Looking for a good Classical Guitar Instrumental CD

kibro2

Hello all!

I just purchased the Toshiba 3960 and I bought Nora Jones and Andrea Boccelli SACDs. I was amazed by the clarity of the medium. The Artists' voices literally jumps out of the speakers and the soundstage is phenomenal. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone here can recommend a good easy listening SACD that has Classical Guitar Jazz Solos/Riffs.

Thanks all.

Sincerely,
Kibro

gregure

Not sure if you're set on buying all SACD, but if you're looking for great guitar music, I can't recommend Roderigo's guitar concertos highly enough. Most of his guitar concertos are very nice, but of course the "Concierto de Aranjuez" is the best, with its famous slow movement. There's a two-CD set on Phillips with various Romero brothers on guitar and Marriner/St. Martin in the Fields accompanying. That set has several of the concertos, however the recording by Charles Dutiot and the Montreal orchestra on Decca is a bit more refined and atmospheric, just not as generous with the music. Look for them at towerrecords.com or a similar site. You won't be disappointed.

gregure

Look like there's only one on SACD, with John Williams on guitar (not the film composer). It does not list the orchestra, so it may just be solo guitar arrangements. Can't guarantee its quality, but it's worth a shot if you must go SACD. The orchestral versions are great though. Here's the link:
http://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=2858897

kibro2

gregure,

thanks for the reply. Come to think of it, SACDs is not really a mandatory property. Since the availability of a "good" material is so scarce if not nil.

Sounds like you recommended sevaral CDs above. I will check them out. I wish there is a site that sells CD that has samples.

I just like the warm soothing sound of a classical guitar. I like it best when I hear so much detail that I can tell that the guitarist is changing chords.

Thanks,
kibro

Oldwriter

Yo - hoping to help out a bit. Greg's John Williams album sounds great - but perhaps a bit "full" for your "easy listening" requirements?
May I humbly suggest albums by some of my personal favorite guitarists: Sharon Isbin - especially her "Nocture: Music for Dreaming" album - though not in SACD. Sigh.
Also Liona Boyd - alas, also not in SACD.
The esteemed Los Angeles Guitar Quartet DOES have an SACD album: "LAGQ Latin." You can sample it on Tower Records site, I believe. Got award nominations, etc. They are bringing out a second SACD this fall.
Too bad - most guitar stuff is on "regular" CDs - BUT, if all you want is guitar, the SACD won't make a huge difference. I've got 30 guitar albums - none on SACD. (I once attempted to play classical guitar - yeah. . .)
Hope this helps - but don't give up - search Towerrecords.com and also Amazon. Good hunting - Larry R.

Oldwriter

Uh, the Sharon Isbin album is NOCTURNES, not Noctures.
BLUSH - Larry R

ohskigod

the 3960 will play SACD's?!

i bought one for kicks and giggles and am very happy with it, but i did not know that it would play sacd's too, i thought you needed a special player for that.

Oldwriter

Well, should have read more carefully. The Toshiba 3960 will NOT play SACDs - or even DVD-audio discs. Looks like a very nice unit, but you'll have to spend even more money to play SACDs.
Dat's OK - most of the recently-recorded "regular" CDs will fit your expectations just fine - especially guitar music.
Courage! larry R

John K.

Kibro, there are hundreds of classical guitar CDs, but I'd suggest this bargain disc of Albeniz's wonderful Iberia composed for piano(get the DeLarrocha performance)here arranged very effectively for guitars.

Don't be too concerned with multi-channel DVD-As/SACDs for classical music. The surround channels are nearly always assigned ambience rather than discrete instruments for classical. The better ambience extraction processes, such as DPLII and Logic 7, can extract the ambience(to the extent that it's present)from stereo material and give a more natural result by reproducing it from the sides and back, rather than just the front.

The Tower Records site which Greg and Larry mentioned has possibly the best selection of CD samples, although since samples are so brief, often the real flavor of a piece doesn't come across. Nevertheless, I still check them on occasion, although most of my listening to the computer on my system is streaming U.S. and foreign classical stations.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Originally posted by kibro2

I just purchased the Toshiba 3960 and I bought Nora Jones and Andrea Boccelli SACDs. I was amazed by the clarity of the medium.
Kibro

Hey Bro, don't know if anyone's mentioned it or not...but that's not SACD you're listening to. The 3960 doesn't do SACD. Those must be hybrid discs and you must be hearing the incredible CD performance of the 3960 everyone's talking about...

AsSiMiLaTeD

Originally posted by John K.
Don't be too concerned with multi-channel DVD-As/SACDs for classical music. The surround channels are nearly always assigned ambience rather than discrete instruments for classical.

TTrue, but I listen to alot of classical stuff in SACD just for the increase resolution in the front two channels...

kibro2

Hmmm, How come it was playing the Andrea Boccelli SACD. It said on the label that it should be played on an SACD player... Oh well.. it is all good, Good music is good music

I went to Soundwherehouse and man, they don't have jack (as far as SACDs).

Looking for non-SACDs then.

kibro2

I like the guitar on Gypsy Kings but they have vocals and most of their pieces are fast music.

I have heard of a few jazz classical instrumentals and I remember them to be so soothing. A very nice relaxing background for a lazy afternoon on the porch.

Oldwriter

First, we seem to be talking about "hybrid" SACDs here - though I've not heard the one(s) in question. Hybrids WILL play on regular CD players, as well as on SACD players - you just don't get the full DSD sound - which is cleaner and warmer than regular PCM recording techniques used for the "old" CDs.
Also - I guess I misunderstood when the posting came down wanting "classical guitar with jazz riffs." Hmmm. . . Think we're talking about ACOUSTIC guitar - unamplified - here? I fall back on my recommendation for the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and their album: LAGC: Latin. Should please light jazz folk, as well as classical-bent listeners. A Great Group!
End of tirade - GRIN Have a great one - - - Larry R

Willow

I would never listen to any type of classical music in any surround mode. The reason I say this , I graduated.....oh no many years ago from HS in music have played in a jazz band and in the youth philharmonic. I think the sound is meant to come to you from the front as one would if you were at a hall. I dont use the dsp and I dont think even if I bought an sacd i would have it in 2 channel only. I dont wanna be in the middle of the orchestra pit but in the middle of the mezzanine

Oldwriter

Yo - Willow - interesting post, for sure. You are probably correct in that seldom do we wind up in the midst of an orchestra. Hmmm... now that am able to listen in "Pro Logic II" I sorta see what you mean - BUT.
I'm remembering years of concert-going, and how sound would so often bounce off walls and liven up the surroundings.
Thus - with my new ONK, I'm listening in Pro Logic II - it adds just a bit of "live" quality that I find rather enchanting, without putting me in "the middle of the orchestra."
From what I've heard, that's what SACD is about - giving an ambiance without overdoing it.
See my postings on onks and Oinks re today's frustrating set-up experience! Larry R

John K.

Willow, you may misunderstand the concept of surround sound, at least as it applies to classical recordings. I used the phrase "more natural result" in my previous reply advisedly. At a live performance only the direct sound, for the most part, reaches the listener from the front. Even those in the front rows of the concert hall receive a majority of sound not directly, but as ambience reflected from the side walls and to a lesser extent the ceiling, front wall and back wall. The microphones, depending on how close to the players they are and design factors, capture both direct and reflected sound and this is mixed into the two stereo channels. When heard on just two front stereo speakers part of the lack of naturalness is due to having reflected sounds reproduced from the front rather than the sides and back. The better ambience extraction processes extract the out-of-phase reflected sounds and steer them to the appropriate surround speakers with direct sounds going to the front speakers. The net result is a little bit closer to the live listening experience. So, the effect certainly doesn't try to put one in the middle of the orchestra, but rather the middle of the hall.

Oldwriter

Couldn't have written it better - no, not even as well - so I hope that Willow goes along with your reasoning. I will be in receipt of my first SACDs from Amazon today or tomorrow, though I have yet to buy a player - my wife says that's "in the fall." Hmmm . . But I'll at least get to sample the wares in regular CD format until then - and will surely play the discs in "Neo PL" - which gives one the ambiance that you ( John K.) refer to.
Good postings! Larry R

Willow

I understand what you are saying and I do understand surround. The mezzanine is right in front of the orchestra I never sit in the balconies nor far back, hence my point has great logic. As being in this section I get LIVE STEREO sound, not the reflected sound the peeps in back get. When listening to a CD in PL or PLII I find hear the brass section to much out of the left surr. as well it's coming to me from the front right, to me this is not pleasing . Therefore this is the reason I choose , prefer, and recommend listening in stereo only...As I mentioned my choice, my preference and my recommendations, what you do with the info I provided is up to you. It has nothing what so ever to do with the fact I misunderstand surround !

gidrah

Just skimming so I probably missed a bunch.

My favorite classical quitarist has to be Andre Segovia. One problem - all the recordings I've found sound like Liv4Fam. There might be some good sounding ones out there, but it might be like looking for a clean stereo recording of R. Johnson (ie not gonna happen).