Dance of the Hummingbird [Enhanced]

Track Listings

1. Shimmering Air

2. Reverie

3. Basking in the Warmth

4. Timeless Wonder

5. Sojourn

6. Wings at Rest

7. Silent Epiphany

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
The incredible, whirring wings of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird will leave you in awe ~ so fragile, yet so powerful. Follow the flight of this tiny wondrous bird through the merging of gentle music and the peaceful sounds of its environment.

Dance of the Hummingbird,Dan Gibson,Solitudes,Meditation,New Age / Meditation,Pop

Tracks:

Albeniz: Asturias
Albeniz: Tango
Sanz: Canarios
Rodrigo: Fandango
Torroba: Nocturno
Segreras - El Colibri
Albeniz: Sonata in D
De Falla: The Corregidor's Dance
De Falla: Fisherman's Song
De Falla: The Miller's Dance
Torroba: Madronos
La Nit de Nadal
El Noy de la Mare
Granados: Ma Maja de Goya
Abeniz: Cordoba
Tarrega: Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Granados: Spanish Dance No. 5
El Testamen de Amelia
Villa-Lobos: Prelude No. 4 in E Minor
Albeniz: Sevilla
De Falla: Homanaje
Mudarra: Fantasia
Turina: Fandanguillo

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Introduction to Spanish Classical Guitar Music.......2005-09-18

As a sampler, this CD is an excellent introduction both to Spanish classical guitar music and to guitarist John Williams.
The music ranges from Renaissance composers (Sanz, Mudarra) and harmonized folk melodies to standard 20th Century works (Rodrigo, Torroba etc).

John Williams is excellent throughout. The CD is also cheap, and can be used either just for enjoyment, or further to explore other recordings by Williams, the classical guitar repertoire, or other classical guitarists.

As a marketing ploy, it is very effective.

For the collector or classical guitar enthusiast, the chief disadvantages of the CD are duplication of other recordings, and that the way at least some of the works on this CD are listed isn't helpful in telling the listener the set(s) to which these pieces belong and how to find them (e.g. "from ______, Op # "). The font listing the titles and track numbers is small and somewhat hard to read.

However, this CD should attract many listeners and enthusiasts both to the classical guitar, the repertoire, and guitarist John Williams - and I'm all for that.

Over 70 minutes playing time.

Recommended.

The guitar is an orchestra in miniature!.......2005-02-05

This admirable concept belongs to Hector Berlioz and it must not be a surprise the best guitarrists in the story have in common this trademark.

John Williams has always known the delicate equilibrium between the expresiveness and the glamouer. His impresive technique however is not exposed as his prima edonna. He goes directly to the soul of the composer, melts in his spirit and let the music sharp the qith eloquent conviction the composer's demanded atmosphere.

From Granados to Albeniz, from Rodrigo to Agustin Barrios - El indio Mangore -, from Moreno Torroba to Ponce , you will find the warmth, the passion and the Midas touch of this golden guitarrist.

GUITAR MAJESTY.......2004-12-21

John Williams is a true Guitar virtuoso. His repetoire is very extensive and I use his music in my office while I work at my daily office duties. This album is a must for all guitar enthusiasts old or young.

Sweet, sweet music, an essential addition to your collection.......2004-12-07

I originally bought this album three years ago, looking for a good introduction to Spanish guitar music. And this one fits that need perfectly. I still listen to and enjoy it today. I play this for guests at happy hour or dinner for a relaxed atmosphere. At Amazon's current price, this is a great value.

A True Classic.......2004-01-26

This album/cd is extraordinary. All the songs are gorgeous and exciting to listen to. John Williams' interpretation and technique are perfect. After 22 years of listening to it, I still enjoy and appreciate it more every time. I love giving it as a gift.

Average customer rating:

The Best Compilation of the Man on 2 Discs! Great Sound Quality Too!
Relaxing and Enticing to the Ear
A little something for everybody

The Ultimate Guitar Collection

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Classic Williams: Romance of the Guitar
The Guitarist
El Diablo Suelto - Guitar Music of Venezuela
Spanish Guitar Music
Essential Guitar: 33 Guitar Masterpieces

ASIN: B0007TFH52
Release Date: 2005-03-29

Tracks:

Suite Espanola, Op.47: Asturias (Leyenda)
Cavatina From The Deer Hunter
Lute Suite No.4 In E Major, BWV 1006a: Prelude
Triangular Situations
Recuerdos De La Alhambra
Romance
Dance From La Vida Breve
Sonata In E Major, K 380
Como Llora Una Estrella (Valse-Cancion)
The Mission
El Colibri
Gymnopedie No.3
Courante
La Catedral
El Condor Pasa
Salut D'Amour
Malinke Guitars
Concerto For Lute (Guitar), Two Violins (Strings) And Basso Continuo In D Major, R.93: I. Allegro Giusto
The Entertainer

Tracks:

Concierto De Aranjuez: II. Adagio
El Diablo Suelto (Valse)
Preludio En Do Menor (In C Minor)
Suite Espanola, Op.47: Sevilla (Sevillanas)
Gnossienne No.1
Cueca
Schindler's List
Lute Suite No.4 In E Major, BWV 1006a: Gavotte
Nkosi Sikelel'i Afrika
Pavane
Trio For Violin, Lute (Guitar) And Basso Continuo In C Major, R.82: III. Allegro
Sunburst
The Godfather
Scherzino Mexicano
Aeolian Suite For Guitar And Small Orchestra: I. Aeolian Chant
3 Blues For Classic Guitar: Spanish Guitar Blues
3 Blues For Classic Guitar: Blues For Felix
3 Blues For Classic Guitar: Swing 59
The Black Decameron: The Flight Of The Lovers Through The Valley Of The Echoes
Una Limosna Por El Amor De Dios
Saltarello
12 Piezas Caracteristicas, Op.92: No.12 Torre Bermeja (Serenato)

Customer Reviews:

The Best Compilation of the Man on 2 Discs! Great Sound Quality Too!.......2006-04-21

The title very aptly describes this great classical guitar album showcasing some of the best ever works of John Williams on 2 discs. The track selections are great as they span the centuries from the Baroque greats of Bach and Vivaldi to the modern day composers such as Stanley Myers and York. John even flirts with Blues and Jazz-style pieces and they actually sound very good. In addition, they did a much better mastering job on this version than on the single disc, "Classic John Williams" album that was released a few years earlier and so the sound quality is much better. John Williams' playing is without peer and his technique is superior to the vast majority of the exponents of classical guitar that are out there. I've heard recordings of many others who have tried to play "Cavatina" for example and they have never come close to the natural and flowing version that John plays. If you are a fan of this type of music or of John Williams' work, this is the best compilation that you can get that's out there. Highly recommended!

Relaxing and Enticing to the Ear.......2006-01-26

The first song on this set is why I bought the whole album. It blows you away listening to the precise picking and the gorgeous way it is done. Not robotic like some freaks out there. This is true beautiful music. Runs together like a long summer drive in the country. It is just a perfect album to listen to at home or on the go.

A little something for everybody.......2005-06-15

First, this is gorgeous guitar playing by someone who knows what he's doing. John Williams (not to be confused by the film score composer of the same name) is a superb classical guitarist. Many of these pieces are *classical* in nature, while a few are more *popular*. Many are solo, the rest in small chamber groups. Some will get your toes tapping, some will start you daydreaming, and some will make you cry with their beauty. All of it is magnificent.

Average customer rating:

Brilliant in many ways
classical gems
Nobody Does It Better
Good CD
A cultural treasure

Spanish Guitar Music

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Essential Guitar: 33 Guitar Masterpieces

ASIN: B00000277B
Release Date: 1991-04-05

Tracks:

Asturias
Tango
Canarios
Fandango
Nocturno
El Colibri
Sonata In D
The Corregidor's Dance
Fisherman's Song
The Miller's Dance
Mondronos
La Nit de Nadal
El Noy de la Mare
La Maja de Goya
Cordoba
Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Spanish Dance No. 5
El Testamen de Amelia
Prelude No. 4 In E Minor
Sevilla
Homanaje
Fantasia
Fandanguillo, Op. 36

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant in many ways.......2005-10-04

'The guitar is a genuinely Spanish instrument,' writes Uwe Kraemer, and it (along with the classical music for it) is one of the great gifts of Spanish culture to the world. The period of composition for guitar in Spanish culture began in the 1500s, and has never really faded. Guitarist John Williams (not to be confused with the composer of the Star Wars themes) is a master of this instrument, and has selected a repertoire of pieces spanning all four centuries of the instrument.

This is a solo album - all of the pieces here are arranged for single guitar. Some of the music is distinctively Spanish, while others bear a Catalan and Portuguese influence. Few of the composers on this album are well-known names in the Northern-European culture, but in the Latin culture, these are names that are known, and the music even more so.

From the earliest century of guitar music, composers such as Gaspar Sanz and Alonso Mudarra show the origins of this kind of work, which includes dissonances that occasionally sound like modern composition. There are pieces with lively spirit and power, inspiring dance in a more popular mode.

Mateo Albeniz has only one surviving composition; a church organist in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century, he was influenced by Scarlatti and wrote for the harpischord - Williams has transcribed the piece for guitar here.

From the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, many composers were productive: Isaac Albeniz, Julio Sagreras, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Francisco Tarrega, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Joaquin Turina. Some like de Falla were very influenced by traditional Spanish stories and musical themes, whereas others like Granados drew inspiration from the broader aspects of European musical tradition. Villa-Lobos shows the transportation of Spanish music into the new world, becoming a noted name in Brazilian music (which, ironically, is the only major South American country without Spanish as its primary language).

Joaquin Rodrigo and Frederico Moreno Torroba represent composers in this grand style up to the present day.

John Williams' playing is technically sound and has flashes of emotional power and inspiration. Many pieces here are wonderful, but 'The Miller's Dance', the 'Fandango' and the Villa-Lobos 'Prelude No. 4 in E minor' stand out as the greatest of tracks here, being nothing short of brilliant.

classical gems.......2003-07-09

A treat for the solo guitar enthusiast, this is a sparkling collection of Spanish classics, full of drama and passion, played to perfection by John Williams. His technique is dazzling, with a purity and clarity even in the fast and fiery parts, and never a squishy note to be heard.
The music takes us back to the mid 16th century with Alonso Mudarra's "Fantasia", which is short and charming, as well as another early composer, Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710), with his "Canarios", up to many 20th century masters like de Falla, Torroba, and the only non-Spaniard represented, the Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Favorites include Albeniz' "Cordoba", which has a marvelous "rasqueado", and the familiar but exciting "The Miller's Dance" by de Falla, but every track is impressive on this CD, as well as entertaining, something solo guitar music occasionally fails to be.

Having been reared by a mother who loved her guitar almost as much as her children, I have heard these pieces played often and by many great artists, but never better, or more enjoyably. This is a compilation that consists of previously released material, some from the 70's and 80's; the sound throughout is excellent, and the total time 73:46.

Nobody Does It Better.......2001-11-24

I regard the recording of "Leyenda" on this CD the best. All other recordings are weak, especially during the buildup of the arpeggio and the strummed chords. Williams is the only guitarist I've heard (including Segovia) to give this dramatic masterpiece the dose of power it deserves--from the bright arpeggio to the whipsaw chordal strums. Other great performances on this CD are "Canarios," "Sonata in D," "Madronos," "Cordoba," and "Recuerdos de la Alhambra." To give an indication of just how powerful Williams' playing is, I've heard Christopher Parkening's and David Brandon's duo (which I highly regard) performance of "The Miller's Dance," and found it lacking the dynamism and excitement of Williams' solo performance. A few of the other compositions on this CD don't appeal to me much; otherwise, I'd rate this CD higher.

Good CD.......2001-10-15

Nice round choice of pieces, well performed. Naturally there are favorites, but overall, a lovely work.

A cultural treasure.......2001-10-09

While converting CDs to MP3s recently, I rediscovered this 1990 CD. I've always loved Williams' lively performances of "Canarios" and "Fantasia", but was struck, one week before the terrorist war began, by the gentle, sad beauty of "Recuerdos de la Alhambra" [Keepsakes of the Alhambra palace]. Tarrega's composition, an inspired work of genius, could serve to restore hopes of peace to the world.

Average customer rating:

Spirit of Spain

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000029RI
Release Date: 1996-06-18

Tracks:

La Torre Bermeja
Fantasia
The Millers Dance
The Carnival Of Veice
Prelude No.5
Etude No.7
El Colibri
Suite Castllana
Suite Catellana Cntinued
Suite Castellana Finale
Sevilla
Sonatina
Sonatina Part 2
Sonatina Part 3
Spain
La Fiesta
Fandanguillo

Average customer rating:

What's That In My EAR??

Dance of the Hummingbird
Dan Gibson
Manufacturer: Solitudes
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Environmental | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004RGT9
Release Date: 1998-07-01

Tracks:

Shimmering Air (8:17)
Reverie (7:49)
Basking in the Warmth (7:39)
Timeless Wonder (7:04)
Sojourn (7:35)
Wings at Rest (7:28)
Silent Epiphany (7:14

Album Description

The incredible, whirring wings of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird will leave you in awe ~ so fragile, yet so powerful. Follow the flight of this tiny wondrous bird through the merging of gentle music and the peaceful sounds of its environment.

Customer Reviews:

What's That In My EAR??.......2001-06-15

I get a real thrill out of listening to 'Dance of the Hummingbird" because the music is gentle...and I can hear the sound of the little Hummer's wings! It's as if I'm sitting out on my heavily-gardened porch and all of a sudden there comes this Hummingbird, feeding from a fuschia flower that is just next to my head!