John Williams: The Seville Concert

Although he's an undemonstrative presence on stage (evincing little emotion as he performs), the Australian-born John Williams—along with Julian Bream—is one of his generation's premier virtuosos on classical guitar, as viewers will discover during an hour-long concert filmed (without an audience) at the beautiful Royal Alcázar Palace in Seville. Most of the performance consists of solo pieces from Albéniz, Bach, Scarlatti, and Mangoré, as well as contemporary composers Yuquijiro Yocoh and Nikita Koshkin, but there are also two orchestra-backed works—a Vivaldi concerto and a single movement from Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez. The concert is supplemented by an hour-long profile of Williams, in which he discusses his life and career with remarkable candor—offering, for example, some penetrating comments on the teaching style of Andrés Segovia, with whom he once studied—while others (friends, composers, fellow artists, and even a guitar-maker) discuss Williams' artistry and express their warm personal regard for him (the film also features archival footage and a wide array of musical excerpts). Taken together, the concert and documentary serve up a fine appreciation of a talented musician. Presented in Dolby Digital stereo, this is recommended. Aud: P. (F. Swietek)