Carlos Montoya

Flamenco

This is a wonderful classical CD of Flamenco Music. If you like classical guitar, Spanish music, you will enjoy this. It's vibrant & colorful, old-world wonderful music.

This spelling Spanish musical genre has fascinated and even captivated generations and generations. The mystery, the enervating energetic flow, the visible sensuality, the suggesting figures and fascinating bewitch seem to nestle in your spirit once you have listened.
Montoya 's playing is filled of imagination and elegant phrasing, he plays flourish on the guitar with nuance and far to make fireworks with his instruments, he builds sonorities.
Go for this album and get close to the world of Carlos Montoya. You won't believe it.

If you like flamenco guitar, or even if you're wondering if you do, Carlos Montoya is the one you want. He is the best. I'm thrilled to find his albums on CD's; I thought I'd lost them forever.

I use to listen this CD in relaxing moments on Sunday afternoon while I read. For my surprise I have discovered that my cats enjoy very much too.

But I really, really enjoyed this selection. It's varied enough to be interesting yet it doesn't overwhelm. It's perfect for light listening (like in the car...or while working). It might seem too light for some, but it's a very inexpensive listen, and I think well worth it.

This CD is awful. It is not what I expected at all. If you are looking for music with guitar solos, this CD is not for you.

It is claimed that certain kinds of music stimulates some brain waves which helps students and people working on intellectually demanding tasks to concentrate. This collection of guitar and lute favorites certainly seems to do that, creating a very pleasant restful atmosphere. But this CD is much more. Turn the volume up and it becomes a superb acoustic experience in which to immerse yourself. The compilers did an excellent job in choosing memorable pieces. Bach, Vivaldi, Paganini and the Spanish composers are all there. Perhaps the best point of this album (apart from the price) is the opportunity it allows to compare and enjoy a variety of styles in composers and performers. While it is surprising to find that brilliant guitar virtuoso's like Julian Bream, John Williams and Narcisso Yepes were not included, Simon Wynberg, Carlos Montoya and the others are excellent. Several pieces have the guitar playing with an orchestra or with the piano. This is very pleasing and enhances the rich melodies. There are several other excellent compilations of guitar music available from Amazon, but the variety of content and styles on this CD is unique. Buy it! Also look for the dozen or so others in this "25 Favorites" series. In terms of value for money this is probably the best musical bargain around. The several that I have heard are all excellent quality in choice and performances. But lock them away, your friends and colleagues will comment favourably and at this price you may be tempted to give them away. On the other hand: do that!

I was actually very lucky to have found this CD on ebay for 5.00 dollars. I cannot give it enough praise! It is spectacular, and truly Flamenco at its best!

Classical Montoya recording. I still have a hard time believing it is just one person playing. If you have any interest in Flamenco guitar, at it's best, then you'll be delighted with this recording.

Only the first half of this CD is Carlos Montoya on guitar, the other half is Mario Escudero on Guitar (which is why tracks 10-19 sound so much better!)... I'm glad I realized this early on, because enjoying the 2nd half of the CD was giving Montoya too much credit, he's not that good. Only 3 stars because the first half is a 1 and the second half a 5.

If you like your flamenco in a smoky bar late at night, then this is great. The first half is just solo Carlos Montoya -- complete with buzzing strings, etc. The second half is more varied with some singing and castenets. This is first-layer flamenco - no producer polish added. Not a lot of information about the players or music itself is included.

Carlos Montoya brushes his heart along the strands of his instrument in this 19 track CD. I've listened to it for years and would gladly plunk down another fifteen clams for a new one if I ever lost it. His rifts through Variacones Por Tango set one's heart thumping, and his soulful pining in Cante Minero is enough to woo any corazon (heart). Noche Granadina and Zapateado De Las Campanas tell the true talent of this master as he unleashes his mastery and lets rhythym run wild. If you want pure Flamenco guitar, The Art Of Flamenco is it.

Carlos Montoya brushes his heart along the strands of his instrument in this 19 track CD. I've listened to it for years and would gladly plunk down another fifteen clams for a new one if I ever lost it. His rifts through Variacones Por Tango set one's heart thumping, and his soulful pining in Cante Minero is enough to woo any corazon (heart). Noche Granadina and Zapateado De Las Campanas tell the true talent of this master as he unleashes his mastery and lets rhythym run wild. If you want pure Flamenco guitar, The Art Of Flamenco is it.

Carlos Montoya is considered by many to be the father of solo flamenco guitar. In spite of the fact that the majority of his recorded performances occurred in the 1940's and 50's (I'm not sure exactly when the performances on this collection were recorded), and therefore did not originally have the benefits of modern recording technology, the performances in this 2-CD collection sound surprisingly good. Almost as if they were, in fact, recorded relatively recently. Whomever was responsible for doing the remastering and digital signal processing of the original analog recordings for this collection has done a masterful job. The perfomances here are outstanding examples of the artform. While the second CD in this set contains, in my opinion, the more emotionally moving and powerful performances (solearas), I would have to say that all the tracks are outstanding in their virtuosity. If you want to hear traditional solo flamenco guitar performed at the highest level, you would be hard pressed to find a better 2-CD set than this. Bravo Carlos!

My husband has wanted some of Carlos Montoya's music for quite a while, and hasn't been able to find it. The CD's came in a timely fashion and I gave them to him as a Christmas gift. The music was extremely good and a great value as it was a two disc set. Very pleased!

Only the first half of this CD is Carlos Montoya on guitar, the other half is Mario Escudero on Guitar (which is why tracks 10-19 sound so much better!)... I'm glad I realized this early on, because enjoying the 2nd half of the CD was giving Montoya too much credit, he's not that good. Only 3 stars because the first half is a 1 and the second half a 5.

If you like your flamenco in a smoky bar late at night, then this is great. The first half is just solo Carlos Montoya -- complete with buzzing strings, etc. The second half is more varied with some singing and castenets. This is first-layer flamenco - no producer polish added. Not a lot of information about the players or music itself is included.

Carlos Montoya brushes his heart along the strands of his instrument in this 19 track CD. I've listened to it for years and would gladly plunk down another fifteen clams for a new one if I ever lost it. His rifts through Variacones Por Tango set one's heart thumping, and his soulful pining in Cante Minero is enough to woo any corazon (heart). Noche Granadina and Zapateado De Las Campanas tell the true talent of this master as he unleashes his mastery and lets rhythym run wild. If you want pure Flamenco guitar, The Art Of Flamenco is it.

Carlos Montoya brushes his heart along the strands of his instrument in this 19 track CD. I've listened to it for years and would gladly plunk down another fifteen clams for a new one if I ever lost it. His rifts through Variacones Por Tango set one's heart thumping, and his soulful pining in Cante Minero is enough to woo any corazon (heart). Noche Granadina and Zapateado De Las Campanas tell the true talent of this master as he unleashes his mastery and lets rhythym run wild. If you want pure Flamenco guitar, The Art Of Flamenco is it.