar. I hope you enjoy listening to the audio or watching the videos. If this list has made you want to find more classical guitarists worth listening to, might I suggest Julian Bream, Pepe Romero, Sharon Isbin, and Ana Vidovic. Enjoy!
