Recording Vintage Classical Guitars

Recording Guitar Videos

My ongoing recording project with Vintage Classical Guitars, owned by Aaron Green, keeps getting more satisfying. The video below features one of the many great guitars I have played there, a 1970 Daniel Friederich.

My main goal is to represent the guitars Aaron is selling. I have a double roll as recording engineer as well as performer. As engineer, I try to let go of my intense love of reverb so to represent the guitars in the most honest, but beautiful light. To record in any dry room with no acoustics and call it honest is a huge disfavor to all. The guitar, the music and the performer all suffer. Recently we have achieved a new set up that is getting close to the best of both. It has enough reverb to allow the music to sing, but not so much as to cover the true sound of the guitars. It’s a constant battle – the pursuit of the Hole Grail, clearly!

Recording Original Compositions

I’m now embarking on the goal of recording all my compositions in the context of this work. While I have always thrown in plenty of my own works, I will be progressing through more of my major works as well as my simplest student pieces. Brief commentary will be included on the student pieces. Look here, on YouTube-Aaron Green and on Facebook to keep in touch.

Recording the Second Sonata

This video is the first movement of my Second Sonata called Timid Nightingale. It was written a year ago as a commission for Joseph Mayes, a dear old friend of mine and longtime professor at Rowan University as well as longtime, though recently retired, Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society. The work is in four movements and uses thematic material of the troubadour song The sweet voice sings by Bernart de Ventadorn. There are also pitch groups derived from the name of the honoree, Joe’s father, to whom the work is dedicated. Samuel Mayes was one of America’s great cellists of the 20th century. He played for both the Philadelphia and Boston orchestras.

Movement two can be heard here on a glorious 1949 Hauser: If I forget to love. Sheet music can be purchased here: Timid Nightingale. More movements coming soon – on what guitar remains to be seen!