Classical Guitar
Interviews
Here are some of the interviews I was lucky enough to be able do through the years when I was writing for GI and CG:
William Coulter (2002), with his arrangement of Carolan’s Cap
The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (1987)
Wulfin Lieske (1985), with his arrangement of a Schubert Menuetto, D 894
John Williams (1983) (also available in Spanish))
Arrangements
Bizet: Habanera from Carmen (2 guitars)
The impetus for this arrangement was hearing a version by two flamenco guitarists that I thought was rather unadventurous. This one is perhaps a bit more challenging.
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Habanera | ? | ? | ? |
Couperin: Les barricades mystérieuses (2 guitars)
I did this after hearing Christopher Parkening’s excellent solo version on Parkening plays Bach…. His arrangement is in his book Parkening and the Guitar, Vol. 2, where it appears in C. The recording is in D; but his secretary confirmed (in 2003) that he does, on occasion, use a capo.
My arrangement is also in C, but has the 5th string to G and the 6th string to C. This puts it up just a tone from the B♭ original; I only had to change one bass note to get it all within the compass of the guitars.
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Les barricades mystérieuses | ? | ? | ? |
Transcriptions
For music from before 1650, see the Early tab.
Bach: Prelude from the 1st ’Cello Suite, BWV 1007
The Prelude has of course been a staple of the classical guitar repertory for decades—since, in fact, the days of Segovia. But Segovia’s version featured an added bass-line by Manuel Ponce that made Bach purists froth at the mouth (you can find Segovia’s version on Andrés Segovia: The Paris Film (1954), on YouTube, at 7'53" in).
Christopher Parkening (a pupil, of course, of Segovia’s) also recorded the Ponce version, with (I believe) a few of the extra notes removed; and, pace the purists, I like his recording.
As far as I’m aware, the Ponce transcription has never been published. But I liked the Parkening version so much that I transcribed it. Here it is. (The transcription was done long before I saw Christopher’s YouTube performance, so the fingering—for now, at least—is my own.)
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Prelude, BWV 1007 | YouTube | Buy CD | Buy MP3 |
Tárrega: Lágrima (3rd part)
Not many people seem to know that Francisco Tárrega wrote a 3rd part to Lágrima. I found it decades ago, and I don’t now remember where: it was most likely in the old B.M.G. (Banjo-Mandolin-Guitar) magazine, recently revived by Clem Vickery.
Here it is.
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Lágrima (3rd part) | ? | ? | ? |