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John Williams
Sydney Morning Herald article 1990
String squeaks
Guitar Competitions
The importance of ensemble skills
Is the guitar a hard instrument?
and
The Importance of chamber music
Tone Production and Projection
Greg Smallman's Guitars
Bach Chaccone - His favourite recordings and his influences
Segovia
Examples of his versatility -
The Paul Hart Concerto
His Transcriptions
Classical guitar in a rock context -
Sky and The Height Below
Classical guitar in a latin context -
Inti Illimani
The Bach Lute Suites
The very young John Williams recording with Eugene Ormandy.
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John Williams, Paco Pena and Inti Illimani
The young John Williams in a recording session.
To call John Williams a fine, or even great guitarist is in a way missing the point! He is actually a great, well rounded musician who happens to play guitar... and play it very well indeed!
Very.... very... well...
Always putting the music first, his performances are
reknowned for being the ones to listen to
"when you really want to know how that piece sounds".
Eschewing musical mannerisms, he delivers vigorous and disciplined interpretations
which reveal aspects of the music often obscured by the interpretative and physical
mannerisms of other players.
One might say he lets the music speak for itself without
interposing his own ego. From a humanistic standpoint he
is an example of a "highly self actualised
person" doing what he does best.
His musical education began at home with his father Len
Williams who was a jazz guitarist running his own school
of guitar in London. Obviously a good influence, within a
few years Len packed young John off to the Royal College
of Music.
Videos
A television performance from 1963 with a 22 year old Williams displaying a fully formed style and technique. - Bach - Lute Suite No. 4, BWV 1006a, Gigue (1963)
Bach - Lute Suite No. 4, BWV 1006a, Gigue - (199x ?)
Bach - BWV 1006a, Gavotte en Rondeau - Trills
On his father's teaching, Australia, Bach Prelude from BWV 998
Concerto de Toronto - Leo Brouwer - Rare footage of John Williams in rehearsal.
Isaac Albeniz: Asturias (Leyenda)
Isaac Albeniz - Asturias (Leyenda) (1975)
Isaac Albéniz - Sevilla
Isaac Albéniz - Córdoba
A.Barrios Mangore: El Ultimo Tremolo
A.Barrios Mangore: Vals No 3, Opus 8
Cavatina - Bryn Terfel and John Williams
1963: Michael Praetorius: La Volta
Schindler's List theme - Demonstrates common ways of playing a melody on the guitar.
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For reference, check out this performance played by Itzhak Perlman, and conducted by the composer, the other John Williams -
John Williams, Itzhak Perlman - Schindler's List
El noi de la mare - a lovely Catalan folk song
D. Scarlatti - Sonata K.175
D. Scarlatti - Sonata K.213
Villa Lobos Prelude No.1 in E minor
Villa-Lobos - Prelude no.2
Villa-Lobos - Prelude no.3
Villa-Lobos - Prelude no.4
Villa Lobos: Prelude No.5
Interview Part (3) - teaching, guitar and amplification
LINKS
RECORDINGS BY JOHN WILLIAMS
RECORDINGS BY INTI ILLIMANI
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repertoire
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