John Williams - The Complete Columbia Album Collection

The contents of the collection follows my reviewAs a guitarist I like to compare things like technique, style and touch as a way of judging performers. The guitar is a unique instrument in many ways. It is similar to keyboard instruments in its extended range. It resembles a clavichord (striking the strings) and virginal (plucking the strings) in its delicate dynamics, making it a difficult solo instrument for larger halls without using amplification. Beethoven described the guitar as a miniature orchestra in itself and that comparison is apt. No instrument maintains such an intimate relationship with a performer's hands, so stylistic aspects of a guitarist are a direct reflection of technique and touch. A guitarist's touch on the strings is the single most identifiable quality and the most important artistic measure by which he/she can be judged. Touch is important for steel string and amplified guitar playing as well but it is judged differently than when someone is playing classical guitar, where touch is more critical to the quality of the notes played and their dynamics.Following Segovia's revolutionary impact on classical guitar playing in the previous century, the two guitarists who emerged mid-century whose artistry lifted them above other guitarists were Julian Bream and John Williams. Despite similarities in musicianship, they are technically quite different. Julian Bream says that he has been influenced by the styles of Andrés Segovia and Francisco Tárrega. He is a reflection of the Spanish style of play with its great expressiveness, its attention to timbre and dynamics and its virtuosity. Bream is also an excellent lutenist, an instrument I also play, and the lute with its complex string organization rewards clarity and technical finesse even more than guitar. John Williams is something of a stylistic hybrid. He is perhaps the most technically proficient guitarist with an elegance to his touch that is most obvious in his Bach performances. His sense of timing, his clarity of phrasing, his purity of tone and his insistence on playing the substance of a note rather than merely negotiating a series of notes without regard to their musical "truth", are all aspects of his mastery. His emphasis on sight-reading and ensemble playing make his recordings of concertos and chamber music as close to technical and expressive perfection as is possible given the audible limitations of the guitar. Merely negotiating the strings can produce a series of disconcerting noises and the relative weakness of the instrument's dynamics cause a guitarist to naturally overcompensate, distorting the musical balance of a piece in the process. All of these difficulties must be overcome and the process sound effortless if the guitarist is to succeed musically.This box set of his complete recordings made for Columbia Classical (which is now Sony Classical) represents one of the three pillars of classical guitar artistry. If you were fortunate or prescient enough to have purchased the earlier Julian Bream collection (which now sells for several times its original price) and you also acquire this John Williams collection, you can listen to the two finest guitarists of our time playing pretty much the entire extant classical guitar repertoire. It is a vast treasure trove and there are many highlights. The Williams collection contains superb recordings of guitar concertos written by Rodrigo, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Stephen Dodgson, Paul Hart, Patrick Gowers, Andre Previn, Manuel Ponce, Villa-Lobos and others. These performances are close to definitive - If such a thing is possible - with superb orchestral accompaniment and exemplary re-mastered sound. Other highlights of this massive collection are the brilliant Williams Bach performances, an excellent array of chamber music performances such as guitar quintets by Boccherini, a beautiful quartet for lute, violin, viola and cello by Haydn, numerous chamber works by Paganini, Vivaldi, Bach, Purcell and Mozart, and a vast series of solo recitals whose traversal of the Spanish guitar repertoire is truly breathtaking in the virtuosity it displays. The set comes with a miniature hard-cover book that features an informative essay, photos and complete discographic information along with reproductions of the original album covers. The box itself is quite thick and sturdy and can be carefully lifted with one hand if necessary.This is an original albums collection so it features the original cover art and, crucially, the original analytical comments on the back of the album. Produced in the days when musical analysis was written for adults, these comments are another treasure trove, this time of information that helps to place these recordings in context and increases the listener's appreciation for the artist. There are 59 discs in all, the last a wonderful DVD containing William's concert in Seville. The original albums were shorter but you're not cheated because the price per disc is less than $2.00, a bargain that makes this collection self-recommending if you're a fan of Williams and guitar music. The collection also reflects William's interest in lute music, jazz and pop so it is quite eclectic. The sound is generally superb with Sony's 24-96 and DSD re-masterings producing warmth and clarity in a wide soundstage. Solo recordings are closely miked with the oldest recordings slightly thinner but still excellent. This is a great set but it's a limited edition whose price will eventually skyrocket.The set contents:DISC 1: MS 6608: Columbia Records Presents John WilliamsDISC 2: MS 6696: Virtuoso Music For GuitarDISC 3: MS 6834: Two Guitar Concertos (Rodrigo and Castelnuovo-Tedesco)DISC 4: MS 6939: More Virtuoso Music for GuitarDISC 5: MS 7063: Two Guitar Concertos (Rodrigo and Dodgson)DISC 6: MS 7163: Haydn and PaganiniDISC 7: MS 7195: Virtuoso Variations for GuitarDISC 8: MS 7327: Concertos by Vivaldi and GiulianiDISC 9: 32 16 0398 : Songs for Voice and GuitarDISC 10: M 30057: John Williams Plays Spanish MusicDISC 11: M 32686: Songs of Freedom - TheodorakisDISC 12: M 31194: Music for Guitar and HarpsichordDISC 13: LSC-3257: Together (Julian and John)DISC 14: 72979: Gowers Chamber Concerto, Scarlatti SonatasDISC 15: M 31963: Previn and Ponce ConcertosDISC 16: M 35123: Music from England, Japan, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and MexicoDISC 17: ARL1-0456: Together Again (Julian and John 2)DISC 18: 73350: Gowers: Rhapsody for Guitar; Villa-Lobos: 5 PreludesDISC 19: M 33208: Rodrigo & Villa-LobosDISC 20-21: M2 33510: Bach: Complete Lute MusicDISC 22: M 35108: John Williams and FriendsDISC 23: M 34508: Duos for Guitar and ViolinDISC 24: M 35172: Castenuovo-Tedesco, Arnold and Dodgson ConcertosDISC 25: M 35145: BarriosDISC 26: M 36680: Malcolm Arnold and Leo Brouwer ConcertosDISC 27: M 35820: Manuel PonceDISC 28: ARL2-3090: Julian Bream & John Williams LiveDISC 29: IM 36671: Guitar QuintetsDISC 30: IM 36679: Echoes of Spain - AlbenizDISC 31: SE 37726: StevieDISC 32: IM 37250: John Williams and Peter Hurford Play BachDISC 33: M 37791: Portrait of John WilliamsDISC 34: FM 37825: The Guitar is the Song: A Folksong CollectionDISC 35: IM 37848: RodrigoDISC 36: IM 39560: Bach, Handel, Marcello: ConcertosDISC 37: FM 42119: Echoes of LondonDISC 38: FM 42332: Paul Hart Concerto for Guitar and Jazz OrchestraDISC 39: FM 44575: Fragments of a DreamDISC 40: M 44518: The Baroque AlbumDISC 41: MK 44898: Spirit of the Guitar: Music of the AmericasDISC 42: MK 45948: LeyendaDISC 43: SK 46556: Vivaldi ConcertosDISC 44: SK 46720: TakemitsuDISC 45: SK 48480: IberiaDISC 46: SK 53359: The Seville ConcertDISC 47: SK 53361: From AustraliaDISC 48: SK 64396: The Great Paraguayan (From The Jungles of Paraguay)DISC 49: SK 68337: Concertos by Harvey and GrayDISC 50: SK 62007: The Mantis & the MoonDISC 51: SK63000: John Williams Plays the Movies (and The World of John Williams)DISC 52: SK 63173: The Black DecameronDISC 53: SK 60586: The GuitaristDISC 54: SK 63385: Schubert and GiulianiDISC 55: SK 89483: The Magic BoxDISC 56: SK 90451: El Diablo SueltoDISC 57: 88697009072: Places BetweenDISC 58: Collaborations [compilation]DISC 59: SVD53475: The Seville Concert [DVD].

I have been waiting for this set for almost 20 years. It has been an unfortunate thing to start playing the classical guitar 20 years ago, because the golden age of classical guitar is over with the demise of the great Andres Segovia in 1987 and the legendary Celedonio Romero in 1996. Julian Bream was already consider half-retired by then. Members of the Royal Family of the Classical Guitar - Los Romeros, usually only toured among the western part of the world and we hardly see any new recordings from them. The only person who was still very active and considered the best among the world was "The Prince of the Classical Guitar" - John Williams. I thrived to collect all his CDs but most of the CDS already out of print.RCA has done a wonderful job by creating the "Julian Bream Edition" back in 1993. This 28-CDs box set is already out of print and currently was sold as high as US$1000 over. In 2013, RCA which is now under Sony Classical, came out with a 42-CDs box set, "Julian Bream - The Complete Album Collection".Finally, more than 20 years in the making, Sony Classical has created "John Williams - The Complete Album Collection". This collection consists of all the Columbia records of John Williams. Definitely a "Must-have" for all classical guitar enthusiasts. Please include this set in your collection before it is gone.

In my opinion, John Williams is the greatest guitarist of all time. He has been my idol since I was 16 (1969). His flawless technique and exquisite interpretations are forever captured in this 58 disc set. Although some of the pieces are duplicated throughout, his transcriptions evolved over the years, as can been heard in his performances of Leyenda. I thought I owned most of his important recordings, but my collection didn't even scratch the surface. Furthermore, most of my JW records were vinyl. I am thrilled to have the complete works of this great master, and even if you are not a John Williams disciple, you will appreciate these brilliant recordings. There are so many great young guitarists today, but none can compare to the legend that is John Williams.

This is a collection spanning John's entire career. It is for true fans of the classical guitar and of John Williams the Guitarist. What I have always loved about John is his adventurous attitude. John played the traditional repertory with excellence recording Bach and the wonderful Spanish composers, but he also found inspiration from Japan and Latin American and Africa and Australia And the USA. The collection is a tour de force of all the adventures that comprise John's career. I am extremely happy that the collection include many efforts that had not previously made it to CD. As a fan of John's since the earl;y '70s this is a true treasure.

This set will give the listener a chance to hear a number of sessions that have been out of print for years. John Williams is blessed with flawless technique and takes special care to portray what the composer intends in each recorded piece of work. The music of Barrios is a fine example! Now, owning this set along with the Julian Bream edition......and I recommend getting them both, you'll hear what modern classical sounds like compared against Segovia who I like to think has a dated sound but one that is indeed still the gold standard! I have to agree with another reviewer that it would be great to see a complete Segovia as well as a complete Yepes set.

a dreamed box at last , a pleasure to hear williams development as guitarrist from 1964 to his late recordings, always better and better, a serious study of the guitar from all over the world, a treasure for my life, thanks John Williams and thanks Sony for do a very good remastered job.not to mention a bargain price for cd

Very nice!!!!

A todo melómano de la guitarra clásica y a todo guitarrista clásico le encantará. Lo recomiendo sin ningún tipo de dudas...

Schönes Sammelstück, was ich noch zu einem unschlagbaren Preis bestellten konnte.Diese 50-CD Kollektion ist überall vergriffen und John Williams ist eine der Gitarrenlegenden des 20.Jahrhunderts.Danke Amazon.de

器楽のビルティオーソとは、凄まじいスピードで弾き上げる”器械オペレータ”を形容するようですが、真のビルティオーソというのは、このジョン・ウィリアムスのような演奏家を言うのでしょうね。超絶技巧を駆使するのではなく、必要充分な技量と必要充分な楽興を澱みなく与えてくれる演奏家。若い時の演奏には、魔術的な良く動く指の動きに任せて勇み足の演奏もあるようです。有名な魔笛の主題による変奏は、オリジナルの音型を変えてまでテクニックの権化になり弾き切っているようにも思えます。しかし、それでもギターのような乱れた音が出やすい楽器をよくもここまでコントロールしているものだ、と感心します。良くこれだけ指が動くものだ・・などと感じさせず、まさしく音楽を演奏したビルティオーソであり、その演奏記録の殆どが集大成された全集が、この金額で入手できた事はとても嬉しい事です。しかし、何度聞いても、感銘を受ける演奏です。飽きが来ない。特にBACHのLute suiteはLPで発売されて以来頻繁に聴いていますが、これは凄い。他の演奏も、素晴らしいものばかりです。

How true just see the complete Julian Bream box set and compare the original price to price asked by third party seller.The box set has been remastered and is crystal clear as John William is playing in front of years.If given the choice between John William or Bream I will chose John wiiliiams b cause the box set contain a vast repertoire than Julian and just listen to Bach lute played on guitar to Bream.I have listened to both and prefer John Williams.All I can say is this box set is highly recommended and one of the best for all I bought.I have 3 CD in one go without being tired of the beautiful sound of the guitar and I could not do this with Bream.