John Williams - The Ultimate Guitar Collection (2CD) 2007

During his career John Williams has not only explored the basic classical literature for guitar, he has also expanded it by inspiring, commissioning and arranging music from different cultures and in different styles, thereby transform the instrument's repertoire. To celebrate this outstanding and ongoing recording career Sony Classical has released a 2 CD retrospective entitled John Williams: The Ultimate Guitar Collection. This thiry-nine track compilation includes key tracks from all John's recent releases including last year's El Diablo Suelto, a celebration of Venezualan guitar music, and 2001's Magic Box on which John joined forces with fellow musicians John Etheridge, Chris Laurence, Paul Clarvis and Richard Harvey to explore the continuing tradition of guitar music in Africa and Madagascar and 1997's The Black Decameron on which John performed music by the comtemporary Cuban composer Leo Brouwer. The Magic Box album also includes guest appearances by Francis Bebey and the African Children's Choir. Designed very much as a gateway into John's substantial recorded catalogue the new album inlcudes many of the great standards of the classical guitar repertoire including Albéniz' Asturias, Stanley Meyer's Cavatina from the film Deerhunter and the ever popular second movement from Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranuez. More populist fare includes transcriptions for guitar and orchestra of the theme tunes from Schindler's List and The Godfather, by namesake John Williams and Nino Rota respectively, both taken from the …Plays the Movies album released in 1997, the traditional tune El Condor Pasa and the anonymous Romance for Guitar and Orchestra. John is also represented as a composer on the new collection with the Aeolian Chant from The Guitarist.

CD1
01. Asturias From Suite Espanola, Op.47 (Isaac Albeniz)
02. Cavatina From The Deerhunter (Stanley Myers)
03. Prelude From Lute Suite No.4 In E Major, BWV 1006a (J.S. Bach)
04. Triangular Situations (Vasco Martins)
05. Recuerdos De La Alhambra (Francisco Tarrega)
06. Romance (Traditional)
07. Dance From La Vida Breve (Manuel De Falla)
08. Sonata In E Major, K.380 [L.23] (Domenico Scarlatti)
09. Como Llora Una Estrella (Antonio Carillo)
10. The Mission (Ennio Morricone)
11. El Colibri (Julio Sagreras)
12. Gymnopedie №3 (Erik Satie)
13. Courante (G.F. Handel)
14. La Cathedral (Agustin Barrios)
15. El Condor Pasa (Traditional)
16. Salut d'Amour (Edward Elgar)
17. Malinke Guitars (John Williams)
18. Lute Concerto In D Major, Rv 93 [Mvmt I] (Antonio Vivaldi)
19. The Entertainer (Scott Joplin)

CD2
01. Concierto De Aranjuez [Mvmt Ii] (Joaquin Rodrigo)
02. El Diablo Suelto (Heraclio Fernandez)
03. Preludio En Do Menor (Agustin Barrios)
04. Sevilla From Suite Espanola, Op.47 (Isaac Albeniz)
05. Gnossienne №1 (Erik Satie)
06. Cueca (Agustin Barrios)
07. Schindler's List (John T. Williams)
08. Gavotte From Lute Suite No.4 In E Major, BWV 1006a (J.S. Bach)
09. Nkosi Sikelel'i Afrika (Enoch Sontonga)
10. Pavane Gabriel (Faure)
11. Trio For Violin, Lute & Bc In C, R.82 [Mvmt Iii] (Antonio Vivaldi)
12. Sunburst (Andrew York)
13. The Godfather (Nino Rota)
14. Scherzino Mexicano (Manuel Ponce)
15. Aeolian Chant [Mvmt I] From Aeolian Suite (John Williams)
16. Spanish Guitar Blues (Charlie Byrd - Three Blues For Classic Guitar)
17. Blues For Felix (Charlie Byrd - Three Blues For Classic Guitar)
18. Swing 59 (Charlie Byrd - Three Blues For Classic Guitar)
19. The Flight Of The Lovers… From The Black Decameron (Leo Brouwer)
20. Una Limosna Por El Amor De Dios (Agustin Barrios)
21. Saltarello (Anonymous)
22. Torre Bermeja (Isaac Albeniz)