Concentric Rings. Victoria Guitar Trio Album Review
The latest offering from the Victoria Guitar Trio is stunning. Top notch playing, newly commissioned pieces, and world-class recording culminate in what surely must be one of the best classical guitar trio recordings to be released this year.
Introduction
To be honest it's been years since I've bought a classical guitar album. With the growing popularity of YouTube, Vimeo, and Twitch I find myself watching AND listening to players more and more rather than merely listening to an mp3. However, a couple of weeks ago I thankfully stumbled across a new classical guitar recording from the Victoria Guitar Trio based in Victoria, Canada. I decided to purchase the album and let me tell you it was a very good decision.
The Guitarists -
- Adrian Verdejo
- Bradford Werner
- Michael Dias
The Composers -
- Jordan Nobles
- Scott Edward Godin
- Rodney Sharman
- rd wraggett (according to Bradford Werner this is exactly how he prefers his name to be written)
- Benton Roark
The Pieces -
The album is comprised of thirteen pieces with two from Nobles, seven from Godin (forming a suite called 'On Poeticos'), two from Sharman, and one each from wraggett & Roark. The album title is taken from the opening piece by Nobles and it sets the listener in a good, warm place. I won't go into too much detail as I think it best that you head on over to iTunes and listen to the sound samples to get a feel for the music from your own perspective.
Things I liked about the album
- Top notch playing
- Excellent recording fidelity
- New pieces from exciting composers
- Thirteen pieces representing great value
Things I might have changed about the album
- Different mixing to capture the essence of each guitarist
Conclusion
This really is a must-have album for lovers of excellent classical guitar music. It is a pleasant departure from the done-to-death pieces from yesteryear.
Let your fingers fly!
Josh