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I know this is a jazz site but since we have a classical guitar forum: Saw her recital last night here in Florida. Her technique and musical sense are of the highest caliber. I've seen most of the greats from Segovia, Bream, Brouwer, Fisk, Barrueco, etc. But as my wife said "she brings the whole package". It was a fairly conservative program which would have been my only complaint, but if you get a chance, check her out. Jim Redgate guitar from Australia sounded amazing but as we all know the sound comes from the hands.
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02-18-2014 07:19 PM
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Hands are important but I'm a firm believer that the sound comes the ears and mind first. On point I have heard of her but have never heard her. Will check her playing out
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a splendid player. check out her walton bagatelles.
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As much as I h..., well, am not attracted by classical guitar, have to quote my own comment on one of her clips, "I could smell the wood of that guitar". Lots of energy there, on that listen, in that clip, ...
I thought she was a compatriot of mine, but she's from just across the border.Last edited by Vladan; 02-18-2014 at 10:46 PM.
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She is such an amazing musician. I must admit I'm more than a little jealous you got to see her live, jaco!
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Her performances are always really stellar! What an amazing musician.
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As an aside, (not talking about politics, but musicians here)--There are a couple of great players from your area who immigrated to Chicago (one as a direct refugee, via Germany).
Originally Posted by Vladan
I just saw this guy perform as part of a small chamber group, in honor of Benjamin Britten's birthday. My friend studied with him, he is outstanding.
Denis Azabagic´
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Azabagić
The 2nd player is a classical player who also plays Balkan folk and other types of music. He put out an excellent duet record on nylon with Fareed Haque.
Goran Ivanovic
http://www.goranguitar.com
Goran's dad, Danche Ivanovic, is an excellent luthier and repair guy-makes arch tops and flattops and electrics, who has a repair shop in Oak Park. He was featured on Channel 11, the local Public TV channel here.
A nice story about a family who lost everything and rebuilt it all and have been a great credit to the Chicago music and guitar making scene.
Here is his story from Channel 11.
Sorry for the tangential thread jack, but I thought you may be interested.
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Thanks NSJ.
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I've seen her and met her briefly aft her performance. She is a stellar player, with astounding technique and focused artistry. She is extremely dedicated. She is also very gracious , humble and sweet natured. What a wonderful young lady and artist.
it doesn't hurt that she's pretty either.Last edited by fumblefingers; 02-19-2014 at 12:24 AM.
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I saw her in December. Her technique was flawless, especially that two-finger tremolo. I still prefer the melodrama of the previous generations, but think she is one of the better of the currents.
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Wow!
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That first piece by Tarrega is not technically difficult at all apart from the tremolo. The Albeniz piece is more difficult. Ana used to play a guitar by Jim Redgate, if I recall, but I couldn't see the inscription. And finally that nice little arrangement of Yesterday. With the exception of the Asturias piece nothing too difficult, but Ana is captivating nonetheless.
Jay
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Jay, if you're looking for something difficult check out her recording of the J.S. Bach fourth lute suite. There may be some clips on you tube.
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Oh, I am a fan of Ana's. I enjoy her Bach interpretations. I think they have deleted a video she had on YT of the Chaconne, or at least I cannot find it.
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I agree. The first piece didn't seem too difficult, though I am not a classical player. I did think she had a very nice touch, good control of dynamics, very clean. But I'm not really schooled enough on the classical side to judge how she would compare with world class players.
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She *IS* a world-class player. Originally Posted by Flat
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The most difficult of the three pieces in the interview was the the Albeniz. Yesterday in the key of A is a piece of cake. But 'degree of difficulty' is not a unique measure of skill and communication. She can play with emotion and dynamics as well as great fluidity, as evidenced in her Bach repertoire. The Asturias is an old war horse for her, but she plays it well.
Ana is definitely world class, along with players like Jason Vieux.
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I thought I heard great sensitivity in some of the treble string trills, very refined, and in a sense feminine and delicate and perhaps refreshing because of that. And the moving bass line was very powerful and articulate to me, but when you mentioned that the piece wasn't too difficult technically, I thought perhaps I was too easily impressed. Good to know your thoughts. Thanks.
Last edited by Flat; 02-20-2014 at 09:32 PM.
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There's a you tube video of Ana playing the Bach prelude from the 3rd Bach Violin Partitia in e Major. If someone more computer literate than I am (not saying much) cares to put it on here. It's worth the effort.
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let's hear your rendition of the Recuerdos. Originally Posted by targuit
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climbing everest is not difficult at all, apart from the elevation gain. Originally Posted by targuit
must add, she will never achieve a truly brilliant tremolo with that pimi.Last edited by randalljazz; 02-21-2014 at 05:49 AM.
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Fritz - Not a great fan of Tarrega's music particularly, I did not have Recuerdos de la Alhambra in my sheet music collection. However, I did download it tonight. What I don't particularly like is the almost awkward bass line pattern which is a kind of countermelody to the tremolo and the implied chords. What requires some work is not so much the tremolo pattern (I prefer in spots to use both open and closed voicing in certain measures in the tremolo by altering the traditional fingering and playing in different positions up the fingerboard) as fingering that bass counter melody. I do like, however, the melody and chord progression harmony. As I was sight reading the piece, I find a preference for altering the fingering and improvising over the melody in, what to me, is a more pleasing interpretation of the melody and harmony with a more interesting bass countermelody. In essence, treating it like a jazz piece.
Of course, this illustrates why I prefer jazz to playing classical music, though I do enjoy that as well. I like the freedom of playing the music as I hear it. Jazz over classical.
I'm in the middle of a recording project and weekends are the only time I can devote to that. But I'll see what I can come up with. Perhaps I sounded too dismissive in suggesting that it is easy to play. What makes it difficult is fingering the bass countermelody while sustaining an even tremolo. But I dislike that bass melody which I find awkward and counterintuitive.
Do you play this piece?
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a plea to the gang.
lets stay on point here, and not dirty up this thread with our typical debates.
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Originally Posted by randalljazz
My eyes are bad and my phone screen is small...is she really doing tremolos with no annular?
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The first two pieces Ana plays on the first video, "Recuerdos de la Alhambra: Francisco Tarrega" and "Asturias, Leyenda: Isaac Albeniz", are part of the Classical guitarists "Absolutely Must Know!" repertoire. How well you play these pieces is often how you are judged as a player by the general Classical guitar aficionado...Not so much your fellow professionals (if you are a pro), they are sick of the pieces.
I suppose there are similar pieces in the Jazz guitar repertoire but others are probably more familiar with what they might be than I so I'll not hazard a guess.
Classical guitarists are much more "proper" technique obsessed than other guitar styles, for the most part, so Ms. Vadovic's "unusual" tremolo technique (pimi rather than the more common pami) has resulted in a lot of cyber-space being used up discussing the pros and cons of her choice. It's not a new tremolo pattern and not unique to her (although it's not common among the present crop of players, she's the only one of her level that I am aware of). The pimi tremolo was the standard fingering for this technique during the 19th century and into the early 20th. Spanish guitarist Tarrega and his colleagues were actually revolutionary in using the three finger, pami, tremolo. Prior to that many believed that the 'a' (ring finger) was too weak to be really useful...now how many successfully use their pinky?? Times change.
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There is a kind of funny video on YT of Chet Atkins playing Recuerdos before a (Nashville?) audience. He introduces the piece as the most popular classical piece extant, which may be true. But if you watch the clip, you will notice that his guitar partner whose name escapes me at the moment is actually playing the bass counter melody while Chet does a nice job executing the tremolo and harmony part. Nonetheless, I had to smile, as even the great Chet Atkins took a pass on this one.
Jay
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Originally Posted by Scot Tremblay
using the "a" finger for tremolo is tricky. Ana sounds incredibly smooth without it, others sound great with it. many players struggle with it (I won't name them), and it comes out on this piece.
technique serves the music.
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I play it with difficulty, and can't remember the whole thing. Originally Posted by targuit
I didn't mean to call you out, but tremolo pieces seem pretty difficult in my opinion.
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Damn. Really, really impressive. Originally Posted by jckoto3
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That is an impressive performance! I downloaded that sheet music as well. I do have a couple of the Lute Suites, but not that piece. Perhaps it is because my Bach sheet music was purchased thirty years ago, but ever notice that some publishers of classical guitar music by Bach have the annoying tendency not to identify the piece according to BMV, so you have "A Bach Prelude and Fugue", for example, with no BWV number. Pet peeve....
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Very true. Most Classical players use the pami variation as their "go to" for their tremolo technique and the Flamencos like to add another finger piami which I personally like but it can slow down the pulse of the piece a little...depending on the skill of the player (it's also easier to get a smooth flow with the extra finger in there). And you're correct that it's very clear to the listener when the player is "lacking" in their tremolo technique. That's probably why this particular piece is one by which players are often judged. Originally Posted by fumblefingers
I agree with this sentiment and in Anas case I believe this to be true, she's a lovely (not just visually) player with a solid technique. However these days, it often (certainly not always) appears that the music is merely a vehicle used to display a stunning technique. Originally Posted by fumblefingers
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I'm not sure displaying a stunning technique is a bad thing. In Ana's case, the performance I saw displayed an equal amount of sensitivity to the music. Her phrasing, dynamics, and over all musicality struck me most. There are an amazing
group of very technically gifted classical guitarists out there these days. Her musicianship makes her stand out above this crowd, and yes it doesn't hurt to be easy on the eyes. She's certainly a beautiful young lady.
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She's deeply musical, and the pimi tremolo is a stroke of genius, giving the tremolo an evenness that is very difficult to accomplish with pima.
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She has an excellent tremolo, but that imim pattern as opposed to ima is not unique. Just difficult to sustain.
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I was fortunate enough to see her play Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with the Knoxville (my hometown) Symphony Orchestra a while back. The orchestra was adequate; she was stunning. My wife, not really a guitar aficionado (though she loves a guitarist), said, "Why, she's like a little spider, spinning out melody!" How's that for music criticism?
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Not to be a pedant but you do mean "mim pattern as opposed to ami" as pointed out by Scott Tremblay. At least, those are the two ways that I've been taught to do the tremolo: PAMI or PMIM. Originally Posted by targuit
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Good point. Ami, not ima. My error.
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I think highly of Ana, but that's the concerto. Credit Rodrigo for his Guitar-Orchestra masterpiece. The most requested concerto by all symphony subscribers, nation wide. Originally Posted by Scot63
by the same token, the performer can't mess it up with a boo-boo. Guess what? Everybody does!
so, when you've heard a perfect performance you've really heard something.Last edited by fumblefingers; 03-05-2014 at 09:17 PM.
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I've heard several note-perfect renditions of the Rodrigo, not necessarily better than some other versions with a mistake or two.
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yeah, not necessarily better, just more rare. at least in my experience.
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One of the top players in the world, one who basically "owns" the concerto having played and recorded it more times than I can count and is a member of the famous family of Spanish classical guitarists...well, I've heard him blow a good bit of the cadenza in the second movement of the Aranjuez. If it can happen to him what chance do we mere mortals have?...the performer can't mess it up with a boo-boo. Guess what? Everybody does!
It's a tough piece and anyone who can pull it off note perfect and musically at the same time is worthy of all the accolades surely to come their way, IMO. Ana does a fine job every time I've heard her play it.
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I have jim redgate lattice guitar with arm rest for sell
brazillian rosewood back and sides
cedar top
ebony wood button tuners
case
Contact me
lydian@hotmail.com
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Contact me lydian@hotmail.com
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It will help if you list it in the "For Sale" section and include your asking price. Good luck. Originally Posted by eventide
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In fact, his guitar partner (Paul Yandell) doesn't join in until the second section, and he plays a fingerpicking pattern on the chord shapes, very quietly. Atkins plays the piece as Tarrega wrote it. He does it on his own too, on this video, also on youtube - Originally Posted by targuit
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Yes, she's a fine looking woman but no need to be crude! Originally Posted by randalljazz
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Many attractive artists, particularly actors, achieve success because of their looks despite having little talent. Ana happens to be very attractive, but she can flat out play! She deserves all the success she has achieved.
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In the classical guitar world she has received some criticism for the "light weight" conservative repertoire she choses or has been choosing as of late. As a long time aficionado and player of the classical guitar I can sympathize with this sentiment somewhat but it certainly should not stop one from admiring her ability and charm. And I agree, she does deserve all the success, she has worked for it.
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Do to an accident years ago when i started my journey into Classical Guitar,i lost the tip of my 'ring finger' and so my pinky took its place.Until i realized 2 finger trems work.So i appreciate your comments on this!As long as i play for non professional purist of which i once was.everybody seems happy.Except maybe me until Joe Pass lightened my purist spirit.
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She's a great musician. I hope to be able to invite her to play in our classical guitar meeting next summer. Check out Anabel Montesinos too fi you love classical
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