RIP: Julian Bream

[Brad Little]

Possibly the second most influential classical guitarist of the 20th Century. I saw him in concert, around '75, first half on lute, second on guitar.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/music/julian-bream-obituary/ar-BB17Y1vD

 

[wileypickett]

I saw him live at a concert hall in Boston 30 years or more ago, and enjoyed him more than Segovia who I'd seen in the same venue 10 years before that.

I don't know that there are very many classical guitar fans here on LTG, but you don't have to like the music to love Bream's autobiography, *A Life on the Road*. He's a total eccentric (all guitarists are crazy!) and the book is screamingly funny. His stories of touring India, back before western artists did that very often, is hair-raising. He booked himself -- never used a booking agent -- and did sound checks by arriving without his guitar and clapping. He knew within seconds all that he needed to know.

And all you knuckleheads with your newfangled internal pickups, at the shows I saw Bream and Segovia both played without pickups -- and without mics! Symphony Hall has exceptionally good sound, granted, and the audience was respectful and quiet, but this was a room 3/4s the size of a football field. Without any amplification they could be heard clearly thoughout the whole hall.

 

[Westerly Wood]

 

[dreadnut]

Thanks for posting, WW, absolutely delightful! That awakens my inner guitar player.

 

[Westerly Wood]

he makes it look so easy

 

[Westerly Wood]

Here he is on the Lute, which I think was his preferred instrument overall, but Glenn will know more about that than I...

 

[Westerly Wood]

wow, here is a 48 minute Masterclass session at the home of mr bream:



if you go to the 7:40 is minute mark, he gives feedback to the virtuoso student that "it was just a bit overplayed" then he shows them how to do it his way, and you can just hear the difference in sound and presence of the song. Not overplaying produces this "intensity" that is really important. just brilliant.

 

[Westerly Wood]

so, been reading up on Mr Bream since I saw this post. I admit I had never heard of him before, but if Glen says he preferred his guitar playing to Segovia, I am taking notice...

I guess he was a young student at the Royal something of Music and there was no real teacher who could teach him. He recalls about his experience there:

"well, i basically had to undo the right hand technique they taught me..."

BWAHAHAHAHAHA

I like listening to this BBC thing cause you can totally tell a remarkable and audible difference between how he plays the bits vs how the other virtuosos there are playing them. amazing.

 

[Nuuska]

I remember seeing Segovia in Minneapolis Music Hall - if I remember correctly, it was about 700 persons seated. I was on second row in front of him - and I could clearly hear reflections from back wall. Naturally everybody was quiet as a mouse.

And yes - no microphones - except maybe in someone's sleeve . . .

 

[Westerly Wood]

man, you guys got good stories.

 

[Guildedagain]

Unlike shredding, this could never get tiresome. Hitting replay is almost a must.

 

[wileypickett]

The greatest classical guitarist is Paraguyan Agustin Barrios. He recorded before Segovia, was the first to transcribe Bach for guitar, played with gut strings on the E A D G stings and steel on the B and high E. Unlike Bream, he wrote his own pieces -- more than 300 -- which are brilliant. (Listen to "La Catedral," or "Sueno en Floresta" for instance.) Segovia spoke well of him, but was also a bit scared of him and may have tried to suppress his career.

He was almost unknown until John Williams recorded an entire album devoted to his music for Columbia in 1977 and then the classical guitar world went bananas. Anyone playing guitar these days cuts their teeth on Barrios -- his works are now part of the basic repertoire. All his 78s have been reissued on three CDs.

And like every guitarist -- crazy! He often appeared in concert in formal dress, but also began playing shirtless wearing feathers and beads, and advertising himself as Nitsuga ("Agustin" backwards) Mangore, "the Paganini from the Jungles of Paraguay."

He died in 1944.

 

[wileypickett]

if you go to the 7:40 is minute mark, he gives feedback to the virtuoso student that "it was just a bit overplayed" then he shows them how to do it his way, and you can just hear the difference in sound and presence of the song. Not overplaying produces this "intensity" that is really important. just brilliant.

Yeah, I see what you mean Woody! The first guitarist is technically very good, nice performance and all, but when Bream plays the same passage I get goosebumps. What a difference.

 

[dreadnut]

One of my favorites, Steve Howe of "Yes", "Mood For A Day."

 

[walrus]

Great stuff! What passion! R.I.P.

walrus

 

[5thumbs]

I don't know that there are very many classical guitar fans here on LTG, but you don't have to like the music to love Bream's autobiography, *A Life on the Road*.

That book sounds like a great read. It must be - the only copy I could find was listed on Amazon for $99.95!

 

[wileypickett]

Yes, the book quickly went out-of-print. I bought a few copies at used bookstores over the years to give as gifts, including one to John Fahey -- another guitarist with some memorable tour stories (he loved it) -- but I don't see it very often now.

 

[Westerly Wood]

The greatest classical guitarist is Paraguyan Agustin Barrios. He recorded before Segovia, was the first to transcribe Bach for guitar, played with gut strings on the E A D G stings and steel on the B and high E. Unlike Bream, he wrote his own pieces -- more than 300 -- which are brilliant. (Listen to "La Catedral," or "Sueno en Floresta" for instance.) Segovia spoke well of him, but was also a bit scared of him and may have tried to suppress his career.

He was almost unknown until John Williams recorded an entire album devoted to his music for Columbia in 1977 and then the classical guitar world went bananas. Anyone playing guitar these days cuts their teeth on Barrios -- his works are now part of the basic repertoire. All his 78s have been reissued on three CDs.

And like every guitarist -- crazy! He often appeared in concert in formal dress, but also began playing shirtless wearing feathers and beads, and advertising himself as Nitsuga ("Agustin" backwards) Mangore, "the Paganini from the Jungles of Paraguay."

He died in 1944.

Oh my. Now I need to do more research!

 

[Bernie]

Sad to read he has died. My favourite "Classical Guitar" player ; he has that kind of musical intelligence that makes all of his interpretations worth listening to...If interested in whatever piece I might fancy studying, I usually pick up Julian's records when they exist as an introduction to the work...

I think his involvement in playing Jazz he's had, is part of the explanation to this natural flow he always has...
We don't need to use past tenses talking about him, since the music remains and will always do I believe...Marvelous sensitivity too...
But i regret he' won't be here anymore to enjoy life as he could have...
Good-bye Man