Of course it is impossible to talk about "the greatest" recording of the famous Rodrigo concerto. Julian Bream himself made four of them, but this one is special for the particular, haunting "inward" quality of the slow movement, and the overall sense of depth. John Duarte singled the disc out in The Gramophone as his own personal "Desert Island Disc" version of a much-played score, and I could hardly disagree with him!
Add to this miracle, a pair of equally searching, meticulously prepared readings of two other fine concertos created for Bream (the second he made of the Arnold, but his first of Takemitsu's magical "floating world" meditation, which I defy anyone who thinks they don't like modern music to resist!) and we have in our hands one of the indisputably great guitar records.
The recording is warm but clear, perfectly balanced between orchestra and soloist; and the young(ish) Simon Rattle partners Bream with musical sensitivity which is a joy to hear. If I could give this six stars, I would.
