John Williams - Greatest Hits (2009)

Guitarist John Williams' recording career with Columbia and Sony has been a long and fruitful one, yielding many fine albums of classical guitar music from Bach to Barrios, so it should come as no surprise that his playing has found its place on many compilations. John Williams Greatest Hits gathers the most essential tracks onto one disc, and as a consequence, listeners who own older releases will notice some duplication. That said, these really are among the most important pieces in Williams' repertoire, and anyone who is just getting acquainted with his virtuosic performances will get a proper introduction with this album. Williams' dazzling yet seemingly effortless performance style has won him many admirers. The more difficult the piece -- for example, the Asturias (Leyenda) by Isaac Albéniz, or the Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Francisco Tárrega -- the less obvious is Williams' technique, for his execution is always smooth. Yet even the simple pieces, such as Stanley Myers' Cavatina from The Deer Hunter or Erik Satie's Gnossienne No. 1, are given an artistic intensity that sustains interest. The recording dates range from 1975 to 2006, so some variance in audio quality might be expected, but Sony has engineered the sound to a fairly even level, so few adjustments, if any, will be needed for comfortable home listening.