Album

This double-disc compilation of John Williams' guitar favorites must appear, even to the uninitiated, as a commercial attempt by Sony to milk his catalog to the last possible sale. Without denigrating the guitarist's consummate skills or his usually satisfying achievements, his recordings for Columbia and Sony are repeatedly recycled in different packaging every few years, and likely will be reissued many more times. The Ultimate Guitar Collection could be changed to "penultimate," but even that is too definite a prediction of when this process will stop. That said, the album contains virtually every greatest hit that matters to guitar lovers, and is more than representative of Williams' wide-ranging work, from Baroque to Spanish classics and beyond. The selections are taken from his early, undated sessions for the LP, Echoes of London, and many other dated albums, from 1975's The Four Lute Suites of Johann Sebastian Bach, on through 2003's El Diablo Suelto. Most of the music is relaxing and pleasant, though some of the film themes from John Williams Plays the Movies disrupt the flow of fine solo playing, and are jarring for their bombastic orchestration and emotional insipidity. The sound quality varies substantially between the analog and digital recordings, and is sometimes too loud, even at a middle volume setting.

© Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 2
Isaac Albéniz Composer Suite española No.1, Op.47, B.7...Suite española No.1, for piano, Op.47, B.7 (arr. guitar) Work Recorded 1992 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
1	5.Asturias (Leyenda)	6:02			$0.99
Stanley Myers Composer The Deer Hunter, film score Work Recorded 1996 John Williams [guitar] Guitar, John Williams Conductor
2	Cavatina	3:13			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Partita for Lute in E, BWV1006a (for lute or harpsichord) Work Recorded 1992 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
3	1.Prelude	4:23			$0.99
Vasco Martins Composer Triangular Situations Work Recorded 2000 Richard Harvey Tiple, John Williams [guitar] Guitar, John Etheridge Guitar, Christopher Laurence Double Bass
4	Triangular Situations	3:59			$0.99
Francisco Tárrega Composer Recuerdos de la Alhambra, for guitar Work Recorded 1982 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
5	Recuerdos de la Alhambra, for guitar	3:32			$0.99
Anonymous Composer Jeux Interdits, romance for guitar Work Recorded 1999 John Williams [guitar] Guitar, William Goodchild Conductor
6	Jeux Interdits, romance for guitar	3:21			$0.99
Manuel de Falla Composer La vida breve (opera), G.35/39...2.Danza (Spanish Dance No.1) Work Recorded 1995 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
7	2.Danza (Spanish Dance No.1; arr. guitar)	3:19			$0.99
Domenico Scarlatti Composer Sonata in E, K.380, L.23 ('Cortège') Work Recorded 1987 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
8	Sonata in E, K.380, L.23 ('Cortège'; arr. guitar)	4:04			$0.99
Antonio Carillo Composer Como llora una estrella, valse-canción Work Recorded 2003 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
9	Como llora una estrella, valse-canción	3:58			$0.99
Ennio Morricone Composer The Mission, film score Work Recorded 1996 John Williams [guitar] Guitar, Christopher Gunning Conductor, Nicole Tibbels Soprano
10	Theme	7:15			$0.99
Julio S. Sagreras Composer El Colibri ('The Hummingbird'), for guitar Work Recorded 1988 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
11	El Colibri ('The Hummingbird'), for guitar	1:14			$0.99
Erik Satie Composer 3 Gymnopédies...3 Gymnopédies (arr. orchestra) Work Recorded 1998 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
12	3.Lent et grave	2:27			$0.99
George Frideric Handel Composer Courante, for lute (unspecified) Work John Williams [guitar] Guitar
13	Courante, for lute (unspecified)	3:14			$0.99
Agustín Barrios-Mangoré Composer La Catedral (The Cathedral), for guitar Work Recorded 1994 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
14	La Catedral (The Cathedral), for guitar	6:57			$0.99
Jorge Morel Composer El condor pasa, for guitar Work Recorded 1999 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
15	El condor pasa, for guitar	3:46			$0.99
Sir Edward Elgar Composer Salut d'amour (Liebesgrüss), Op.12 Work John Williams [guitar] Guitar
16	Salut d'amour (Liebesgrüss), Op.12 (arr.guitar)	2:49			$0.99
John Williams [guitar] Composer Malinke Guitars, duet Work Recorded 2000 John Williams [guitar] Guitar, John Etheridge Guitar
17	Malinke Guitars, duet	6:04			$0.99
Antonio Vivaldi Composer Chamber Concerto in D, for lute, 2 violins, and continuo, RV93...Chamber Concerto in D, RV93 (arr. guitar and orchestra) Work Recorded 1990 John Williams [guitar] Guitar, Janos Rolla Conductor, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra Orchestra
18	1.Allegro giusto	3:45			$0.99
Scott Joplin Composer The Entertainer Work Recorded 1996 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
19	The Entertainer (arr. guitar)	2:56			$0.99
CD 2 of 2
Joaquín Rodrigo Composer Concierto de Aranjuez, for guitar and orchestra Work Recorded 1983 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
1	2.Adagio	10:26			$1.98
Heráclio Fernandez Composer El diablo suelto Work Recorded 2003 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
2	El diablo suelto	2:19			$0.99
Agustín Barrios-Mangoré Composer Preludio for guitar in C- Work Recorded 1994 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
3	Preludio for guitar in C-	2:13			$0.99
Isaac Albéniz Composer Suite española No.1, Op.47, B.7...Suite española No.1, for piano, Op.47, B.7 (arr. guitar) Work Recorded 1992 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
4	3.Sevilla (Sevillanas)	4:43			$0.99
Erik Satie Composer 6 Gnossiennes...6 Gnossiennes (arr. guitar) Work Recorded 1998 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
5	1.Lent	3:49			$0.99
Agustín Barrios-Mangoré Composer Cueca, for guitar (Suite Andina No.5) Work Recorded 1994 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
6	Cueca, for guitar (Suite Andina No.5)	3:29			$0.99
John Williams Composer Schindler's List Work Recorded 1996 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
7	Theme	3:04			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Partita for Lute in E, BWV1006a (for lute or harpsichord) Work Recorded 1974 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
8	3.Gavotte en rondeau	2:49			$0.99
Enoch Sontonga Composer N'kosi sikelel' i Afrika Work Recorded 2000 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
9	N'kosi sikelel' i Afrika	3:58			$0.99
Gabriel Fauré Composer Pavane, Op.50 Work Recorded 1999 John Williams [guitar] Guitar, William Goodchild Conductor
10	Pavane, Op.50 (arr. guitar and orchestra)	5:06			$0.99
Antonio Vivaldi Composer Trio Sonata in C, RV82 Work Recorded 1990 John Williams [guitar] Guitar, Janos Rolla Violin, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra Orchestra
11	3.Allegro	2:08			$0.99
Andrew York Composer Sunburst for guitar Work Recorded 1988 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
12	Sunburst for guitar	3:32			$0.99
Nino Rota Composer The Godfather, film score Work Recorded 1996 John Williams [guitar] Guitar, Christopher Gunning Conductor
13	Theme	4:35			$0.99
Manuel Ponce Composer Scherzino Mexicano Work Recorded 1988 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
14	Scherzino Mexicano	2:28			$0.99
John Williams [guitar] Composer Aeolian Suite, for guitar & small orchestra Work Recorded 1998 John Williams [guitar] Guitar, William Goodchild Conductor
15	1.Aeolian Chant	4:19			$0.99
Charles Byrd Composer Blues (3) for classical guitar Work Recorded 1988 5:16 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
16	Spanish Guitar Blues	2:06			$0.99
17	Blues for Felix	2:08			$0.99
18	Swing	1:02			$0.99
Leo Brouwer Composer Black Decameron (suite) Work Recorded 1997 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
19	2.La Huída de los Amantes por el Valle de los Ecos (Fleeing of the Lovers through the Valley)	4:24			$0.99
Agustín Barrios-Mangoré Composer Una Limosna por el Amor de Dios, for guitar Work Recorded 1994 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
20	Una Limosna por el Amor de Dios, for guitar	3:27			$0.99
Anonymous, Italian Composer Saltarellos Nos.1-4 (GB-LBl Add.29987) Work Recorded 1998 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
21	Saltarellos Nos.1-4 (GB-LBl Add.29987)	1:57			$0.99
Isaac Albéniz Composer 12 Piezas caracteristicas, Op.92...12 Piezas caracteristicas, Op.92 (arr. guitar) Work Recorded 1980 John Williams [guitar] Guitar
22	12.Torre bermeja	4:06			$0.99