Guitar aficionados wishing to add to their CD collections at reasonable cost should take a close look at the large number of superb guitar recordings now available from the budget classical label, Naxos International. Established American guitarists Marc Teicholz, Adam Holzman and Nicholas Goluses, the extraordinary Colombian virtuoso, Ricardo Cobo, and early music specialist, Richard Savino, have all recently made CDs for Naxos, and there's apparently plenty more to come. For the last few years Naxos has also been awarding a recording contract to a prizewinner in the Guitar Foundation of America Solo Guitar Competition, an event that now attracts some of the best younger players in the world. "Laureate Series" discs by recent GFA prizewinners Jason Vieaux and Jeffrey McFadden are now available; CDs by Elena Papandreou and Antigoni Goni (who shared the Naxos prize in 1995) will be released soon.
The man responsible for these riches is none other than Canadian guitarist Norbert Kraft, the head of the guitar division at Naxos, who has himself made several excellent recordings for the label. According to Kraft, the CDs currently available are, in fact, only the tip of the iceberg. Projects finished or underway include recordings of the complete guitar music of Fernando Sor, Napoleon Coste and Leo Brouwer, to be available as single CDs or in boxed sets! Most of these discs are being recorded in St. John's Chrysostom Church, Newmarket, Ontario under the technical supervision of Kraft's wife and duo partner, harpsichordist Bonnie Silver.
Among my favorites on the Naxos label (and I've only listened to part of what's out there) are Marc Teicholz's recording of works by Sor, which includes a stunning performance of the Gran Solo, Op. 14, (Naxos 8.553354), Jason Vieaux's all Latin American and Spanish entry in the Laureate Series (Naxos 8.553449) and Norbert Kraft's recordings of Paganini's Centone di Sonate with violinist Moshe Hammer (three volumes, Naxos 8.553141, 8.553142 and 8.553143). Antigoni Goni's upcoming Laureate CD, which will feature most of the music she played at her Edmonton concert in May, is certainly on my must-buy list!
CD stores often carry large quantities of Naxos discs, among which a fair number of guitar recordings can usually be found. A 1997 catalogue (by now slightly out of date) is available. The price of a Naxos CD is typically $6-$8.
Copyright © 2001, Edmonton Classical Guitar Society.