Romance De Amor - Albéniz, Mangoré, Etc / Xue Fei Yang CD

 Has good technique become enough?
This is the 3rd CD release by 杨雪霏 (Xuefei Yang) - following one on the chinese label Shinemusic, and one for GSP. The quality of the recording is good. Well it's really what we can expect from EMI. And the quality of the playing is also clean and connected, as we can expect from todays good guitarists. But the question is: can I recommend this recording? Yang was trained in China by Chen Zhi, a man who is becoming more and more notorious for his lack of understanding of western art music. Armed with a metronome, he drills his students continually on mundane, boring, repetitive finger-motion exercises. The result of his training does have a certain goal: smooth, clean playing. And that goal is reached: Xuefei (and Zhi's other students) can play very smoothly. Mainly it is by Zhi's ramping up of metronome speeds from slow to fast. But is that also the goal of music (smooth clean playing)?? If you answer yes, then go ahead and buy the CD. But if you have higher requirements of music: such as musical expression and phrasing, then this CD is as mundane and boring as it gets - and this is clearly evident to anyone who regards musical expression with a higher value than technique. Take the piece "El Condor Pasa" as arranged by Jorge Morel. This is undoubtably the worst on the entire CD, because of Yang's straight score-based execution (I cannot even call it interpretation). "El Condor Pasa" is actually a true latin-american classic. It is a piece with rich traditions. It is part of the zarzuela "El Cóndor Pasa" by peruvian composer Daniel Alomía Robles. But it is more than that: it is like a Peruvian/Andian hymn. It has a very distinct feeling that many bands of street-musicians in the dusty streets of Peru can capture so effectively. Traditional ensembles with Charango and Zampoña. Or those wonderful Peruvian flutes. Those musicians make the condor fly. But back to earth, what does Yang do? A half-dead condor drags itself around on the floor. She presents the work with contrapuntal clarity, but with no emotion, with no phrasing, with no idea of andian/peruvian tradition. A complete failure on all levels. What about the piece "Seis por Derecho" by Antonio Lauro from Venezuela? Once again she presents it cleanly, but with a metronomic rhythm that destroys the whole excitement that this piece should have. If you've ever had the fortune of listening to Alirio Diaz's brilliantly nuanced interpretation of this work, you'll know what I mean. Diaz (who is incedently from Venezuela!) plays the rhythm in a brilliantly engaging way. His phrasing is pure excitement. Yang's phrasing and style is just non-existant. She executes sheetmusic, nothing more. Xuefei Yang has said that her favourite guitarist is John Williams. Well old John is pretty much guilty of all the things that have been mentioned up to now. He plays in a mundane technique-driven way. A modern way that always stays within the framework of strict execution with good control. Yang also studied music in London. Judging by what Prof Curtis Price has said about Yang, it is clear that the people at the conservatory were simply blown away with her technique and didn't see anything more as being necessary. Yang fit perfectly into the conservatory. Great technique, great control... What more does one want?.... It's a real modern-day tragedy. What about the classic "Asturias" by Isaac Albeniz? Of course her technique serves her well. Her arrangement is great, by the way... But the interpretation? Well it's the same aggressive Asturias that John William delivers (except even better technically). There is no elegance in her playing. There are only a handful of minor emotions: mainly aggression. It's completely contrary to Albeniz's own refined way of romantic expression. More can be done with Asturias - much more. Yang (and pretty much all other guitarists today) present a boring Asturius that is just one thing a dead warhorse; instead of an elegant romantic whirlwind of spanish expression and expressive capability. In total: this is not recommended if you value expression in music. (On the other hand: if you really value expression in music, you can also forget the CD's by Williams, Yepes, Vidovic, Kanengiser, and pretty much everyone else) If you like it modern... (i.e. lacking tradition/phrasing etc.) then go ahead and buy. It not... try and make a difference in your performances... OK?! ;)
Submitted by Peter (London, UK)
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 A very touch playing CD in decades
I have heard many comments on how pale are the playing of the new generation guitarist. But Xuefei is really touched my heart with her playing. This is one of my top five from my 2000+ guitar CD collection now. I have drove 14 hours to her concert last year and found she's even better when life! The touch was soft but clear at the quiet moment, powerful and clean at the climax. You can feel the music is flowing from her heart. Highly recommend.
Submitted by guitarfans262 (Salt Lake City, UT)
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 Phenomenon
This is by far the most amazing classical guitarist I have heard in 3 decades. She's one of the very best musician on this planet IMHO. She can talk to you with her guitar! That's really a gift from the God.
Submitted by stringinstrument (NY, USA)
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 xue fei yang fan
one of the best in the world now.. every guitarist must have in their collection
Submitted by wayne (parlin nj.)
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